The Christmas blizzard of 2009 is giving Mom and Dad’s little windmill a pretty good workout.

Plus there’s new videos of Avery Kate at http://www.youtube.com/user/kainosblog.

Leading climatologists fit data to conclusions, attempt to silence critics

http://bit.ly/5EpbIS

You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God’s kingdom without us! — 1 Corinthians 4:8a NLT

Spiritual pride can develop in a congregation as members begin to understand spiritual things.

People are by nature self centered. They see the world around them from their own perspective, rather than in the light of God’s truth and values. People may begin to understand spiritual matters but not yet understand enough to realize they need to transcend their self-centered point of view. They lose the sense of their own unworthiness that humbled them before Christ in the first place. They look down on others in the Body — perhaps even their own, more spiritually mature leaders.

We need to continually remind ourselves that we understand practically nothing of God’s rich wisdom. We are like miners who have only scratched the surface of a deep vein of gold that will require a lifetime to dig out. Rather than seeing myself as someone who already has everything he needs, as someone who is already rich in Christ, I need to continually admit my lack of understanding about the mystery of Christ. I need to continually pursue spiritual knowledge and wisdom from my leaders and church family — even the ones I think don’t understand as much as I do. Rather than seeing myself as someone who has arrived spiritually, I need to see myself, like Paul, as a “mere servant of Christ.” (v.1).

The church members at Corinth thought they were wise and powerful (v.10), when in fact they understood practically nothing of Christ’s mysteries. Rather than resting content with what they had learned, they needed to acknowledge their need and look to others for examples of what it means to be rich in Christ. They needed to realize how worldly their own values still were and benefit from the model of the apostles, who were ridiculed as weak fools, who went hungry and thirsty even as they worked their fingers to the bone. Those apostles were poorly clothed and homeless. They patiently blessed those who cursed and abused them, yet were treated like trash, even by their own spiritual children. (vv.10-13)

It’s a rich paradox that Paul — who had far more reason than the Corinthians to be proud of his spiritual depth and service — still saw himself as a mere servant of Christ. He could, in a spirit of humility, urge the Corinthians to imitate his example! (v.16)

May we never lose sight of either our own spiritual poverty compared to Christ — or of the riches we have inherited as his joint-heirs to God’s wisdom.

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can’t climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

The Manhattan Declaration is an new important statement about three crucial issues in our society: the sanctity of human life, marriage as the conjugal union of man and woman, and the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Someone should point out to young Mr. Madera that Patrick Kennedy believing he’s a true Catholic doesn’t make him one, any more than I could be a true Marine just by I believing I am.

Kennedy dispute reveals divide among Catholics

Nov 23, 6:41 AM (ET)

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – A bitter dispute over abortion that prompted Rhode Island’s Roman Catholic bishop to ask Rep. Patrick Kennedy not to receive Holy Communion has revealed the depth of the divide among Catholics over how politicians should reconcile their faith with their public duties.

Bishop Thomas Tobin on Sunday said he made the request because of the Democratic lawmaker’s support for abortion rights. The news prompted debate among Catholics around the country and within the bishop’s flock in the nation’s most Catholic state about whether it was right for Tobin to publicly shame Kennedy for breaking with the church on what its leaders consider a paramount moral issue.

Angel Madera, 20, a Marine visiting his home in Providence for Thanksgiving, said before attending Sunday evening Mass that Tobin was wrong to assail Kennedy’s faith. “If they believe they’re a true Catholic, who’s to say that they’re not?” he said.

Read the entire article at http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091123/D9C579QO0.html

To the kid with ‘Choose Life’ car tags: One way to choose life is to not drive like a Moron

Cloudland Canyon State Park, Ga. Click image to visit Picasa gallery.

http://bit.ly/3Zj03r

Why does Twitter work better with Firefox than other browsers? With other browsers, I have to log out and back in to send a series of tweets, but not with Firefox.