brings back memories

Oh Wow... I had almost forgotten about that phrase. I had almost forgotten about that time in my life, when I was in college at MSU. Sitting outside on the porch with Jo and Marc and Andy, chillin' out at the house in the country, pickin-n-grinnin, walking down the train tracks, going to frat parties, but never pledging, the crawfish boil where we burned everybodies lips (when Chip and Scott came up from cajunland), grilling meat, eating pop-tarts for breakfast and mac-n-chesse for dinner, pipes busting in that cold march freeze, being cold with pitiful heaters that only warm about 1 foot radius, burning pennies in the fireplace. That was a fun time.
Thanks for the reminder Jo.

Interesting Biography on E. Stanley Jones

I have been reading this guy and really enjoying it. Here is a taste of his thoughts on sharing Christ with India;

Then the dawning came - and what a dawning! I saw that everything they brought up was the Word become word, and what the gospel presented was the Word become flesh. 'Be like the sandalwood tree' - that is an exhortation, the word of forgiveness become word. But Jesus hanging on a cross and praying 'Father forgive them' was not the word of forgiveness become word: it was the word of forgiveness become flesh. Prajapati, the Lord of Creatures, giving himself in sacrifice for them is a stray verse in the Rig-Veda, with no historical basis that Prajapati ever gave himself in sacrifice. It is the word of sacrifice become word. But Jesus dying on the cross for us is not the word of sacrifice become word: it is the Word of Sacrifice become flesh. As for Shiva drinking the poison, Shiva himself is legendary and his drinking the poison is also legendary. But Jesus dying on a cross between two thieves as one of them and crying the cry of dereliction, 'My God, why hast thou forsaken me?' - the cry we cry when we sin - is not the Word of identification with our sins become word: it is the Word become flesh
This Word become word and this Word become flesh - here is the profound and decisive difference between the Christian faith and all others. It separates them not in degree but in kind. All other faiths are philosophies or moralisms - man's search upward. The gospel is God's search downward. Religions are man's search for God; the gospel is God's search for man. There are many religions, but one gospel.
Therefore, the method of comparative religions, studying which idea is in which religion, is beside the point. It is comparing incomparable things - the Word become word and the Word become flesh. Therefore it is all beside the point and hence pointless.
E. Stanley Jones, "A Song of Ascents"

Travels

My friend John pointed this site out for the States. I realize, I need to do some more travelling in the States, though I have pretty much covered the Southeast. I like the world map. I used to think I had travelled much in the world, but there are many places yet to go.



create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands




create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.