Learn To Be Wise – Page 31 – Wisdom for daily living from a Christian world-view.

Our first grandchild, Samuel Glenn Stater, is born

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date February 10, 2012
5 Comments on Our first grandchild, Samuel Glenn Stater, is born

What a wonderful event! We have been visiting our daughter and son-in-law this week in anticipation of this event. Our son-in-law awakened us about 4 am yesterday telling us it was time to head to the big Hartford hospital. We learned that 4000 babies per year are born there. Keely was smiling and dressed, ready to go. The hospital has birthing rooms where the family could stay for as long as the Mom wanted. We stayed through the early stages of labor to encourage but then moved about 9:25 am to the waiting room. I napped (and munched). Samuel entered this world with a hearty wail, we were told, about 11:30 am. Samuel is my middle name and my maternal grandfather’s name. Glenn is Mark’s paternal grandfather’s name. Keely did very well with just coaching and support. Labor was 11 1/2 hours, exactly the same span as for JoAnne when Keely was born. Samuel has big blue eyes and is charming everyone. Soon after he was born, I went to Logan airport in Boston to pick up Mark’s parents who are also overjoyed to be here for this occasion. I’m starting a first gallery for Sam, of course. There was no time yesterday to put things up so I’m working on it this morning.

$celebrating Sam\'s birth$

$He\'s a quiet baby$

$Sam resting on Mom\'s chest$

[Show as slideshow]

Tags family, grandson Sam

News Commentary

The First Amendment covers institutions expressing religious convictions

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date February 8, 2012

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/02/opinion_today_bishops_treating.html

This opinion is given great press by the Post Standard, probably because they consider it politically correct. But it contains an obvious logical disconnect. The illogical assumption that is that institutions, because they are such, can be somehow disassociated from the values of the persons who founded them and/or run them. That is patent nonsense. It is as misguided as the idea of the college out West that recently tried to force student groups to accept leaders who do not agree with the fundamental purposes of the group. It is preposterous for the same reason. Institutions such as Catholic hospitals and church-related colleges are extensions of the values of the persons who created them and who continue to run them, values that are inculcated in the DNA of the institution. If these values are an expression of a religious conviction, they fall directly under the First Amendment and are protected by it. In addition, when the hospital or college is connected to a religious group, the values of the institution cannot be separated from the values of the sponsoring group. The Bill of Rights is in place to protect the expression of religious faith whether by one person or a group of persons expressing themselves through an institution.

Tags Bill of Rights, first amendment, freedom of religion

News Commentary

I support Bishop Cunningham

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date February 6, 2012
2 Comments on I support Bishop Cunningham

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/02/bishop_takes_up_catholics_chur.html

I wholeheartedly support the noncompliance stance of Bishop Robert J. Cunningham of the Syracuse Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church as he takes a firm stand against the Obama administration’s continuing assault upon religious liberty. Obama’s move is a blatant attempt by pro-choice forces to expand their agenda and force people of faith to do things exactly counter to their conscience and beliefs. Preventing such overreaches of power from treading down religious liberty is precisely why the first amendment was written. This Obama proposal is both unconscionable and unconstitutional. It should be opposed by all people of any faith and party who value the first amendment. It makes no difference whether the employer is the church directly or the hospital controlled by the church or a college directed by the church, such issues are still a matter of conscience protected by the first amendment and not to be trampled upon by the government. Bishop Cunningham’s position is courageous and praiseworthy. I call on evangelicals to stand behind him for the sake of freedom of religion and because we also are certainly targeted by such attacks from the current administration.

Tags freedom of religion, Obama, Roman Catholic

Journal Joy Notes

Burmese Bible School Class Completed

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date January 30, 2012

What a joy once again to participate as a teacher at Burmese Bible School in Syracuse. I was the professor for the class, Church Leadership and Management.
For the last three weekends, the class met from roughly from 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday evening and again on Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM with an hour for lunch. It’s a lot of concentrated class time, even with breaks for Burmese tea (I tried three kinds, one of which I liked quite well). I also taught the class two years ago, but it was a four Saturday format at that time, so I needed to reorganize my material. I also supplemented it where needed and from books I have read in the interim. Everything is translated so that the school can serve the immigrant community whose English is not yet good enough to handle classes in English alone. Pastor Than from Lyncourt translated most of the time, with Dr. Khai, head of the school, translating one Saturday. I notice in the three years I have been involved that the English level of the students is constantly improving. It keeps me extremely busy. I will only attempt it in January when the church schedule is not quite as heavy as in some months.

Tags Burmese Bible School, leadership, teaching

Journal

Fighting spam

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date January 20, 2012

Fighting spam is part of blogging today, I guess, unless one does away with comments. Askimet at least relegates most to the spam file. But why do I have to see it at all? Why do I have to take time nearly every day to delete spam? So I am changing my anti-spam strategy and adding a captcha to the comments. my hope is that this will keep machines away. I am sorry for the inconvenience to commenters.

Tags blogging, spam

Journal Who Am I

A winter pastime

In Central New York, one needs a winter pastime. JoAnne and I do jigsaw puzzles with the help of whoever happens to visit. As I mentioned, I now am doing them online occasionally too. Here’s a cut I had not seen before.

Tags jigsaw puzzles, winter pastime

News Commentary

Cuomo’s plan for expansion of gambling is bad for New Yorkers

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date January 5, 2012
1 Comment on Cuomo’s plan for expansion of gambling is bad for New Yorkers

There are so many reasons to oppose gambling as a means of public fund raising. Here is an article that explains from the standpoint of professional economists why it is a bad idea.

http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2012/January/03/Casinos_survey-03Jan12.htm

From a Biblical point of view, it is poor stewardship of resources for those who gamble. From the standpoint of fairness, it represents the rich failing to take fair share responsibility and instead passing off their responsibility to raise funds onto the poor who tend to be the gamblers.

This is one more way Cuomo is becoming the poster boy for promoting immorality in New York.

Tags Cuomo, gambling, moral issues today

News Commentary

2011 NIV revision clarifies language regarding homosexuality

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date January 5, 2012
1 Comment on 2011 NIV revision clarifies language regarding homosexuality

Added clarity in the new NIV revision regarding the language used to refer to sexual sins is a big plus. This article explains the scholarship behind the changes.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/latest-niv-bible-translation-clearer-on-homosexual-sins-says-theologian-66393/

Tags moral issues today

Church Leadership Forward Look Journal

January message series sets tone for the New Year

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date January 4, 2012
3 Comments on January message series sets tone for the New Year

As we begin the New Year, most of us are making plans of some sort. Some of us (like me) are making plans to lose weight (again); others are making plans for major changes in their lives, a marriage, a move, or a job change. But as the New Year begins, it is also important for us to think about the spiritual plans that we should be making for the New Year, plans that can help us to grow and advance in our Christian lives.

That is the purpose of our new series of sermons that began last Sunday. Each week we will take up a new topic that represents a key area of our spiritual life. In some areas we will find the message simply affirming habits that we already have in place. In other areas, we will find ourselves deeply challenged to strengthen our walk with God, our witness, and our service.

I invite you to join us for this insightful and inspiring series. It will carry into February and be followed by our 50 Day Lenten Emphasis which will start February 19.

Spiritual Plans for a New Year
Date	Topic	Text	Speaker
Jan. 1	Preventing a Famine of Hearing God’s Word	Amos 8:1-12	Ben Mackey
Jan. 8	Partners In the Gospel	Philippians 1	Pastor Kelvin
Jan. 15	God’s Plan for Financial Stewardship	Gen. 14:17-20; Lev. 27:30-32; Mal. 3:6-12; Matt. 23:23,24	Pastor Kelvin
Jan 22	The Power of Testimony	Revelation 12	Pastor Kelvin
Jan 29	Bring the Sacrifice of Praise	Hebrews 13:1-21	Pastor Kelvin
Feb 5	Using Our Abilities for God	Matt. 25:14-30	Pastor Eric
Feb 12	(Preschool Sunday –family emphasis)

Tags New Year, Planning, sermon series, spiritual enrichment

Journal Joy Notes Wisdom

The happiest people

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date January 3, 2012

I read a great quote this evening that is worth posting. It helps provide prospective for the New Year too. I’m enjoying the book very much.

“The happiest people are those who have invested their time in others. The unhappiest people are those who wonder how the world is going to make them happy.” (John C. Maxwell in Be a People Person, 2007, p. 20)

Tags happiness, love others

Blog categories

Tag cloud