Biosophilia

Good News/Bad News

by Jim Wilson

What do You Want First?
The Good News or the Bad News?

Probably the two greatest religious motivations in the world are fear and reward.

1. Fear: Animism everywhere is motivated by fear—fear of the spirits in the trees and rocks, fear of dead ancestors, witch doctors, or demon priests. Some of this fear is based on a lie, that is, there is no reality behind the fear. Some of it is based on another kind of lie, that is, that there is a reality (real demons) behind the fear, but this reality is not the truth of the great God. I have talked with people from many parts of the world and have read first-hand accounts of demonism in many other parts of the world. Animism is called primitive religion; however, it might be the end result of bad theology.

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1)

2. Reward: This occurs along with fear in many of the well-known religions of the world. This reward is based upon two things:

a. Obeying the moral law (even though it may be aberrant in some parts) b. Performing the distinctive code of that particular religion Examples are the eight-fold path in Buddhism, the five points of Islam, the sacraments in Roman Catholicism, and the progressive mean of salvation (becoming gods) in Mormonism. In all of the above, salvation is based upon man’s effort to please God in order to get a reward from Him. This is true of many other world religions, as well as much of Protestantism (liberalism and legalism).

The religions mentioned have also merged with animistic religions in many parts of the world. People who hold to the beliefs of Catholicism, Buddhism, or Islam may practice demon-worship. This is syncretism. I am not attempting to prove what I have just said; I am declaring it to be true without proof in order to get on to a real solution.

There are other major problems; I will speak of them in pairs. First, hedonism and fertility cults: one is simply worldly and the other has made sex a religious rite. In both cases, sex and other forms of pleasure have been prostituted. These are often mixed with animism and the established religions. Another pair found in established religions is asceticism and mysticism. The Sufis and Dervishes in Islam and the mystic monks in Roman Catholicism are examples of mystics. Hermit, priests, and nuns who take the vow of abstinence are examples of ascetics; some of the Pietists were as well. Catholic priests take a vow of celibacy; Catholic nuns take a vow of chastity.

The final two are money and power. I am not going to dwell on these two other than to quote Jesus. “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matt. 6:24).

So far, I have mentioned Protestantism (liberalism and legalism), Islam, Buddhism, Catholicism, and Animism. There are others like Hinduism, New-Age religions, and Judaism. Although some of these are dead, some are alive, but false. Is there any truth anywhere?

What I am going to tell you about now is not some tiny, splinter, exclusive group that says it is right and everyone else is wrong. It is very widespread; it encompasses many peoples and many languages, has thousands upon thousands of teachers and millions of adherents, and is the only inclusive religion of the world. Although it is inclusive, it is not syncretistic.

This religion is now called Christianity, though the adherents were once called “disciples,” “believers,” or “followers of the Way.” Disciple was short for disciple of Christ, believer short for believer in Christ, and followers of the Way because Jesus said, “I am the Way.” In every historic Christian church there were very likely real believers; there are also real unbelievers in the same churches.

Are not Protestants and Catholics Christians? Yes—many of them, but not all.

Let’s start at the beginning.

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27)

In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9)

But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. (Genesis 1:17)

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. That was false, a lie. The other tree was the tree of life. This one was the tree of death. Husband and wife ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; they spiritually died and then were exiled. They were not allowed to eat from the tree of life, not because of a prohibition, but because they would have had access to it when they had been promised death.

Man now knows good from evil, but he no longer has the spiritual life of God. He has lost the real likeness to God. A few generations passed and man wondered where he came from, why he is here, and where he is going. After an impatient, short search, man created gods in his own image.

Man’s gods now look like man; there are also many gods. They have different names, but they have one basic thing in common—they look like man. Man is selfish; the gods are selfish. Man needs praise for his effort and works, so he creates a god who will praise him for his works. Man is good and evil (good in his own eyes); he creates gods who are “good and evil.”

These gods created in the image of man do not look like and are not the same as the God who created man in His own image. Why not? Because man no longer had the likeness of God once he had created his own gods.

Why do the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. (Psalm 115:2-8)

Men in this state do not know how to find God or to please Him, and yet they expect God to be moderately pleased with their effort and works. This is called sin.

Man looks to and prays to his created gods rather to the Creator God. This Creator God has other characteristics besides omnipotence and the origin of order and design.

But let him who boasts, boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in thee I delight. (Jeremiah 9:24)

Do you understand the Lord? Do you know Him? Is this what you know of Him, that He delights in you, and exercises kindness?

Here is another expression of this characteristic of God from the New Testament.

Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that it is God’s kindness that leads you toward repentance? (Romans 2:4)

Righteousness, justice, kindness, tolerance, patience—God exhibits these additional characteristics toward His disobedient creation. Man exhibits contempt toward God. When the kindness of God continues, it causes man to repent, that is, turn toward God. When man turns back to the Creator God who expresses kindness, then man regains the likeness to God that he had lost, and the created gods disappear.

St. Paul, in his first visit to Athens, had a marvelous experience. Paul was seeing Athens in its grandeur, not as we see it today, destroyed and decayed. Even with this splendor, he was not impressed.

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, ‘What is this babbler trying to say?’ Others remarked, ‘He seems to be advocating foreign gods.’ They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, ‘May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.’ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: ‘Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. “For in him we live and move and have our being.” As some of your own poets have said, “We are his offspring.” Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by art and man's imagination.

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.’ When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, ‘We want to hear you again on this subject.’ At that, Paul left the Council. A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others. (Acts 17:16-34)

Notice that at one time God overlooked this ignorant gross idolatry, but does not any longer. Man must turn back to the Creator God from his created gods. How?

1. Man cannot do anything to please God by his own effort, so the first thing to do is quit trying.

2. Man should have at least a small view of the holiness of God. He will then recognize his own extreme wickedness in the light of God’s holiness. Man is already guilty; he will now feel guilty. Sin and guilt for sin are not relative values.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7)

Man should begin to understand God’s love, mercy, kindness, and grace toward him, even though he is a great sinner and God knows it.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

The content of this good news is succinctly expressed in I Corinthians 15:1-5:

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

Is this different from the fear religions and reward religions? Yes, in what you have read God is completely good and man is completely bad, and God in His goodness has a solution to forgive man and to change his character without overlooking his sin. What is that solution? We have already seen a portion of it. Here is more:

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

God became man in the person of Jesus so He would have the capability of dying. His death set us free from death and the fear of death. When Christ died to sin, we died to sin.

The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:10-11)

By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Romans 6:2)

We are now freed from the power of sin. How did this happen? It was simple substitution.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (II Corinthians 5:21)

This is the good news.

Let me illustrate the difference between “good advice” and “good news.” The goodness in the advice has to do with the hearer agreeing with it and working to perform the advice. Good news has nothing to do with performing anything. It simply is!

Suppose I am in a class where I do not understand what is going on. It is called “Differential Equations.” Like many students, I study the subjects I like, but do not study the subjects I do not like and do not understand them. The professor suspects this is true of me and calls me into his office in order to encourage me. He gives me good advice. He says, “Study.” I do not study. He calls me in again and says, “Study hard.” It is more good advice which I do not take. He calls me in weekly to advise me to study. The semester comes to an end; I am now looking at a blank piece of paper in the final exam. The professor passes my desk and sees that I do not know what I am doing. He says, “Get up. I will take the test for you.” My reply is, “Professor, you have been giving me good advice all semester, but this is the first good news I have heard.”

Many of the religions of the world give “good advice” to their adherents, but the people do not take the advice. They will not, and cannot, be good. God is the only one who gives good news. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. He took our final exam for us. We get a free 4.0 when we deserve to flunk. This is grace and mercy. Grace is giving to us what we do not deserve. Mercy is not giving us what we do deserve.

How do we respond to this good news?

There are several expressions which are different, but talk about the same events. Most of these words are verbs or verbal nouns.

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead…I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. (Acts 17:30-31, 20:21)

The key responsive words are “repent,” “repentance,” and “faith.” These words mean an about face, a turning around, a change of mind toward God, and trust in Him.

To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. (Acts 26:18)

The key word is turn. The result is forgiveness of sin and an everlasting inheritance.

That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:9-13)

Several responsive words show up in this paragraph. They are “confess,” “believe,” “trust,” and “call.”

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29)

The responsive words here are “come” and “take.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life…Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him…I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 3:16, 36, 5:24)

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12-13)

The responsive words are “receive” and “believe.” The object of each of these verbs is the Lord Jesus Christ, and the result of this action toward Jesus is children of God. These nine words (repent, faith, confess, believe, trust, call, come, take, and receive) are not synonym, but they are the same action. The object of the verb is God and the result is salvation.

There are three steps to this salvation:

1. recognition of great needs (sin)
2. a spiritual understanding of the good news as a solution to that need
3. the response that brings a person into the experience of life in Jesus Christ

There are three results of this salvation from sin and new life in Jesus Christ.

1. All of our past sins and the state of sin are forgiven. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (II Cor. 5:17)
2. There is now power to live a life of victory over sin. “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness…But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life” (Romans 6:18, 22).
3. There is now a new character. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness” (Galatians 5:22).
4. There is in the future a complete salvation, including a resurrected body. “Who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21).

If you have called upon the Lord in repentance,

1. Thank Him for your salvation.
2. Tell another Christian of your new belief.
3. Let me know and I will send you some instruction on your new life in Christ.
4. Talk to a friend and request baptism.
5. If you have questions, you may write to me.

Community Christian Ministries
516 S. Main
Moscow, ID 83843
www.ccmbooks.org

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Day & Night (Psalm 1)

TOPIC: Smooth sayings

Dear Friends,

And now, go write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness for ever. For they are a rebellious people, lying sons, sons who will not hear the instruction of the Lord; who say to the seers, ‘See not;’ and to the prophets, ‘Prophesy not to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more of the Holy One of Israel.’ Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, ‘Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and rely on them; therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a break in a high wall, bulging out and about to collapse, whose crash comes suddenly, in an instant; and its breaking is like that of a potter’s vessel which is smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a shred is found with which to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern. (Isaiah 30:8-14 RSV)

The first thing I notice is that this was written down “as a witness forever.” The second thing is the unwillingness to listen to the truth when it is known to be truth: “Prophesy not to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions” (v. 10). The third thing is that the uncorrected iniquity does not have immediate judgement. But it is “like a break in a high wall, bulging out, and about to collapse” (v. 13). The judgement is certain, devastating, and we have an advance warning (the wall is bulging out).

How does this apply today? We as Christians have two temptations. We want to hear smooth things so we seek teachers who speak of pleasant things. It is something that Paul warned Timothy of in II Timothy 4:3-4:

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but, having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. (RSV)

The second temptation is the willingness to respond to the request or the demand and be the prophet of “smooth things.” We cannot lay this charge at the feet of liberals. It is a major problem among evangelicals. We want to hear and we want to teach “smooth” things.

In the Lord Jesus Christ,
Jim Wilson

Community Christian Ministries
516 S. Main
Moscow, ID 83843
www.ccmbooks.org

(Reprinted by permission.)

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What Happened to Real Surrender?

I have received permission to reprint an article by Cal Thomas that appeared in my local newspaper on Thursday, July 21, 2005. Here it is.

What happened to real surrender?

DOLGELLAU, Wales — Thank goodness for those history channels that bring back the generals and politicians of the past who, by contrast, make many of today’s leaders look indecisive.

I saw President Harry Truman on one of them last week. In a speech to the nation near the end of World War II, Truman rejected suggestions that the Allies seek accommodation with Japan, rather than victory. Truman would have none of it, saying only Japan’s “unconditional surrender” would be acceptable.

Contrast that with the conciliatory blather of today. Prime Minister Tony Blair invited British and Muslim leaders to a meeting at 10 Downing Street where he would urge worldwide action to uproot what he has called the “evil ideology” and “twisted teaching” that lay behind the London bombings.

Here’s what Blair should say to the Muslim leaders: “The onus is on you guys. You find and shut down the terrorists and their network. You turn those who incite, plan and encourage violence over to the authorities. If you don’t act, we will by closing and bulldozing the mosques and schools that incubate and instruct the killers, prosecuting the terrorists we find and deporting them and their clerics, and closing our borders to anyone from countries that harbor and teach terrorists. Those who are British citizens will be stripped of their citizenship.”

As part of its continuing disinformation campaign in America (reminiscent of Nazi, Soviet and Japanese propaganda of the not-too-distant past), the Council on American-Islamic Relations is providing public service announcements to American television stations titled “Not in the Name of Islam.” A CAIR press release says the spots are designed to “highlight the Muslim community’s condemnation of terrorism and rejection of those who carry out terror attacks.”

Just who are these spots designed to influence? Does CAIR wish us to believe the jihadists in America will see them and convert to democratic ideals, or is this Tokyo Rose propaganda designed to keep our guard down?

It is helpful to quote what two prominent senators have said about CAIR: “(CAIR is) unusual in its extreme rhetoric and its associations with groups that are suspect,” said Richard Durbin, Illinois Democrat. “We know (CAIR) has ties to terrorism,” added Charles Schumer, New York Democrat.

The problem with the cluttered Western contemporary mind is there is little room for anyone or any philosophy based on absolutes and convictions. The terrorists benefit from Western self-indulgence, ignorance about history and aversion to war. If we think of depravity at all, it is in the Michael Jackson vein and not religious fanatics, who kill school children, behead “infidels” and seek world domination.

Western secularists cannot comprehend people who link their private faith to public actions. Too many think terrorists can be dissuaded from their bloody goals by using Western logic and trying to “understand why they hate us.”

I don’t want to understand why they hate us, anymore than my father’s generation sought to understand Nazis, or the ideological slaves of Hirohito. Like that generation, since the jihadists have declared war on us, I want to kill them before they kill me.

To make us feel better and allow us to “get on with our lives,” we make believe the jihadists are a tiny minority and not “mainstream Islam.” But what if they are mainstream — part of an elaborate conspiracy designed to dupe the West while the infiltration of Britain, America and all of Europe continues unabated?

What if the “moderates” are too intimidated to speak out for fear they will be killed? If that is the case, it is all the more reason to declare total war on the jihadists, because that is what they have declared on us.

Would it not be a clever strategy to put insurgents among us who dress and speak as Westerners, work in our schools and restaurants (as one of the bombing suspects did in London), but are secretly plotting the death of total strangers?

They know they don’t have the power of a conquering army to defeat us from without, but they believe the virus they are spreading can weaken us from within until we surrender because we favor “peace” over conflict.

Wake up, America and Britain! The jihadists are after us and they will stop at nothing until we all live under the banner of Islam, either by fear or by force.

Where have you gone, Harry Truman and Winston Churchill? Our nations turn their lonely eyes to you. Boo-hoo-hoo.

Copyright 2005, Cal Thomas & Tribune Media

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Bone Marrow Drive

I'm passing along this information for a good friend of ours whose son has Fanconi Anemia. It's a wonderful event and a great way to help. Please come if you can.

My Friend Hallie
a bone marrow drive inspired by Hallie Gravelle

This drive also supports the Allums' search for a bone marrow donor for their son, James Christopher.

Date: Saturday, July 30
Time: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: Weber Center at the First Baptist Church of West Monroe (500 Pine Street - West Monroe)

Coordinators of the event are Lisa and Randy Cory, Tonja and Frederick Huenefeld, & Heather and Clint Gulde.

For more information or to sponsor the bone marrow drive, contact the Corys at (318) 396-1779.

Everyone tested will be added to the National Registry for eveyone awaiting a bone marrow match

For more information about the bone marrow drive go to:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/myfriendhallie

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Finally Reading Potter

Well, I've done it. I've finally started reading Harry Potter. Last night Lisa and I went to Books-A-Million to read for a bit. I've been considering reading HP for a couple weeks. On Tuesday when we went to BAM, I picked it up, but I didn't read any. Instead, I read Sky and Telescope Magazine and another astronomy magazine--all about galaxies, evolution, black holes, nebulae, and dark matter. Then I searched high and low for books on business etiquette and business writing. I'm conducting a business writing seminar this Saturday, and I wanted to do a little market research and examine my competition. I brought two books home. One is Write to the Top: Writing for Corporate Success, by Deborah Dumaine. The other is Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, 2nd Edition, by Wienbroer, Hughes, and Silverman.

Last night was different. We got to BAM, I grabbed HP, and I read Popular Science Magazine. Then I read HP. We were only there for a little while, so after reading PS Mag, I only had enough time to read three chapters of HP. The end of Chapter 3 finds the Wursley's (?) at their new island retreat, when the door is beaten down by . . . Well, you know the story, probably as well as I. So far the book matches the movie quite well. And what's more, I'm enjoying the book. Not every book can make such a claim about me reading it.

Posted by Courtney Huntington at 11:24 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Good News/Bad News

What do You Want First?
The Good News or the Bad News?

Human Predicament, Divine Solution

This week I am passing on a sermon by one of my younger brothers, Everett.

Matthew 11:16-30
By Everett Wilson, Pastor

On May 2, 2003, a Colorado newspaper said, "With no water and as little hope of survival, Aspen mountaineer Aron Ralston, 27, used a pocketknife to amputate his own arm and free himself from a boulder weighing 800-1,000 pounds that fell and trapped him for five days in a remote desert canyon in eastern Utah." You probably don't need to be told that this is a lot harder than it sounds. About fifteen months later Aron Ralston took Tom Brokaw to the place where it happened and told the story for Dateline. I won't go into the details, but this is what he did:

• He cut off his arm below the elbow;
• He made his way to the edge of the cliff;
• One-handed, and bleeding around the tourniquet, he rigged his rappel equipment;
• He rappelled sixty feet to the canyon floor;
• Then walked through summer heat for many hours to reach his truck. On the last leg of his journey, a rescue helicopter saw him.

Though he was praying a lot and others were praying for him, knowing he was lost, it was still a human predicament with a human solution. Answers to prayer came in the form of his own ingenuity, skill, courage, and stamina.

Like every other human being in the world, Christians are called upon every moment to do what we can with what we have to solve whatever fix we happen to be in. There are many who think that the gospel is God's call for us to do the best we can with what we have.

But they are wrong. While God does call us to offer our best, that is not the main point of the Gospel and the New Testament. It is the main point of the Law and the Old Testament, where the focus is on human responsibility.

The Gospel is about the predicament Aron Ralston would have faced if he had not succeeded in severing the last tendon that kept him attached to the forearm pinned under a boulder, if he had exhausted all his resources as well as his last energy in his attempt to save himself. The gospel addresses the predicament of facing death when you have run out of resources to forestall or delay it.

That, of course, is the human predicament we are all in, eventually. It doesn't matter how strong we are, or how good we have been. Eventually, even Aron Ralston will meet his match, and he will die-of old age, if nothing else-unless Jesus returns before that.

The Responses of Unbelief
You would think that belief in God would be the first requirement of those willing to listen to Jesus, but there is a requirement that comes even before that. You have to believe in your own predicament, that you are going to die.

In one way we all know this, but that doesn't mean we believe it in relation to ourselves. The one place where young men and women see it is a real possibility is a battlefield, where they must face the fact that people with guns and bombs want to kill them. But on prom night, when teenagers routinely die, I doubt that many of them say to their parents before leaving in the evening, "If I don't make it through the night, you'll find a letter in my underwear drawer about what to do with my stuff." Probably none of them do. Some kids die on prom night, but not me! There are 181,000 references to prom night death statistics on the Internet. People are sort of interested, but not enough to make a difference.

Jesus came with a warning and a command: the kingdom of heaven is at hand, so you had better repent! To update his illustration about the children in the marketplace: He is like a child who comes by on a bright Saturday morning, looking for playmates. He will play whatever game they choose. But it's Saturday morning; they want to watch the children's programs instead of going out to play. "We piped to you and you did not dance. We wailed to you and you did not mourn."

Jesus could not get the attention of his generation. So if you think that any church with Jesus himself as the pastor would be on fire for God, don't count on it. He was pretty good at drawing a crowd, but he would not force them to become participants. They wanted to watch instead of play, and any excuse was good enough.

[18] For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, he has a demon.' [19] The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'

The cities Jesus had preached in had listened but they had not believed. If you don't see your predicament, you won't see the solution. You won't even look for it. The unrepentant cities didn't have to look. They had seen with their eyes and heard with their ears the warning of the Lord from heaven. They saw and heard what he had done. So Jesus says to them, "For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." Instead of repenting, they said that John the Baptist was demon-possessed and that Jesus was a partier who kept bad company.

Why can't they say that if it's their opinion? It's their life, isn't it?

Yes, it is. My point is, it is also their death. Jesus came to them and he comes to us with the divine solution for the human predicament of death. We are all in that predicament, and only he can get us out of it. Death is a foe beyond any of us. Jesus alone must hold the narrow way for us.

If you wonder what part of the Bible that's from, it's not from the Bible at all. It is from The Lord of the Rings. Gandalf says it when a hideous creature of great power attacks the fellowship of the ring. In the fellowship are two mighty men who seek to help him but Gandalf commands them to retreat. He will face the enemy alone. "This is a foe beyond any of you. I must hold the narrow way!"

• If you don't believe there is a foe that is too much for you,
• And don't believe there is a narrow way that must be defended,
you won't repent. You plan to muddle through one way or another. And are more likely say at Sunday dinner, "The preacher got carried away a bit this morning, don't you think?" That must be what the unrepentant cities said about Jesus.

The Invitation
Only those who repent, who want to get rid of their sin and guilt, will take Jesus and his invitation seriously.

Taking it seriously means recognizing it as the only way, not as one option among many. In the next verses Jesus makes a huge claim about himself.

He introduces it by saying that being smart does not bring you to Jesus "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will."

Then he claims that God has given him charge over everything, so that the only way to know God is through him."

Finally, he gives his invitation. It doesn't resemble much an invitation to join the Marines (the few, the proud) or a professional association (if you can past the test) or a business (if you can survive the interview). It's an invitation to the tired. It is an invitation to Sabbath rest.

He has told you who he is. He is the Son of God, the King of creation. You can trust him to do what he says. And when he says to take his yoke, he doesn't mean to share his burden, He means that he wants to share yours.

Someone who knows says that in a team yoked together, the stronger can go no faster than the weaker, or they will be working against each other. Jesus is not so much inviting us to walk with him; he is telling us that if we share his yoke he will share our burden and walk with us. He does not expect us to match his step. He is saying that he will match ours!

Second, do not see the that burden simply as the cares of this life. See it is as the burden of sin that leads to death and the burden of guilt that we take with us to judgment. See Jesus taking your sin and guilt upon himself. Only when you are free from them will you see how bad the human predicament is, and how wonderful the divine solution. Amen.

Community Christian Ministries
516 S. Main
Moscow, ID 83843
www.ccmbooks.org

(Reprinted by permission.)

Posted by Courtney Huntington at 11:33 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Day & Night (Psalm 1)

TOPIC: The way up is down . . .

The way up is down. The way down is up. Contradiction, paradox, or simple truth? In Luke 14 at the conclusion of a parable about taking the place of honor Jesus said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will exalted.” Jesus came to the same conclusion in Luke 18 after telling the story of two men who prayed in the temple: “I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” In the second parable the first man thanked God that he was not an extortioner, unjust, or an adulterer…that he tithed and that he fasted twice a week. Jesus did not say that it was not true! What was wrong? He also thanked God that “he was not like other men,” or even “like this tax collector.” He exalted himself. The other man was bad and he admitted it. Jesus did not say that that was not true either. What was right? He humbled himself. Humility is apparently a character thought and acted independent of, and senior to, any other merit of right or wrong. The first man could have humbled himself and the second man could have exalted himself.

We have a supreme example of self-exaltation in the Bible. It was Satan himself, and it was his way down.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning. . . . For thou hast said in thine heart, ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.’ (Isaiah 14:12, 13)

And we have the supreme example of humility in the Bible. It was Jesus and it was the way up.

Have this mind among yourselves, which you have in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name. . . . (Philippians 2:6-9)

In every encounter we have, with God or man, whether we are aware of it or not, we have one or the other of these attitudes. We follow Satan in exalting himself or we follow Jesus in humbling himself.

Christ, in glory with the Father, did not insist that His rightful place in Heaven was more important than humbling Himself. It wasn’t! When He was an innocent man on earth He did not “protest His innocence;” He humbled Himself still further and died for our sins. He made Himself of no reputation. Humbling Himself was more important to Him than His equality with God, His reputation, His innocence. The same paragraph in Philippians says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” If we allow this mind to be in us then our “rightful place,” our “Reputation,” and our “innocence” is not as important as humbling ourselves. How can this be? Jesus said in Matthew 11: 28-30, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.”

In the Lord Jesus Christ,
Jim Wilson

Community Christian Ministries
516 S. Main
Moscow, ID 83843
www.ccmbooks.org

(Reprinted by permission.)

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What Kind of Theologian am I?

You scored as Karl Barth. The daddy of 20th Century theology. You perceive liberal theology to be a disaster and so you insist that the revelation of Christ, not human experience, should be the starting point for all theology. Karl Barth 87% Anselm 87% Martin Luther 80% Friedrich Schleiermacher 73% John Calvin 67% Charles Finney 67% Jonathan Edwards 40% Augustine 40% Paul Tillich 13% J�rgen Moltmann 13% Which theologian are you? created with QuizFarm.com

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Debbie Thomas, cont'd.

On Friday evening, July 15th, 2005, I received word that Debbie Thomas had gone home to be with the Lord. We will all miss her. If you would like to send something to the family, their address is

Steve Thomas
236 S. Third St. - #266
Montrose, CO 81401

Posted by Courtney Huntington at 2:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Harry Potter

Here's an interesting article on the value of Harry Potter. Enjoy. (Thanks to George Grant for the tip.)

Harry Potter and His Critics

Posted by Courtney Huntington at 11:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Debbie Thomas

Some of you may know the Thomas family. For four and a half years of my life, they were a home away from home. I remember one night I was returning from Coeur d'Alene and Spokane with my good friend and roommate Michael Harkin. The Thomas home was our Rivendell, the last homely home, and we often stopped there on our return say hello and share a bite or a drink. It was the sign that we were almost home and could take our ease on the remainder of the journey. Michael and I stopped as usual and stayed up late in conversation with Mr. Thomas, while Mrs. Thomas came in and out, doing various things. Occasionally she would stop and talk for a few minutes, then move on to another task. At about 11:30, she brought in a hot, fresh loaf of homemade wheat bread and some butter. The four of us ate bread together for the next hour or more, sharing the joy of communion in Christ. That was one of many fine moments that I shared with the Thomases.

I learned this morning that Debbie Thomas has slipped into a coma. She has been battling cancer for several months that we know of and probably for several months before she was diagnosed. She has been a stalwart through it all, never complaining. She's been herself, you might say. Her husband, Steve, has had good spirits, as well, trusting in God's goodness. And good He has been. According to the Doctors' initial estimates, she shouldn't have lived past March or April at the latest. Please join the family and many others in praying that the Lord will heal her miraculously or take her quickly.

If you would like to send cards or letters, their address is

236 S. Third St. - #266
Montrose, CO 81401

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Is Ain't a Word?

Is "ain't" a word? the children ask,
And Ms. English Teach goes for her flask.
"I think it ain't," one person says.
Another thinks it's good as "flays."
I've got my view; no doubt you've yours.
But which one's up a creek with oars?
Someday I'll tell you what I think;
Until then, why not try this link?

Posted by Courtney Huntington at 3:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Vitamins Ban on Horizon - Call Congress Now!

The following is an article that appeared originally on NewsWithViews.com. It appears here by permission. Please read it, consider it, and act on it. The individual freedom we have in America is under attack. This is one thing we can do to help maintain the freedom we have.

VITAMINS BAN ON HORIZON - CALL CONGRESS NOW!

By: Devvy
July 12, 2005
NewsWithViews.com

The American people are once again, about to be denied the right to care for our bodies the way we want and not managed by the big pharmaceutical companies. The warning about CODEX has been out there. I've been following this closely because it will negatively impact tens of millions of us who use supplements and don't run to the doctor for every little thing.

Over the decades, Americans have discovered that alternative medicines work, we don't want or need all these dangerous prescription drugs in our bodies and yes, there are cures for more than twenty types of cancer. Two books that everyone should read on this critical subject: Murder by Injection by Eustace Mullins and World Without Cancer by G. Edward Griffin. All of this has hit the big pharmaceutical houses where it hurts: their multi-billion dollar profit margins.

If you read Dr. Madeleine Cosman's last hard hitting column (Sustainable Medicine + Sustainable Development = Duty to Die), you will fully understand how CODEX isn't just some "uniformity" exercise, it is part of a well thought out agenda to destroy our right to have access to vitamins and supplements that will keep us healthy. This is about as serious as it gets because tens of millions of US depend on the vitamin and supplement industry as well as alternative healing methods to stay healthy. The information below ties right in with the chilling documentation contained in Dr. Cosman's column.

Vitamins to be Banned Worldwide . . .

Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen

July 4th, 2005

"Big Pharma" won a major victory in Rome, Italy today. Vitamins and minerals, for over-the-counter sale will be phased out, almost completely, in every country on Planet Earth. The "German Model" of health care will now be the law of the land - in every land.

Below is a press release from Diane Miller JD of the National Health Freedom Coalition, detailing the action. Diane is in Rome at the meeting.

Press Release - National Health Freedom Coalition: Codex Full Commission adopts Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements in final form July 4, 2005, Rome Italy, By Diane Miller JD.

Minutes ago the full Commission of Codex Alimentarius adopted in final form, the Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements. This adoption is the Step 8 adoption, the final stage of adoption for the international Codex guidelines. The Codex Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements guidelines are now official and no longer in draft form.

The Commission, attended by over 85 of the 171 Codex countries, adopted the guidelines by consensus method. There was brief discussion before adoption taking in comments from a small number of countries and two NGOs.

Australia requested adding the word "only" in Section 1.3 between the words "apply" and "in". The sentence would then read "These guidelines apply only in those jurisdictions where products defined in 2.1 are regulated as foods."

Australia's comments were followed by request from Venezuela and Spain to clarify the spanish translation.

Venezuela was followed by China. China stated that every government in making decisions about vitamins and minerals should take into account the dietary limitations of their own countries, that governments can select vitamins and minerals according to the customs and habits of their country. China also pointed out that there should be definitions of the sources of vitamins.

Columbia spoke up and commented that Vitamins and Minerals are intended for deficiencies and are recommended for health reasons and said that there has to be no exaggerated use of minerals.

Egypt commented and offered a clarification saying that vitamin and minerals can be considered if daily needs are not being met. After the countries were heard, the Chairman recognized NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations). National Health Federation (NHF) a world wide consumer organization with NGO status at Codex was recognized to speak. Attorney Scott Tipps of NHF stood and requested the guidelines not be adopted but rather be sent back to committee for 3 important reasons. 1) According to Codex rules a "purpose" statement must be part of all guidelines adopted and the Vitamin and Mineral guidelines did not contain a purpose. Secondly, the guidelines did not define vitamin and mineral and therefore it is unclear as to what is being regulated. And lastly, he pointed out that the Chinese comments were substantive and according to Codex rules on page 27 of the procedural manual, a substantive amendment request should be addressed at the committee level. His comments were heard.

The NGO IADSA was then recognized. IADSA stressed the fact that the draft guidelines should be adopted because they had been worked on in committee for near 10 years and that valuable consensus had been reached in the Bonn Germany committee meeting and the guidelines should now be passed.

After all comments, the Chair, consulted with counsel to assess whether the addition of the word "only" would change the meaning of the sentence. After learning that it would not he consulted with Australia and Australia repeated their request for amendment. The Chair recommended adoption of the amendment and there was no dissent. Then the Chair recommended the guidelines be adopted at Stage 8 in their final form and that China submit their substantive amendment requests to the committee at their next meeting. There was no further comment or dissent from any country and the guidelines were adopted.

What this means, in the United States, is that as soon as CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) passes the House of Representatives (it has already passed the Senate), the US government will be forced, by the terms of that CAFTA agreement, to restrict vitamin and supplement sales in accordance with the "German Model" of health care.

If and when this happens, the hard won 1994 DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act) will be nullified, and the dismantling of the North American supplement Industry will begin.

However, it is not inevitable - the use of "supplements" and other "alternatives" to conventional medicine regimens represents over fifty percent (50%) of the total US health dollar spent annually. Eighty-eight percent (88%) of US adults use an "alternative," and believe in them. Opposition is already gearing up for the battle - (click here).

This is a battle between "We the People," and the free world's biggest, and worst, enemy - ever - "Big Pharma." Stay tuned...

Tim Bolen - Consumer Advocate

This "Millions of Health Freedom Fighters - Newsletter" is about the battle between "Health and Medicine" on Planet Earth. Tim Bolen is an op/ed writer with extensive knowledge of the activities of a subversive organization calling itself the "quackbusters," and that organization's attempts to suppress, and discredit, any, and all health modalities that compete with the allopathic (MD) paradigm for consumer health dollars. The focus of the newsletter is on the ongoing activities, battles, politics, and the victories won by members of the "Health Freedom Movement" against the "quackbusters." It details "who the quackbusters are, what they are, where they are operating, when they appear, and how they operate - and how easy it is to beat them..."

For background information on the "Battle between Health and Medicine, click here. A copy of THIS newsletter, and older ones, are viewable here. Also See Bolen Report.

What can you do?

This is what I have already done. I printed out the pdf files referenced below and took them to my congress critter's office as I only live six miles from her plush digs. I had a chat with her aide and made my position crystal clear: We don't need this stinking CODEX system. We do not want or need more globalization of any aspect of our lives or products and services and any member of Congress who does nothing to stop this is going to feel the wrath of the American people. I also gave a set to the manager at my health food store and Whole Foods where I get my organic food; they also carry vitamins and supplements. Both were grateful for the packet.

I printed out one set of the four pdf files below, placing Bolen's page first and had fifty sets of all four files (combined) printed, front and back. I sent them to my mother who lives in a rural retirement area. She took half of them to the senior center and the other half to a club meeting. Both places were happy to get them once mother explained what was going on. These seniors depend on vitamins and supplements and not only do they vote, they make lots of noise to their congress critters. I know it costs a few bucks to make copies to hand out, but this is one fight we can't lose. While it is a financial sacrifice to make copies and get them out, the cost of losing our right to vitamins, supplements and alternative medicine will be astronomical. Thank you for doing your part.

The House of Representatives is set to vote on CAFTA as early as July 19, 2005. As with NAFTA , GATT , the mis named 'Patriot Act,' and other massive pieces of legislation, it's doubt ful more than a half dozen members of Congress will have read the 765 pages of text for CAFTA, yet they plan to saddle us with yet another destructive trade treaty that will further gut our critical job bases. Enough is enough.

You can call your congress critter's DC office or better yet, the local office. House of Representatives click here. The Senate listings are here.You can also use this method, click here.

Click here for pdf of Bolen press release above.
Click here for pdf file of Madeleine Cosman's column, part one.
Click here for pdf file of Madeleine Cosman's column, part two.
Click here for pdf file of Madeleine Cosman's column, part three.

These are pdf files that take a minute or two to load if you use dial up.

Related Article:
EU Laws on Sale of Vitamins 'Valid'
Kiss Your Vitamins Goodby

© 2005 Devvy Kidd - All Rights Reserved

Posted by Courtney Huntington at 10:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

New Job

Well, it's official. I will be teaching at ULM this fall in the English Department. I got my schedule today. I have three sections of 090 remedial English. One of them is M-F; the others are two-day jobbers--M/W, T/TH. For some background on the English Department, here's an excerpt from an article in the recent Words and Letters, the department newsletter. It's written by Dr. Jeff Galle, Head of the department, and is titled, "Excellence and Creativity in Every Area":

The fact that our cadre of English instructors is exceptionally productive in comparison to other instructors at universities across the state adds another dimension to ULM English. According to a recent dissertation that examines working conditions and productivity of the instructors across the state's colleges and universities, ULM English instructors are the most productive. Dynamic professors teaching undergraduate and graduate courses and the most productive group of instructors in the state—these are the faculty of ULM English.

The department also operates the university's Writing Center, two student groups, two student publications, and a cluster of computer composition classrooms for English classes. The Writing Center currently posts a 95% excellence rating by the students who frequent it. The technology classrooms have grown both in number and in general use in recent years. We also continue to offer a larger number of distance education and online classes each year.

ULM English student groups are increasing in membership and in activity both in service to the larger community and to the student body here at ULM. In one year, English majors won all of the awards, save one, for paper presentations in Arts and Sciences at the ULM Research Symposium. English graduate students submit papers for refereed consideration to conferences on every level. Students have delivered work most recently in North Carolina and Oklahoma. Graduate students regularly deliver papers at the statewide LACC conference and at the ULM-LTU graduate student conference.

I'm really excited about working with Dr. Galle. He's been the Acting Head or Head of the English Department since before I began my ULM career as a student. He's got a good eye for people, and he knows how to work with a team and how to motivate others to work as a team.

I'm also excited because it puts me back in the academic world, which I so love. Lord willing, I'll be moving on after a couple years to pursue a PhD, but I am really looking forward to teaching for a while.

Another notch in the old CV Belt.

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Writing Seminar

Coming up in less than two weeks, I am conducting a business writing seminar in Monroe, Louisiana. It's a one-day intensive seminar. You can see the PDF here. And if you want to attend, you can call my office at (318) 998-0203, or 888-492-6903.

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Cute Link

Take a look at this, when you have a chance. It's simply adorable.

Posted by Courtney Huntington at 12:13 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Sleeping Well

Here's an email I sent last week to some family and friends. I don't know how well it meets the standards for advertising compliance. I'm not trying to promise that you'll make tons of money or that you'll be healed of all that ails you. And of course, I have to add this disclaimer: These supplements are not intended to treat, mitigate, or cure any disease; these statements have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA or Mannatech, Inc.; you should always consult your healthcare or medical professional before beginning a new exercise or nutrition routine.

Okay, so that said, I just wanted to share this with y'all, too. Maybe there's something here that you'll find useful. Now, here's the letter . . .

..............................................................................

Hello All,

If I could show you a way that you could get your nutritional supplements for free, would you be interested?

My wife and I started taking some nutritional supplements a couple months ago. Basically they contain nutrients that are missing from our diets that are essential for cell-to-cell communication. They are called glyconutrients. You may have heard of these already. Some of you may have heard of them from my dad. He's been taking them for over a year. He's the one who introduced me to them.

Since I started taking them, I have been sleeping better. I have had difficulty sleeping for nearly 6 years. I simply don't sleep well at night, and I am always fatigued. Since starting the glyconutritionals, I fall asleep more easily, sleep more soundly, and wake up more refreshed. Also, 6 weeks ago I hyperextended my knee playing softball, and it is healing faster than it did from a similar injury when I was in high school. On Monday (July 4th), I played 13 or 14 games of doubles tennis. I would have played more, but we had a schedule to keep. This morning I worked out on an elyptical trainer at the fitness club for 25 minutes. The knee still has some healing to do, but it has healed much faster than anyone expected.

Would you do me the honor of visiting a few websites to glean information and then calling or emailing me to let me know what you think? Whether you want to do this or not is not important. I’m just looking for one person who wants to improve his or her life dramatically. I’m not going to try to get you to do this. If the websites don't get you excited or at least pique your interest, then this isn’t for you. I’m contacting you only to ask you what you thought. Once you've visited the websites, just drop me a quick note and tell me frankly what you thought, negative or positive. It makes no difference to me. The only thing that will really offend me is if you won’t return my emails. Just tell me straight, “This sounds good, let’s do it,” or, “You know, this just doesn’t sound like me."

The first website is the website www.freeproductsforever.com. Watch the introductory video first. When you're done with this page, continue to Step 1. When you're done there, go to Step 2. There's a great video there by Steve Lemme, a Vice President with Mannatech. It's 57 minutes long. If you don't have that much time, don't worry about it. If you've got the time, great. My main concern is just to give you enough information for you to consider. When you're done, go to Step 3. This is where you'll learn how to get your products for free. On the right-hand side there are three audio pieces. These are great, and they're short. The text on this page is a great summary of the plan.

Next, visit www.GlycoStory.com/inviteListen.asp?c=9211025835. This site has real-life testimonials recorded by the actual people! If you click on "Stories" at the top, you can see a list of different conditions to hear stories from people who had those conditions. Maybe you've got something that's on the list and you can hear how it's helped someone else just like you.

Then visit www.mannapages.com/topshelf. This is my website. You'll see my picture and everything! If you're already convinced, you can sign up right here.

Once you're done visiting these websites, just drop me a note to tell me what you think.

Thanks in advance. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Love and blessings,

Courtney Huntington

P.S. If you happen to live in the Louisiana area, I will be holding a meeting on Tuesday, July 12, 2005, at 7:00 pm. Let me know if you want to come.

Posted by Courtney Huntington at 11:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Loving Life

I just got finished visiting A Peck of Gold. I hadn't been in a bit. Quite a bit. Shannon's posted a piece that really moved me. I am honored when I read Shannon's blog. It's like I'm a guest in her soul when I read it. You know. There are blogs and there are blogs. Some of my favorites are by Jon Amos, George Grant, and Christin Booth. In each of those, I feel like I get a glimpse into the inner workings of the real self of the author--the self behind the mask. But when I read Shannon's blog, I feel as if I am not just getting a glimpse, but I am instead the guest of honor at a private screening of the world premiere of the new day in Shannon's life. She seems to love life for what it's worth--nothing more, nothing less. It is what it is, and she's happy to have it. Stop by some time and get a peck of gold. You'll be glad you did.

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Help

Can anyone tell me why the comments are unavailable now? Por favor. My email address is cah@huntingtonwriting.com.

Posted by Courtney Huntington at 5:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Slow Food

Here's an idea: Eat slowly. That's the idea behind the Slow Food Society, founded in 1986. Their website is www.slowfood.com. Go straight to the Overview of the Slow Food Movement.

Posted by Courtney Huntington at 5:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

New Look

Well, okay, it's not exactly a new look. It's the same old look. But it's new to monroeblogs.com, so how's that?

Posted by Courtney Huntington at 2:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Patience, Please

For all those who may be disgusted with the appearance of Biosophilia and wondering when in the world I'm going to make it right, I beg your patience. I stopped blogging for a while, because other things took over my life. I should say, I let them . . . While I was away, the ever-efficient JQR had his staff remove the substance of my blog, though the outer shell remained in existence at www.biosophilia.chattablogs.com. Thankfully the shell remained, because that means that at some point I may repost my old posts, mostly FMI (for my information). I hate to lose old writings. My style sheet is still intact, thankfully, but I still have to do the HTML work. It may be a while before I have it done, but it is on the docket. Patience, please.

Posted by Courtney Huntington at 4:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Aloe Vera Study

Here's an interesting article on the value of the nutritional products produced by Mannatech, Inc.:

Market Wire - Wednesday, July 06, 2005

COPPELL, TX -- (MARKET WIRE) -- Jul 06, 2005 -- Mannatech, Incorporated (NASDAQ: MTEX) announced today that its first scientific assay on aloe vera, authored by its own Dr. Alexis Eberendu, et al, titled: "The Quantitative Colorimetric Analysis of Aloe Polysaccharides as a Measure of Aloe Vera Quality in Commercial Products," has been published in the June 2005 issue of the Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL [Association of Analytical Chemists International], a publication from AOAC INTERNATIONAL which contains fully referenced contribution papers in the field of chemical and biological analysis: which include original research on new techniques and applications, collaborative studies, authentic data of composition, studies leading to method development, meeting symposia, newly adopted AOAC approved methods and invited reviews.

Richard Ko, Co-Chair of the AOAC's Methods Committee on Dietary Supplements, stated that "Mannatech has developed a method to identify and control the quality of commercial products containing aloe extracts... the aloe vera manufacturing industry has been troubled by the perception that many products on the market are misbranded or contain poor quality extract. Mannatech expressed a need for a good, validated analytical method to control this expanding market. Dr. Eberendu volunteered to make his method available for publication and to conduct the necessary validation studies under AOAC's guidance... Plans are underway to validate the method. This is a prime example of an industry initiative, where the AOAC infrastructure is providing the guidance necessary to develop validated methods."

Dr. Alexis Eberendu, lead researcher on the paper, states that "Aloe vera inner leaf gel has been used as a medicinal remedy for many years. Yet some aloe products do not demonstrate beneficial effects, indicating that poor quality products are reaching the market. Therefore, an efficient and accurate method is needed to evaluate the quality of aloe products. The method we have developed is inexpensive, simple, sensitive, and reproducible, both qualitative and quantitative information can be obtained in about 5 minutes."

Dr. Bill McAnalley, Chief Science Officer for Mannatech stated that he believes "This will move the industry toward standardization and provide the public the confidence needed to purchase aloe products, knowing that they are getting what they think they are getting."

According to the AOAC website, www.aoac.org, "When the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) imposes regulations on dietary supplements; they will require analysis by validated, proven, reliable methods. Having these methods already in place will be a huge step toward compliance." There are no federal assays on this subject, so validation and acceptance of analytical methods on aloe vera will allow both the FDA and the industry to measure the quality and purity of product claims and to eliminate inferior products from the marketplace.

In addition to Dr. Eberendu authoring this scientific assay, Gabriela Luta, Joshua A. Edwards, Dr. Bill H. McAnalley, and Bryce Davis of Mannatech, Incorporated, and Santiago Rodriguez of Lorand Lab, as well as C. Ray Henry of American Global Health Group, also contributed to the assay.

About Mannatech

Based in Coppell, Texas, Mannatech, Incorporated is a wellness solutions provider that develops innovative, high-quality, proprietary nutritional supplements, topical products and weight management products, which are sold through a global network marketing system throughout the United States and the international markets of Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan.

About AOAC

"AOAC INTERNATIONAL is an independent, not-for-profit scientific association dedicated to the development and validation of analytical standards. AOAC is currently working under contract with the National Institutes of Health and with the dietary supplement industry to get inferior products off the market through the sound, science-based solution of standardized testing methodology."

Please Note: This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by use of phrases or terminology such as "may," "believes," "estimates," "projects," " well positioned," "feels," and "plans" or other similar words or the negative of such terminology. Similarly, descriptions of Mannatech's objectives, strategies, plans, goals or targets contained herein are also considered forward-looking statements. Mannatech believes this release should be read in conjunction with all of its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and cautions its readers that these forward-looking statements are subject to certain events, risks, uncertainties, and other factors. Some of these factors include, among others, Mannatech's inability to attract and retain associates and members, increases in competition, litigation, regulatory changes, and its planned growth into new international markets. Although Mannatech believes that its expectations, statements, and assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cautions its readers to always consider all of the risk factors and any other cautionary statements carefully in evaluating each forward-looking statement in this release, as well as those set forth in its latest Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its current reports on Form 8-K. All of the forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this release.

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