R's Commonplace Book

Give an inch, take a mile. That’s what one person is doing with the good will of another.

And what will we do with such sayings as the one above if America goes metric? Would be easier not to have to do conversions, however.

Posting by email is one of WP’s best ideas. It’s how this site gets updated, every time.

Busy good week that passed. Had a bit of everything in good measure. Including two baptisms.

Besides English and Spanish, what language does each U.S. state speak most? Surprise!

Had my FMag article well on the way, just needed some additional touches. Even deals with the month’s them.

A Bible verse, and a serious question: “Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord?” 1 Sam 15.19a.

Commitment to truth means popularity is not a goal nor a possibility.

Have found two places that make cappuccino with alternatives to cow’s milk. Happy!

See this photo of what I see outside my living room window these days.

Those who seem to feel most sorry for the sins of their ancestors appear to have little remorse for their own lack of discipline and diligence.

Numerous posts to sites recently, is good, but all on English side. Now to move to Portuguese.

An original verse: The world is populated with wiselings / Whose torrent of words are naught but piffling.

A Bible verse: “He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed; he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; he does not reject what is evil” Psa 36.4.

What is legalism but trust in one’s own powers to be what God approves? And what is progressivism but arrogance to imagine that God approves of one’s own ideas?

The rhyming pair love/above can be used in a poem only so many times before it grows old. It grew old centuries ago. I’m a latecomer, but even I feel that.

Read this prayer. And say amen. And let the Lord work in your life to bring it about.

When people feel free to confess weakness and ask for prayer, much progress can be made, both individually and as the body of Christ.

Growth and strength come slowly, most of the time. Leave off your good habits, however, and see how quickly they wane.

An original verse: The universe has limits but not its Creator; / Creation or the Maker, which is greater?

A Bible verse: “No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known” Jn 1.18.

Some people think too much. Others don’t think enough. Everybody needs to think about things above.

Two evangelistic studies we’d hoped to resume after our return fell through this week, one of Vicki’s, another of mine. Hers, rescheduled for next week; mine, for today.

Not infrequently the idea occurs that giving up completely on social media would be a good thing. Misnomer, not social at all.

Another house on our block, close to us, will lose its owners. Time to start praying that the Lord will send a family to live there who is receptive to the gospel.

“Only from the lips of a man who has the insight to draw correct distinctions between right and wrong, truth and error, can words of wisdom be heard.” —J.E. Smith, Wisdom Literature and Psalms, 537 (on Prov 10.13).

An original verse: Data are the facts and figures of a human life; Online, our privacy is not protected by a single leaf.

A Bible verse: “God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children” Gal 4.5 NLT.

Clutter is first a mental or spiritual problem, then a physical one. Mental, failure to focus. Spiritual, an attempt to serve both God and idols.

You may reach a point of transition in your life and work, where you will either experience a significant breakthrough or sense it’s beginning to fall apart, all depending upon the direction of your inner life.

A certain devotional book has little literary quality, but it’s solid as far as truth is concerned. Better that than style with wrong substance.

He’s wondering if he ought to move out of the way, if he has anything left to offer, if his piggybank of wisdom isn’t bankrupt. What do I tell him?

Blessed is the man who keeps his negative thoughts to himself, rather than weighing down those around him with complaint.

An original verse: Oh! the danger of going out in public, / Where umbrage is taken, and every slight is published.

A Bible verse: “They must not slander anyone, but be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy to all people” Tt 3.2.

What is your plan for this week as you seek to glorify God? Got specifics? Write them down.

Time to think about an article due tomorrow on Forthright.net. Actually, I have been. Not much bubbling up to the surface yet.

This description of an alternative social-media installation just about says it all: “This is a Mastodon instance run by postmoderns.info. The service sustainability is not guaranteed.”

If truth is stranger than fiction, the greatest truth of all, that God came in flesh and died for our salvation, must be strangest of all. And sweetest.

Things and people change, even when we don’t want to recognize it. Sometimes, for the better. Death for the Christian is exactly that kind of change.

An original verse: The bigger the towel, the harder to dry; the more possessions, harder the goodbye.

A Bible verse: “Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began persecuting him” Jn 5.16.

A podcast about software — software! — had this: “Content Warning: This episode has a brief discussion of death, including suicide.” Is the world too sensitive about people being too sensitive?

The day before I traveled, a young lady tried to squeeze by my car and scraped her vehicle against the back of mine. She was distraught. Something to see about after returning from my trip.

Man’s experience often runs counter to the Lord’s command, Lk 5.5. Obey it anyway.

In Miami waiting to board plane for GRU. Ready to be home, but will be better to have the Missus home, too.

In Nashville just happened to sit at gate next to Brazilians on vacation. And Brazil is in a crisis?

An original verse: Babel’s tower still rises brick by brick, / But who will do the twisted arithmetic?

A Bible verse: “Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Announce every day how he delivers!” 1Chr 16.23.

Took neighbor, trainer, and brother in Christ to the emergency room last night for his flu. Took more than two hours. Bed at 1 a.m.

Ten minutes to be waited on this morning to have coffee and bread. Finally walked out.

I accepted a speaking invitation for Pimentas men’s group. Date: May 18, soon after I return from my trip. Subject: Evangelism.

Thinking of that event, I’m discussing a point with some people about the gospel including the church. My go-to verse: Titus 2.14.

If the death of Christ is included in the gospel, then so must the purpose of his death. A part of that purpose: to purify a people. Read church.

An original verse:— What use am I to God? ‘Twas us he chose / To announce that Jesus suffered, died, and arose.

A Bible verse: “Remember the law of my servant Moses, to whom at Horeb I gave rules and regulations for all Israel to obey” Ml 4.4.

So people are too tired or too busy or too something to seek the Lord? Truth be told: too wrapped up in self.

Verse of the week, for this 17th week of the year, is Mt 16.18. You got it memorized?

I see it time and time again: People get close to a commitment and the evil one puts obstacles in the way. Such as work schedule changing to keep them away Sundays.

Douglas spoke tonight, following up on his message two weeks ago. Then, on Philip and the Ethiopian; tonight, on Ananias and Saul. Great job both times.

Y.T. is not much of a song leader, not much of a voice to sing with. But the Brazilian saying is, in the land of the blind, he who has one eye is king.

An original verse: What good is toilet paper on a roll / When squashed?! From me the space the seller stole!

A Bible verse: “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Is the Lord’s hand shortened? Now you will see whether my word to you will come true or not!'” Nm 11.23.