Rebecca Writes

Saturday's Old Photo

rebecca — Sun, 11 May 2008 04:16:17 +0000

As promised, here’s the photo of my Grandpa Vogt dressed up for Pioneer Days. I think he grew the goatee just for this occasion. I have this hung on my dining room wall, along with the photo from last week. This picture, like the previous one, was probably shot in the sixties.

Unfortunately, when the kids were little, one of them touched this photo with a very dirty finger and that bit of our family history is there for you to see, too.

My Desktop Photo 6: Finally, Spring in Real Life

rebecca — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:47:07 +0000

Photo by Andrew Stark

Gas Up: May 8

rebecca — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:29:24 +0000

No need to take a new photo for me, because gas costs exactly the same this week as last—$135.9/litre or $5.14/gallon.

Other gas price reports
Rey gives us a breakdown of the gas prices he encountered last weekend in New York City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania:

PA (where I live) $3.69 a gallon
NJ (Family Stop A) $3.47 a gallon
NJ (Refuel before entering NYC) $3.58 a gallon
NYC (Family Stop B: NYC and where I refused to refuel) $3.89 a gallon
NJ (Refuel before leaving NJ) $3.49 a gallon

Violet gives her report from Langley, BC where what you see is not necessarily what you get.

What about you? Up, down, or the same?

Romans 8:18-39: General Procedure

rebecca — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:42:30 +0000

Here’s the general procedure I’ll be using for doing an interpretive paraphrase of this passage.

Step 1 is to place the passage in context; first, within the book of Romans, and then within the particular section of text surrounding it.
Step 2 is to divide the passage in paragraphs.
Step 3 is to copy the first verse from the four translations I’m using comparing them and using that comparison to help me decide which words and phrases might be key to understanding the meaning of the verse.
Step 4 is to underline the key words and phrases in the verse. The general guideline I use is to underline all the nouns and verbs and any connecting words for which I see the possibility of different meanings reflected in the translations I’ve used.
Step 5 is to consider the meaning each underlined word or phrase, using a comparison of the different translations, information on the meaning of the word gathered using my Strong’s concordance, and finally (and optionally), what I glean from the commentary.
Step 6 is to write a paraphrase of this verse from what I’ve learned.

I’ll keep doing steps 3-6 until I’ve finished paraphrasing the entire passage. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it gets to be less work as time goes on, for at least two reasons. First, like anything, it gets easier with practice; and secondly, a word may only need to be studied thoroughly once and then that information simply reviewed every time the word is repeated in the text.

Hitchin' the Wagon

rebecca — Wed, 07 May 2008 21:28:03 +0000

for a couple of days while I regroup.

Mostly I’ll be doing spring yard work and spring cleaning and spring sewing. I’ll be back on Friday with this week’s Gas Up post, and should it rain on my parade, I may get one of the Romans 8 posts up soon, too.

May's Recipe Round Up

rebecca — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:10:47 +0000

will be at Whatever Things…

Recipes Around The World
This month’s recipe category will be recipes unique either to the part of the world or country you live or where you’re from originally. It’s a bit like “The Great British Menu,” but with a worldwide focus.
The recipe can be for Snacks, Starters, Main Courses, Desserts, Cakes, Biscuits or even a Hot or Cold drink recipe.

Doesn’t this sound like fun?

The date is Thursday, May 15th and there’s a giveaway, too. Read all the details.

Which is the third commandment?

rebecca — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:04:28 +0000

The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.[1]

Challies.com April Giveaway

rebecca — Mon, 05 May 2008 22:52:50 +0000

See most recent posts directly below this one.

Timing-wise, Tim’s pushing it a little, but the prizes are the best ever, I’d say. He’s giving away, books, books, and more glorious books.

First prize: Reformation Heritage Books Selections: God with Us, Reformation Heroes, Meet the Puritans, plus all books in the 2nd and 3rd prize package.
Second prize: Soli Deo Gloria Selections: Freedom of the Will, Excellency of a Gracious Spirit, Keeping the Heart, Parable of the Ten Virgins, plus all books in the 3rd prize package.
Third Prize: Profiles in Reformed Spirituality: A Consuming Fire, A Sweet Flame, Dedicated to the Service of the Temple, Christ Is All.

The sponsor for this month’s giveaway is Reformation Heritage Book, which publishes and distributes Puritan and Reformed books.

This one, I really want to win, so if you are going to enter (And why not? If you don’t want those books, you could always send them to me.), I beg you to click on the banner at the top of this post so I get a referral (and another entry) out of it.

Theological Term of the Week

rebecca — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:34:42 +0000

Creation ex nihilo

Literally, creation “out of nothing.” This term refers to the teaching that prior to God’s first creative act, only God existed, and there was no material in existence, so that when God created the universe, he did not use preexisting materials.

From the Belgic Confession, Article 12:
We believe that the Father by the Word, that is, by His Son, has created of nothing the heaven, the earth, and all creatures, when it seemed good unto Him; giving unto every creature its being, shape, form, and several offices to serve its Creator…
Hebrews 11:3:

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
From Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology:
Because God created the entire universe out of nothing there is no matter in the universe that is eternal. All that we see—the mountains, the oceans, the stars, the earth itself—all came into existence when God created them….

This reminds us that God rules over all the universe and that nothing in creation is to be worshiped instead of God or in addition to him. However, were we to deny creation out of nothing, we would have to say that some matter has always existed and that it is eternal like God. This idea would challenge God’s independence, his sovereignty, and the fact that worship is due to him alone; if matter existed apart from God, then what inherent right would God have to rule over it and use it for his glory? And what confidence could we have that every aspect of the universe will ultimately fulfill God’s purposes, if some parts of it were not created by him?

Learn more:

What does creation “ex nihilo” mean? from Got Questions.org.
J. I. Packer: God Is the Creator, from Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs

Have you come across a theological term that you don’t understand and that you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.

Saturday's Old Photo a Day Late

rebecca — Sun, 04 May 2008 20:47:28 +0000

I scanned this photo to use yesterday and then decided I was too tired to finish things up and actually post it, so I’m posting it today. This is a photo of my Grandpa Vogt, done a little bit like the more famous photograph, Grace. I posted this once a long time ago on the old blog, but I didn’t have a scanner then, so I took a photo of the photo. Using a scanner works a lot better.

I have this photograph framed and hanging on my dining room wall along with several other old family photos. My grandpa was a Kansas wheat farmer; notice the working-man hands. Next week I’ll post another photo of Grandpa Vogt, one showing him dressed up for Pioneer Days.