richard's notions.

Today I've had one fellow Providence Kirker email me with an offer to help us out, three call doing the same, and another visit in person (though we had already arranged his stopping by... to pick up some cds) offering the same. Oh, and of course our neighbor's, the Wilsons, are always offering to help us in so many ways.

We are indeed blessed to be a part of such a body. It is wonderful to be a Christian.

btw, the adjuster called today, and said he wasn't able to look at the car because the body shop closed up early because of the weather. He'll stop by tomorrow to take a look. In talking about what happened, though, he said that it's most likely totaled. Cars turning upside down usually get pretty serious structural damage, and if they don't, sitting upside down for half an hour or more causes serious engine damage. Looks like we'll be in the market for a new car soon. We were about due for an upgrade anyhow... that 'ol Sentra was getting cramped.

We're planning on taking some pictures of the car tomorrow, so I should have those posted. You can all enjoy my brokenness.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 21:22.

On my way home from work today, I flipped over. First, though, I spun completely around, and at one point was even facing the car that was behind me, looking right at him. A few moments later I was hanging upside down by my seatbelt. In one sense it is amazing that I didn't hit any other cars, or get hit by them. In another, it really shouldn't surprise me. Then there's yet another that is amazing because it isn't amazing. Puzzle over that one for a minute or two. Or ten.

The police officer said that my car was probably totaled. The tow truck driver, on the other hand, said it wasn't very bad at all. I guess I'll have to wait a few days for the claim adjuster to tell me what will happen.

In case you're wondering, I'm perfectly fine. The only injury I received was a very small cut on my finger as I was picking out a few personal items from my car before they took it away. Glass was all over the seat.

Hopefully I'll have some pictures of my car at some point. Not tonight or tomorrow though. Too much snow.


posted by Richard Okimoto at 20:22.

Does anyone know how to make links to my archive pages from this, my main page? Would you please tell me?

posted by Richard Okimoto at 14:10.

Stock tickers on aim are depressing. Red, red, red, red, red.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 11:15.

Holy is the Lord, Holy is the Lord
And the Lord I will obey
Lord help me, I don't know the way

posted by Richard Okimoto at 10:57.

I often see Theonomy disregarded by people. People that I have a healthy dose of respect for dismiss Theonomy. I don't see anyone defending it anymore. And I don't know why.

For all the talk about how bad it is, and how inconsistent theonomists are, etc., I never see an actual argument against it. Or a positive argument for how we are to view God's law.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 09:50.

A real life friend has his blog up and running...
Working Class

posted by Richard Okimoto at 07:51.

Am I alone in thinking it would be really nice for comment systems to have notifications when you get a reply? I either check comments way too often, to see if anyone's replied to me, or I forget that I commented, and never actually engage in a conversation.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 19:51.

I just discovered a new book, due out next month, by Kim Riddlebarger. The book is called A Case for Amillennialism. It has an attractive cover.



From what little I've been able to find about it, it doesn't appear to interact with the flavor of Postmillennialism that I believe to be accurate, which is explained on Jon's blog, and also discussed on Wayne's in the comments of this post. I emailed Dr. Riddlebarger about it. If I get a resposne, I'll let you know.

I also wonder if he deals with the distinction between Amillennialism, and its elusive cousin 'Optimistic Amillennialism'. If anyone can point me to something good to read on that, I'd appreciate it.

[update]

I heard back from Dr. Riddlebarger. Here's the relevant portion of his email:

In the book, I do indeed take on postmillennarians of both stripes (the Edwardsian view of a literal thousand year reign yet to dawn, and the more moderate view--Mathison, Davis, Gentry et. al.).

posted by Richard Okimoto at 23:19.

For anyone out there that does not have Tim Gallant's book, Feed My Lambs,

1) You should have it, and

2) Brightlight Books has it for $12.75, the cheapest I've seen it anywhere.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 13:12.

You know you've been blogging too much (and, incidentally, should probably go garver) when you dream you're having dinner with Matt and Sora Colvin.




We got along splendidly, though.




In case you were wondering.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 09:59.

garver.

g a r v e r



garver.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 08:05.

Several movies were seen this past weekend. We saw...

The Edge - a truly noble character.

Ocean's 11 - The suspense was exciting, and the ending was much more clever than I expected!

Opportunity Knocks - eh. Had some funny parts, but it was predictable as all get out.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 08:20.

Here's a pretty stinkin' funny Google search hit I got the other day...

"valentine day presents for husbands who forgot"

posted by Richard Okimoto at 22:23.

The college is closed again, so it's another day home from work. And I don't know if this stuff will be gone tomorrow, either. The high for today is in the 20s.

It's kind of strange. Other people in the world are living their normal lives, going about their daily routines (not Barb though!). Most people went to church yesterday. Most people are going to work today. Things are happening, and here I am snowed in. Not that I mind, really. I just think it's weird how things are going on out in the world, and a hundred years ago I wouldn't have a clue about any of it, but today I'm not really separated from any of it.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 08:15.

We have a nice, thick layer of "a wintery mix" on the ground. A wintery mix, apparently, is what you call various forms of frozen water... ice, sleet, snow, slush, whatever else you can think of. It looks pretty bad.

Church has been cancelled.

Thankfully, we live right next to and right across the street from two families from our church. A little later this morning we're going to one of their houses (the one with the nice piano) to sing some songs and have our own 'lakewood parrish' worship service. How's that for Covenant Community? I think Schlissel hit the nail right square on the head.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 08:06.

Have you seen TheForce.net today?

posted by Richard Okimoto at 09:04.

Valentine's Day.

It's a peculiar institution. I heard someone at WalMart yesterday, a nice looking gentlemen, say that Valentine's Day is an institutionalized guilt trip for men. I'd wager he has no chest.

Anyhow, I wonder why a special day is needed to recognize your wife (or intended). It seems to me that a man ought to treat his woman nicely every day. And give her gifts periodically throughout the year. It's what I do. Flowers, chocolate, other presents. I think I do fairly well at giving these things to my wife at various times simply because I want to please her, and let her know that she is loved and appreciated. Even if I don't give her a gift, I try to let her know in some way everyday that I value everything she does. She puts forth a ton of effort, and it isn't ignored or overlooked.

I don't know why we need Valentine's Day.

By the way, I intentionally wrote this with Valentine's Day being a holiday for the ladies, because it is. Don't bother me with criticisms that husbands should also receive gifts, etc. today.

p.s. Have you seen that commercial for Hershey's Pot O' Gold chocolates where a couple is sitting on the couch, and the man pulls out a box, and the woman says "Oh! I thought we weren't exchanging gifts this year!". Then man says, matter of factly, "We aren't." and then takes a bite. Oh man... that cracks me up!

p.p.s. Valentine's Day isn't necessary, but I don't care. Any opportunity to honor my wife is a good one in my book. She got something today.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 08:57.

Yesterday I had my teeth cleaned. So they're nice and smooth now. Isn't it strange, though, how the technician will talk to you while your mouth is full of tools and spit? I mean, do they really expect a response?

Anyhow, I suffered through a conversation about my kids, which was made up of mostly grunts and hand gestures on my part. When she asked if we were going to have more children, and responded with a shrug of my shoulders and a gutteral sound that was my best attempt at saying "I don't know". She figured it out, and went on cursing the fact that I still have my wisdom teeth.

Unfortunately, I forgot to clarify what I really meant after she finished. What I meant was that it isn't in our control if we have any more kids. We sure would love to have more, but can't say for certain.

It would have tied in nicely with her monologue about how she's afraid to fly these days.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 08:26.

sigh.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 10:12.

I listened to a new St. Anne's Pub tape this week. The topic is Intelligent Design.

I'm sure the mp3 will be up at some point in the future.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 08:33.

I recently got the soundtrack to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. It's a great cd. I especially like Concerning Hobbits. In fact, that's the reason I got the cd... I watched the movie one afternoon, and dozed off near the end. During the credits, they played the music, and that song stood out to me as particularly nice as I heard bits here and there.

I also got Silly Songs with Larry. VeggieTales, when they aren't trying to teach the Bible, are pretty dang hilarious.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 07:39.

This morning I listened to Tim Gallant's lecture on paedocommunion. Having already read his book, it wasn't really anything new for me. It only stirred my soul. But having your soul stirred is a wonderful thing.

It's unfortunate (to put it mildly) that my daughter Geneva isn't admitted to the Table. Particularly since even my pastor, with all due respect, admittedly doesn't have a Biblical argument that she shouldn't be.

Actually, now that I think about it, there was one thing that Tim said in the lecture that was new to me this morning. He said that the only times in Scripture where God brings judgement upon a child, is when he is judging that child's parents. This caused me to pause and ask (as Schlissel encourages us to do) if there was something that I was doing, or not doing as the case may be, that, in turn, God was chastising me for, by not allowing Geneva to commune with Christ in the sacrament. I can't say with any degree of certainty, of course. But I thought of the many ways that I've failed Geneva in covenant nurture. Could it be that God is keeping her from the Table because I haven't done everything I'm supposed to have done, or haven't done them properly?

posted by Richard Okimoto at 09:29.

Megan and I saw something pretty disgusting on TV some time ago. It was on the Liberty channel, which is Jerry Falwell's station. They were showing some Christian concert that took place on the campus of Liberty University. The lyrics went like this...

Crazy Praise!
Praise that don't make no sense

repeat ad nauseum

Isn't it sad that people actually think this is good and worthwhile?

posted by Richard Okimoto at 11:16.

It's almost boring now, but I have another snow day.

I finished my taxes this morning. Filed my state ones online, which is nice. If it didn't cost $15 to file federal ones that way, I'd do that too. But oh well. I'm just glad I'm done with it.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 09:03.

We have to remember that what we observe is not nature in itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning.
-Nobel prize winner Werner Heisenberg

posted by Richard Okimoto at 14:57.

In his retelling of his adventure from New Hampshire to Spokane, Tim Eaton writes,

I may not have been afraid of the snow, but I was still happy to see clear roads and sunny skies the next day.


Maybe I'm just being a Doug Jones wannabe, but there is something poetic about that line, that I can relate to. I wonder if he did that on purpose.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 11:54.

Um, shhh...

sound clips!

posted by Richard Okimoto at 19:11.

Okay, question...

When looking at referrals, the search engine queries are only when people actually click through, right? Not just when your page shows up in a search?

posted by Richard Okimoto at 17:50.

A new blog to read.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 10:57.

More mp3s...

A series of messages by Norman Shepherd at the 2001 Christian Education Conference at Springs Reformed Church, Colorado Springs, CO. I'm looking forward to listening.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 10:37.

Mp3s...

I've made an archive for my church's sermons.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 14:21.

I noticed a spelling error yesterday, which lead me to ask this question...

Do we believe in Covenant Succession or Covenant Secession?

posted by Richard Okimoto at 09:18.

In April 1861, after the attack on Fort Sumter, President Abraham Lincoln sent a request to the States calling out some 75,000 men to do battle with the South. Governor Ellis of North Carolina responded,

Your dispatch is received; and, if genuine, which its extraordinary character leads me to doubt, I have to say in reply, that I regard the levy of troops made by the administration for the purpose of subjugating the states of the South as in violation of the Constitution, and a usurpation of power. I can be no party to this wicked violation of the laws of the country, and to this war upon the liberties of a free people. You can get no troops from North Carolina.

Makes me awfully proud to have been born in North Carolina.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 11:54.