Benjamin Barton (1766-1815) was a prominent American physician, botanist and zoologist, a professor at the University Of Pennsylvania. He wrote the first American textbook on botany. As a Christian, he was vitally interested in ethnology and the origin of the different tribes and nations. In his writings he defended the Biblical doctrine of the unity of the human race and their dispersion from Ararat. He also believed in recent creation as the Bible describes.
-Men of Science, Men of God (page 44-45)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tall Texas...
Of Texas' 20 tallest buildings:
13 are located in Houston, making it the city with the country's third-tallest skyline...
6 of the remaining seven are in Dallas...
1 is in San Antonio.
13 are located in Houston, making it the city with the country's third-tallest skyline...
6 of the remaining seven are in Dallas...
1 is in San Antonio.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Sunday is Coming!
"In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds."
-Robert Green Ingersoil,lawyer & orator (1833-1899)
-Robert Green Ingersoil,lawyer & orator (1833-1899)
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Smelling the breath of the wolf...
The following is taken from this month's Voice of the Martyrs magazine, From the Director:
Today, the suicide bombings, terrorism in the skies and general eroding of our culture have caused many Christians to worry about the future. God is not the author of evil, of the horrible acts we hear about on the evening news. Yet God allows our way of life to be threatened so that we will wake up and focus our energies on sharing the hope of eternal life. Jesus allows His sheep to smell the breath of the wolf so that they will bleat out the name of their Shepherd and depend upon Him.
May we understand what it is we are smelling, acknowledge Him Who is our Creator and Redeemer,and raise our voices to Him Who is our ever present help in time of need.
Today, the suicide bombings, terrorism in the skies and general eroding of our culture have caused many Christians to worry about the future. God is not the author of evil, of the horrible acts we hear about on the evening news. Yet God allows our way of life to be threatened so that we will wake up and focus our energies on sharing the hope of eternal life. Jesus allows His sheep to smell the breath of the wolf so that they will bleat out the name of their Shepherd and depend upon Him.
May we understand what it is we are smelling, acknowledge Him Who is our Creator and Redeemer,and raise our voices to Him Who is our ever present help in time of need.
Birthday!
On this date, in the year of our Lord 1904, Theodore Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. You know this person best by his pen name...Dr. Seuss.
His first children's book, And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, was rejected 27 times before being published!
He wrote a total of 44 books, which were translated into 15 different languages, before he died on September 24, 1991.
His mother , Henrietta Seuss Geisel, had worked in her father's bakery before marrying Ted's father, often memorizing the names of the pies that were on special each day and chanting them to the customers. If Ted had difficulty falling asleep, she would often recall her pie chants. As an adult, Ted credited his mother "for the rhythms in which I write, and the urgency with which I do it."
Moms, what you say and read to your children does have an affect on their lives,especially the last thing they hear before they fall asleep.
What might he have written if she told him Bible stories??? Hmmm....
His first children's book, And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, was rejected 27 times before being published!
He wrote a total of 44 books, which were translated into 15 different languages, before he died on September 24, 1991.
His mother , Henrietta Seuss Geisel, had worked in her father's bakery before marrying Ted's father, often memorizing the names of the pies that were on special each day and chanting them to the customers. If Ted had difficulty falling asleep, she would often recall her pie chants. As an adult, Ted credited his mother "for the rhythms in which I write, and the urgency with which I do it."
Moms, what you say and read to your children does have an affect on their lives,especially the last thing they hear before they fall asleep.
What might he have written if she told him Bible stories??? Hmmm....
Monday, March 01, 2010
Engrossing Earth Elements
The word peninsula comes from the Latin paene for "almost" and insulae for "island." A peninsula is literally "almost an island." A cape, derived from the Latin word caput for "head," is a head or pointed piece of land that also sticks out into the water.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Chinese New Year - People's Day
In China, individual birth dates are not as important as the year in which a person is born. Everyone, no matter which month they were born in, turns another year older on the 7th day of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration. In China this is called People's Day or the Day of Man.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Sunday is Coming!
The following is a quote from the great English minister, Charles Spurgeon. These words come from a sermon entitled, Timely Reflections, which was delivered December 27, in the year of our Lord 1868. (You can find the text of this sermon on-line.) In many ways, these words reflect my life since my Best Beloved, Charlie, died and went on to be with the Lord on May 23, 2009.
"You have been nearly shipwrecked, but you are not wrecked. The storm has been very furious, but above all the billows Jehovah's power has kept and preserved you. Your feet had almost gone, your steps had well nigh slipped, but the Divine Power interposed in everlasting grace, and to this day - a wonder unto many, but especially a wonder to yourself-you are still on the road to the Celestial City, and you are nearer to it now than when you first believed."
"You have been nearly shipwrecked, but you are not wrecked. The storm has been very furious, but above all the billows Jehovah's power has kept and preserved you. Your feet had almost gone, your steps had well nigh slipped, but the Divine Power interposed in everlasting grace, and to this day - a wonder unto many, but especially a wonder to yourself-you are still on the road to the Celestial City, and you are nearer to it now than when you first believed."
Monday, February 22, 2010
TEXAS...specifically El Paso
The El Paso City Council once voted to spend over $100,000 for private security to guard the city police station.
El Paso is known as the "Sun City." The sun shines in El Paso 302 days per year on average.
El Paso has a unique claim to fame when it comes to heralding itself as a Texas capital. With a plethora of boot companies calling the city home, it eventually designed itself as the state's "Boot-making Capital." Tony Lama was the town's first boot maker, setting up shop back in 1911.
-Bathroom Book of Texas Trivia
El Paso is known as the "Sun City." The sun shines in El Paso 302 days per year on average.
El Paso has a unique claim to fame when it comes to heralding itself as a Texas capital. With a plethora of boot companies calling the city home, it eventually designed itself as the state's "Boot-making Capital." Tony Lama was the town's first boot maker, setting up shop back in 1911.
-Bathroom Book of Texas Trivia
Friday, February 19, 2010
Sunday is Coming!
NO COMPROMISE!
Early Christian writers saw the dangers of mixing elements of the pagan worldviews of Greece and Rome with Christianity. Tertullian, an early 3rd century Christian writer, stressed that the biblical worldview must serve as the standard in evaluating all competing worldviews. In his work, What Does Athens Have to do with Jerusalem? he argued that Christians must never compromise their faith. Tertullian's point was that there is no common ground between Athens, the seat of man-centered philosophy, and Jerusalem, the source of godly wisdom and instruction:
"What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What concord is there between the Academy and the Church? What between heretics and Christians?"
Early Christian writers saw the dangers of mixing elements of the pagan worldviews of Greece and Rome with Christianity. Tertullian, an early 3rd century Christian writer, stressed that the biblical worldview must serve as the standard in evaluating all competing worldviews. In his work, What Does Athens Have to do with Jerusalem? he argued that Christians must never compromise their faith. Tertullian's point was that there is no common ground between Athens, the seat of man-centered philosophy, and Jerusalem, the source of godly wisdom and instruction:
"What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What concord is there between the Academy and the Church? What between heretics and Christians?"
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Scientists & Biblical Creation
Samuel Miller (1770-1840) was a Presbyterian minister who wrote a definitive and very influential history of the scientific advances in the 18th century entitled, Brief Retrospect of the Eighteenth Century. Throughout his comprehensive treatise, whether dealing with the scientific studies of Christians or pagans, he stressed the harmony of true science with the Christian faith and Biblical inspiration, including a strong defense of flood geology and a recent creation.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
On this date, in the year of our Lord 1885, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published under Samuel Langhorne Clemens' pen name, Mark Twain. This is not my favorite of Mr. Twain's works; rather, mine are as follows:
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Roughing It
Pudd'nhead Wilson
Many in our time would focus on the social issues entwined in Twain's writings. I will not. As a Christian, I would direct you to his worldview.
During his lifetime, Mr. Twain deliberately rejected God. Even in the work headlining today's entry, Clemens showed his own rebellion through the character of Huck Finn who: mocks prayer, sees all religious people as naive or hypocritical, and rejects traditional standards of right and wrong.
In the mid-1890's Clemens wrote, "Whoever has lived long enough to find out what life is, knows how deep a debt of gratitude we owe to Adam, the first great benefactor of our race. He brought death into the world." [While he does have his biblical facts straight,as a new widow, I can assure you that I wholeheartedly disagree with his attitude toward death!]
In The Mysterious Stranger, a work published six years after his death, Clemens unveiled his personal conclusion,"There is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven, no hell. It is all a dream--a grotesque and foolish dream." [I say to you without any reservation that Samuel Clemons was WRONG! ...but he knows that now]
Are you wondering, then, why I enjoy reading Mark Twain's works? I believe he gifted those of us who came after him with insight of what life was like in 17th century American.,A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court being the exception. I would encourage you - have your young people read Twain...BUT...you read it first! Be ready to talk through the issues and opinions Twain expresses. His writing can be a valuable tool towards having frank discussions with your students. Take advantage of his enjoyable writing style. I promise, Twain will put a smile on your lips and a bring a chuckle out.
Bottom line in reading Samuel Clemons: that while his works, are individually often pleasant, together they reveal the sad history of a man's stubborn rebellion against his Creator God.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Roughing It
Pudd'nhead Wilson
Many in our time would focus on the social issues entwined in Twain's writings. I will not. As a Christian, I would direct you to his worldview.
During his lifetime, Mr. Twain deliberately rejected God. Even in the work headlining today's entry, Clemens showed his own rebellion through the character of Huck Finn who: mocks prayer, sees all religious people as naive or hypocritical, and rejects traditional standards of right and wrong.
In the mid-1890's Clemens wrote, "Whoever has lived long enough to find out what life is, knows how deep a debt of gratitude we owe to Adam, the first great benefactor of our race. He brought death into the world." [While he does have his biblical facts straight,as a new widow, I can assure you that I wholeheartedly disagree with his attitude toward death!]
In The Mysterious Stranger, a work published six years after his death, Clemens unveiled his personal conclusion,"There is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven, no hell. It is all a dream--a grotesque and foolish dream." [I say to you without any reservation that Samuel Clemons was WRONG! ...but he knows that now]
Are you wondering, then, why I enjoy reading Mark Twain's works? I believe he gifted those of us who came after him with insight of what life was like in 17th century American.,A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court being the exception. I would encourage you - have your young people read Twain...BUT...you read it first! Be ready to talk through the issues and opinions Twain expresses. His writing can be a valuable tool towards having frank discussions with your students. Take advantage of his enjoyable writing style. I promise, Twain will put a smile on your lips and a bring a chuckle out.
Bottom line in reading Samuel Clemons: that while his works, are individually often pleasant, together they reveal the sad history of a man's stubborn rebellion against his Creator God.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
TEXAS...
A statue of Will Rogers and his horse, Soapsuds, stands on the Texas Tech campus. According to local legend, the statue, which was donated by a long-time friend of Rogers, was meant to be pointing west so that Rogers and his horse would be headed for the sunset (as it said on the plaque attached to the base). However, facing the sunset would have meant the horse's tail end would be pointed toward downtown, which would have sent a, well, mixed message to the university's supportive business community. Another adjustment considered would have sent an equally insulting message to the administrative office. Instead, horse and rider were adjusted 23 degrees to the northwest, so that today, Soapsuds' rear end is perpetually pointed toward Texas A&M.
Scientists & Biblical Creation
Adam Sedgwick (1785-1873) was one of England's leading 19th century geologists and a long-time professor of geology at Cambridge. Although he was a friend of Charles Darwin, Sedgwick always opposed Darwin's evolutionary ideas, prophesying that their result would be devastatingly harmful to the world.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Engrossing Earth Elements
It's a hurricane...it's a cyclone...no it's a typhoon!
In fact, they are all names for the same kind of violent storm originating over warm ocean waters. Hurricane (derived from a Carib Indian word) is typically used to describe these storms when they originate in the tropical Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea. A typhoon (from the Cantonese word tai fung) is a violent storm which originates in the western Pacific Ocean, and especially the South China Sea. Last but not least, a cyclone is a violent tropical storm originating in the Indian Ocean.
In fact, they are all names for the same kind of violent storm originating over warm ocean waters. Hurricane (derived from a Carib Indian word) is typically used to describe these storms when they originate in the tropical Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea. A typhoon (from the Cantonese word tai fung) is a violent storm which originates in the western Pacific Ocean, and especially the South China Sea. Last but not least, a cyclone is a violent tropical storm originating in the Indian Ocean.
Why is the Orient called "the Orient"?
Continuing on with the fact that the lunar new year is in its second day of celebration...
The Orient has long been labeled by Westerners as "mysterious." Also mysterious is from whence the word Orient originated. The location "the Orient" and the verb "to orient" both come from the Latin word oriri, which means "to rise." Since the sun rises in the east, oriens was used in ancient times to denote the direction of the rising sun, the land and regions east of the Mediterranean. Orient, meaning the Eastern lands, passed into the English language,by way of Old French, during the 14th century.
The Orient has long been labeled by Westerners as "mysterious." Also mysterious is from whence the word Orient originated. The location "the Orient" and the verb "to orient" both come from the Latin word oriri, which means "to rise." Since the sun rises in the east, oriens was used in ancient times to denote the direction of the rising sun, the land and regions east of the Mediterranean. Orient, meaning the Eastern lands, passed into the English language,by way of Old French, during the 14th century.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Sunday is Coming!
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island . He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. Then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened. Everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger, "God, how could You do this to me?!?" he cried.
Early the next day; however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.
"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
It is easy to be discouraged when things are going badly. But we should not lose heart, because God is at work in our lives even in the midst of pain and suffering.
Note: If you know my life at present, you know that I am saying this to myself as to any of you.
Early the next day; however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.
"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
It is easy to be discouraged when things are going badly. But we should not lose heart, because God is at work in our lives even in the midst of pain and suffering.
Note: If you know my life at present, you know that I am saying this to myself as to any of you.
"The Duties of Parents"
I place before you the opportunity to hear wise counsel from one of the wonderful Saints of the past, JC Ryles. He was an Anglican minister who served the Lord, his congregations, and the people of England with the true heart of a Shepherd. Obviously, it is not within my power to make you read this. I can only make it available to you. The piece is not short (3-4 pages), but is worth every moment of reading. You can find this piece, "The Duties of Parents" at http://biblebelievers.com/JCRyle1.hmtl
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The other Blogspot
I've decided to reopen the other blog spot Charlie had. The title is, "What Most People Don't Know." All of the entries will deal with history (Texas, United States, as well as World).
If that sounds interesting to you...or some one you know...here is the address
http://whatmostpeopledontknow.blogspot.com/
If that sounds interesting to you...or some one you know...here is the address
http://whatmostpeopledontknow.blogspot.com/
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