Bird Flu, or, The Immigration Debate

With thanks to my Romanian friend and webmaster, István Szilagyi

Uproar in Blogland

I am just discovering the world of (Christian) blogging. Amazing.

I noticed a theme that appeared a few months ago. Apparently the Youth Group of a German Church decided to make an "Erotic Bible Calendar" as a money raising project.

There was quite an uproar about it - the German church is now certainly totally apostate, and if we don't watch out we will go the same way!

I'm actually getting really tired of the way much of American Christianity points the finger at Europe and uses fear to try to keep the North American Church on track. Talk about biased media. (But that's a topic for another blog.)

But it also made me think of something else.

My relationships with women used to be mostly "circle the wagons" relationships. I was always afraid to go to far emotionally or physically. It made me withdrawn and distant.

The last years I have tried to let grace drive my relationships with women. I have determined that, if I am going to sin, I will sin boldly. My laboratory has been my work environment at the Social Services Department of Amsterdam.

It has been wonderfully freeing and healthy. I have learned to enjoy being around women and letting my guard down.

And I have never gone too far in any way.


If you don't want to see the cover of the calendar, don't scroll any further.

Rockin' the Right

John Jay Miller, of the National Review online, wrote an article on the 50 greatest conservative rock songs.

"What makes a great conservative rock song? The lyrics must convey a conservative idea or sentiment, such as skepticism of government or support for traditional values. "

I'm a big fan of Rock 'n' Roll, and it was fun to see his list.
I'm not such a big fan of Right, and that made it fun also.

Number one on the list is The Who: Won't get fooled again.

O yeah?

P.S. A comment came in from Jon Swift, who has made his own list of conservative rock 'n' roll songs. You really should read it.

Da Vinci

This evening Cyndi and I saw The Da Vinci Code.

The escapes were ridiculously unbelievable.

The point of the sermon - and it was a sermon - was:
The only thing that counts is what you believe.


The only thing that counts is what you believe.
The only thing that counts is what you believe.
The only thing that counts is what you believe.
The only thing that counts is what you believe.

As every preacher knows - it's not the sermon you give that counts, but the one that is heard.

World Cup Preview

Holland vs. Ivory Coast
June 16, 2006
Stuttgart

Cogito Ergo Sum

In his book Paul, N.T. Wright talks about the task of the church, especially in our time. One task is the reconstruction of the self. "Modernity's all-important Self, proud, self-reliant, knowable and self-affirming, has been deconstructed into a mass of floating signifiers...with Paul there is a way through...a way that is rooted in...the love of the one God revealed in (the Messiah)." (pg. 176)

Not Descartes: "Cogito ergo sum". (I think, therefore I am).

But Jesus: "Amor ergo sum".
(I am loved, therefore I am).

You are loved by the only Person in the universe whose opinion counts for eternity.

Let that sink into your heart today and see what happens!

Sailing

I have been boating in and around Amsterdam for 5 years now.

Last year I bought a bigger boat, and in August of 2005 we sailed with Sail 2005 from IJmuiden to Amsterdam with thousands of other boats, from huge clippers and military boats to one-man rubber rafts.

It was a fantastic day.

You can get a little idea of what it was like from these pictures.

They say the second happiest day of your life is the day you buy a boat.

The happiest day of all is when you sell it.

I'm still very happy.

Mirror Image

This picture is from the June 2006 AAA magazine in Holland.
Taken by Henri de Roo in Kenya

My Website

I am of course trying to promote my website.
The website is intended as a beginning of some writing projects I am doing.
It contains stories about things I have experienced in my life.
I am working on a book about King David.
There is a story called "The Cave" and a Power Point presentation about the proofs for the existence of God developed by Thomas Aquinas.

I hope you will take time to look through the site and let me know what you think.

First Blog

Welcome to my first English language weblog.
I have been operating a Dutch language weblog since the beginning of April.
I thought it might be good to put some of the logs in English also.
Here is a picture of our family taken a year ago: