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"Uncle Glen"
Dear James,
I never thought I'd say this, but Calvinism is becoming popular and attracting a following. This is especially true among Americans your age. A recent story in Time magazine ran with the headline that Calvinism is one of ten ideas "changing the world right now."
I sometimes wonder what the popularity of Calvinism is among Presbyterian college students for whom the doctrines of grace are not new and exciting, but old and routineif not a bit stale. If your friends read magazines like Time, what is their reaction? Do they see themselves among the young people who are forcing journalists to scratch their heads in wonder? Or is Calvinism simply part of the doctrinal "furniture" in their lives?
I ask this question in part because we were corresponding recently about dorm "bull sessions" and the inevitable subjects that come up at Rutherford College. Unconditional election is another one of those doctrines that fascinate at least for a night or so of intense and protracted banter. You haven't mentioned this doctrine to me yet, but I suspect that you will encounter it soon in one of your religion classes.
As you may recall from catechism class with Mr. Greene, the Westminster Shorter Catechism does not teach the five points of Calvinism in a formal way. Those doctrines actually stem from the Dutch Reformed Synod of Dort, which met in 1618 to refute Arminianism. But even if TULIP does not organize the contents of the Shorter Catechism, you can find unconditional election in Answer 20, which teaches that God, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life and entered into a covenant of grace with the elect. The ultimate origin of our salvation, even before Christ's work as our only Redeemer, was God's decision to choose a people that would be his own.
The important implication of this doctrine is that our salvation does not rest upon anything in us. God did not choose us because he foresaw anything superior about us. The basis of God's decision was simply his good pleasure. For reasons that we cannot comprehend, God did this to manifest the riches of his grace and glory.
This is one of those doctrines that is less popular, even among the bigger fans of Calvinism. If you have noticed some of the stories about Calvinism's appeal, you will see that its attraction is precisely the sovereignty of Godhis control of all things. This means that, for those who are sometimes called the "young, restless, and Reformed," God is a powerful and loving being who either establishes order in broken lives or provides hope for the restoration of wholeness. In a recent book devoted to the young Calvinists, one student who was interviewed said, "To believe that God is sovereign is very comforting in the deepest possible way."
Not always evident in this understanding of God's sovereignty is his control in electing a people for himself. Unconditional election is obviously one aspect of God's sovereignty: he is sovereign even over the number of people who will be saved. As comforting as this teaching is, it is also profoundly troubling, because it reminds us that God's ways are not our ways, that his sovereign purpose is beyond our reasoning, and that we have no right, as Job learned, to question God's purposes.
Although unconditional election might be challenging to those who want God's sovereignty to make sense of the world, it can breed theological smugness among cradle Presbyteriansespecially guys. I can recall one late-night theological discussion in Alexander Hall, where a student from down the hall was reveling in the philosophical inconsistencies of some fellow students who were uncomfortable with the downside of electionthe implication that those who are not chosen for eternal life will experience eternal judgment. This theological bully kept taunting the students who were squeamish about damnation with Calvinism's logical consistency. If you accept God's sovereignty, and if you accept man's depravity, he kept insisting, then election inevitably followed. And if you can't stomach the logic of election, he added, then you lacked manly intelligence. This was a version of Calvinism that was not for wimps.
The irony of this argument still haunts me when I recall it. Unconditional election is a doctrine that is supposed to keep us humble because it tells us that our salvation was entirely God's decision, not based on our own worthiness. But as a piece in a string of logical deductions, it becomes a doctrine that can tempt us to claim intellectual superiority. This is a real danger in those dormitory sessions of doctrinal discussion. Those who believe the truth of Calvinism can detach it from its personal reality and turn it into a strategy for successful debate.
Don't take this to mean that I am discouraging your participation in theological arguments. Of course, you should remain gracious. But even more importantly, you should be careful not to turn your theology into an airtight argument that always wins debates. Unconditional election, in fact, should be a check upon this form of intellectual pride because its fruit is greater humility before the depths of God's mercy.
Uncle Glen
"Uncle Glen" Roberts is a pseudonym for two Orthodox Presbyterian elders. Reprinted from New Horizons, May 2009.
|© 2020 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Chaplains and Military Personnel


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Last week Tamar Braxton raised eyebrows after she was quoted saying it wasn't love at first sight with her infant son Logan [click here if you missed that].
Tamar explains what she REALLY meant...
Tamar tells BET,
"Yes you do love your child. I love mine. But you're shocked. You cannot believe that this person was swimming in your belly for nine months and here you are. Now you're a mother. And I'm thinking, 'Oh my goodness, I'm a mother and this is my baby.' It feels like a dream actually. That's what I meant when I said I didn't fall in love immediately. I was in complete shock."

subset: commoncrawl


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Department of Human Evolution
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
phone: +49 (341) 3550 - 350
fax: +49 (0341) 3550 - 399
e-mail: streiber@[>>> Please remove the brackets! <<<]eva.mpg.de
Tobias Lauer
Post-Doctoral Researcher
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Department of Human Evolution
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
phone: 0049 (0) 341 3550 344
fax: 0049 (0) 341 3550 399
e-mail: tobias_lauer@[>>> Please remove the brackets! <<<]eva.mpg.de
Research Interests
Tobias Lauer is the head of the luminescence- and infrared-radiofluorescence laboratory within the Department of Human Evolution and focuses on quaternary and palaeoenvironmental research.
Tobias has a strong background in field work and already worked in various sedimentary environments (e.g. loess, fluvial regimes, coastal dunes, periglacial slope deposits)
During his PhD-thesis at the Leibniz-Institute for Applied Geophysics (LIAG) in Hannover he specialized in luminescence dating, doing both, applied studies in quaternary research and geomorphology and also methodological work in optical dating. During a postdoctoral position at the Geographical Institute in Leipzig Tobias cooperated with dating laboratories in Freiberg and Hannover and used the luminescence dating technique for palaeoenvironmental investigations in Central Germany. After his stay at Leipzig University, Tobias went back to LIAG and worked on loess-palaeosol sequences in Northern Iran focusing on litho- and chronostratigraphical investigations of these sediment archives in Northern Iran.
In November 2015 Tobias started his position at the Department of Human Evolution where he focuses on optical dating of Paleolithic sites in Europe and Africa. Furthermore, Tobias investigates Middle Pleistocene fluvial archives in Germany and intends to better unravel the timing of the Saalian- and Elsterian glacial cycles in Europe.


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We are Event Horizon
Based out of Portland, Event Horizon has, according to Canon Magazine, consistently produced music that "pushes the technical boundaries of what music could/should be." Vestibulum id ligula porta felis euismod semper. Photos by Ebru Yildiz. Portraits feature Ghastly City Sleep. Live shots feature The Psychic Paramount. Content for demo use only.
Vocals, Guitar / Lee Clayton
Keyboard, Sampling / Mikael Johnasson
Bass / Ethan Stone
Drums / Omer Asani


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Chozen Few - Let Em Lay [Unsigned Hype]
off Chozen Few mixtape well connected well respected pt2 (power moves edition)hosted by dj big mike,dj rated r,dj diggz
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Andrew Weibrecht and Bode Miller redeemed the U.S. Ski Team by winning silver and bronze in Sunday's super-G, flip flopping their finish from Vancouver four years ago. Norway's Kjetil Jansrud took gold, making it the fourth time in a row a Norwegian has won the men's Olympic super-G.
With a bronze to add to his three medals from Vancouver and two from Salt Lake, 36-year old Miller broke his own record as the most decorated American Alpine skier in Winter Olympic history — not to mention he became the sport's oldest medal winner.
But if Weibrecht and Miller's superlative super-G result seemed standard, the manner in which it played out couldn't have been more dramatic.
Miller—in what was likely his last real chance at a sixth Olympic medal—seemed to finally have luck on his side at these Games, drawing bib number 13, one of the earliest positions of the top seeded skiers. The New Hampshire-native put the relatively clean track to good use, pinning a tight line through the rhythmic gates and setting the fastest splits from start to finish. In contrast to the stiff, nerve-plagued skiing he showcased in the downhill, Miller looked loose and relaxed (despite a few bobbles), absorbing the undulating terrain, never panicking and letting his skis run. Still, when he hit the finish line with the provisional best time, he seemed skeptical that it would hold.
Sitting in the hot seat, Miller watched as the world's fastest ski racers tried to top his time. Austria—on a hot streak at Sochi with two golds already—threw down the gauntlet first, with back-to-back racers coming within hundredths of a second of the American's time. But as dangerous skiers either failed to finish (downhill gold medalist Matthias Mayer) or failed to live up to their top billing (defending champ Aksel Lund Svindal), Miller started believing.
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"I'm dodging bullets by millimeters right now" he said, nervously looking up the hill. "I need those hundredths to stay on my side for once."
And they did, until Norway's Kjetil Jansrud (slower than Miller at every checkpoint) made up time on the final pitch with a direct line to sneak past Miller by half a second. As the affable Norwegian celebrated, Miller visibly deflated, but there was still hope for a medal.
Canada's Jan Hudec produced the next scare, making up ground on Miller at every checkpoint before hitting the line with an identical time as the American. It was the second time Alpine skiers have tied for a medal at these Games (Tina Maze and Dominique Gisin both grabbed gold in the women's downhill), and only the sixth time it's happened in Olympic history.
With only two skiers remaining in the top 30, the podium seemed settled.
Weibrecht, however, had other plans. Starting bib number 29, the Lake Placid-native—known as War Horse to his teammates thanks to his aggressive skiing—blitzed the upper section of the course, arcing tight, clean turns down steep, off camber turns and executing a risky line. His go-for-broke approach paid off as he set the fastest time at every split.
Plagued by injuries, Weibrecht has only recorded one top ten finish in World Cup competition since his surprise bronze in Vancouver. But suddenly, everyone at the Rosa Khutor finish stadium was watching his run as Weibrecht seemed poised for one of the biggest upsets in Alpine history.
Inevitably, it wasn't to be. After coming off line on the final jump, the 28-year old American was forced to sacrifice aerodynamics in favor of staying on course, nipping in for silver instead.
Still, Weibrecht seemed color blind when it came to winning a medal, grabbing his helmet in glee when he looked up at the result board.
"I took a couple of seconds to see the time. I saw 'two,' then I looked away, and then I looked again" he told reporters, before adding: "It's been a rough couple of years. This makes up for it."
Miller was equally happy for his teammate.
"We're watching and I'm saying 'He's got a good chance to win this f---ing thing!'" Miller beamed, hugging Weibrecht.
Despite his competitive drive, Miller has always mentored his younger teammates,
many of whom grew up idolizing the veteran. And his appreciation for Weibrecht's run was genuine.
But the American Alpine legend saved his own celebration for a private moment. Never known for being overtly emotional, Miller—who once ruffled fans' feathers by saying he didn't care about Olympic medals—crouched by the finish line barriers and quietly wiped tears from his face, realizing what he'd accomplished.
"To be on the podium, this is a really big day for me. Emotionally, I had a lot riding on it" Miller told reporters. "Even though I didn't ski my best — a lot of mistakes — I'm just super, super happy.
He later explained that chief in his thoughts had been the death of his brother "Chilly" last April, of an apparent seizure.
"Losing my brother this year was really hard for myself, my family, our sort of whole community," he said, NBC Olympics reported. "I have been a focal point for them over the years — my racing. It was just — yeah, a lot of emotion. To have things go well today, as well as they did, I felt very fortunate to come out with a medal. Just, um, everything felt pretty raw and pretty connected. It was a lot for me."


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There's nothing more dramatic than a crash seen in slow motion. Or, in this case, a 631-foot container ship running aground so slowly it looks like it's in slow motion.
The International Business Times reports that it's still unclear exactly why this ship, the Hansa Constitution, dragged its anchor into a Hong Kong sea wall yesterday. It could have been poor visibility, it could have been some kind of mechanical malfunction. Either way, if the ship's crew was attempting an Austin Powers impression, they did a good job.
Here's another angle, seen from the shore.


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Makkah Taraweeh 1437
Makkah Taraweeh 1436
Makkah Taraweeh 1435
Wadee Al Yamani
Mahmood Ali Al-Bana
Ali Hajjaj Alsouasi
Last Updated: Jul. 11, 2016
Abdur-Rashid Sufi [Abi al-Haarith an al-Kasaa'ee]
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Leonardo da Vinci – Vitruvian Man, 1487
The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.
Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt,
and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.
Principles for the Development of a Complete Mind:
Study the science of art.
Study the art of science.
Develop your senses – especially learn how to see.
Realize that everything connects to everything else.
One has no right to love or hate anything if one
has not acquired a thorough knowledge of its nature.
Great love springs from great knowledge of the beloved object,
and if you know it but little
you will be able to love it only a little or not at all.
Once you have tasted flight,
you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,
for there you have been,
and there you will always long to return.
An average human
looks without seeing, listens without hearing,
touches without feeling, eats without tasting,
moves without physical awareness,
inhales without awareness of odour or fragrance,
and talks without thinking.
Leonardo da Vinci


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Not all rallies are on dirt. Some are on tarmac, like the Monza Rally held on and around that famous track. It means you get all kinds of odd sports cars in rally guise, like this Dodge Viper.
Humorously, this video is titled "Monza Rally 2012 - Corvette drift." Vipers aren't particularly common over in Europe.
Anyone out there know more about this car?


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Your hollyyashi.com wish list is a great place to keep track of all the things you really want. Share with family and friends so they'll know just what to get you for that special occasion.
Designs that speak to the eternal allure of femininity, fantasy,
and the imagination of the heart. Experience delicate details,
floral motifs, and whimsical shapes inspired by tales from
history, hopes, and longed-for dreams.
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Crowne Plaza Hotel Brussels Airport
The bright and modern Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport hotel is your peaceful retreat in the Corporate Village, 5 minutes by shuttle from Brussels Airport. Arrive at the calm oasis of Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport , surrounded by rolling lawns and a serene lake dotted with birds and ducks, to enter the light-filled, 6-storey atrium. The elegant ambiance of the Lobby is defined by clean lines and sleek furniture, which you'll find with added warmth in your stylish room or Suite . Stroll to nearby companies in the Corporate Village . Crowne Plaza Brussels is a short drive from the Brussels ring road, and you can leave your vehicle in our car park . Catch the shuttle from the hotel to Brussels Airport, where trains connect to the city centre in 20 minutes. You can host events for up to 350 in our 16 meeting rooms and share Belgian beers afterwards in the dark wood surrounds of The Bar. Toast business success over succulent lobster or steak at our gastronomic Restaurant, or upgrade to Club level to challenge colleagues on the Wii in our exclusive Club Lounge . Reflect on a stay worth celebrating in the Fitness Centre's sauna or steam room. Beneath the EU's bureaucracy and the pomp of Grand Place , Brussels is a rich and playful city. Ask Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport's Front Desk staff about top chocolate spots, surrealism at the Magritte Museum or the wicked humour of the Manneken Pis statue.
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