A quick update along the trail...

Jeremiah and Sean have completed standardized testing today.  This will be a foundational step for both of them, as Jeremiah looks to High School and Sean's education will undoubtedly be re-focused to areas he will need to improve.  Anyway, they are done for the day and thus ends the anxiety for all of us.

We are all very excited about our new grandson.  I look forward to getting to know him better in the days to come.  I am very proud of Jon and April as they build and lead their own family.  I know that Eva will be an incredible Big Sister.

One last comment, I am disconcerted by the heavy-handed police tactics employed these days by law enforcement.  They are quick to wave individual rights in favor of "societal" interests.  Almost as disconcerting is the quickness that a large part of the public quickly acquiesces to these obvious violations of personal liberty.  Rather than a default to consideration of the general populace as not being involved in criminal activity, the default is that you are a criminal and thus can be treated as if you have no rights.  Of course, this is not practice held by all police, but a posture being quickly assumed by many.  This is evidenced by the high instance of homes being forcefully entered and completely innocent residents being shot by police as suspects simply because they do not react the "right" way.  Our combat soldiers have reacted more civilly in combat zones that many of our police today.

Tonight was the third installment of the White Horse Inn Discussion Group "Preached Word" series.  I missed the second one, but the manner in which they are presented doesn't hinder you from joining in from right where you left off.  Anyway...

Discussion tonight centered around the importance of preaching the Gospel and the Holy Spirit's application of it into our lives.  Without the efficacious work of the Holy Spirit, the preaching devolves into a self directed alternate Gospel, which Paul expressly denounces even if it came from himself (Gal. 1:8).  To often today's preachers reveal their lack of trust in the God's word by their willingness to compromise the gospel message in favor of the latest and greatest method, program, or desire to make the message more palatable to unsaved and saved alike.

Compromising the Gospel is reflective of today's society, which has fallen into moralistic relativism.  When the Gospel is preached, we are confronted with our sinfulness and rejection of God's rightful claim on our lives.  It becomes an uncompromising fact that we are dead in our sin and need a Savior, who is Jesus Christ.  This leaves little room for the moralistic relativism which we constantly prop up in ourselves to make us feel good about our role in the social fabric and the good that WE do.

Well, this is day one of what I am hoping to be regular and deliberate efforts to give voice to what's going on in my world.  Just as a horseshoer uses the anvil and hammer to shape and form the focus of his work, this will be a forum for me to add shape and form to those parts of my life which others may have interest.  I guess for me it will be a lot of thinking out loud.  I hope it doesn't bore everyone who reads it.