Saturday

Gorgeous day today. It started out at 46, but there’s absolutely no way that this afternoon could be any better in terms of weather.

It’s not been that way much this month, however.  It rained at least 19 of the first 28 days, and most of Mark’s soccer games were cancelled, including all three this week.

Good start to the morning, with another six chapters in Isaiah.  It takes about 11 days to read through the book this way, which means you can do it three times in about a month.  I’m teaching Isaiah 7 tomorrow, and my reading today, coincidentally, was Isaiah 7-12.

The kids had great piano lessons.  All three of them.  They all practiced well this week.  We ‘re gearing up for another “Piano Olympics” on Monday, so called because we began these family recitals a year before this previous August, and it gave the kids a connection.

We would have had the “Piano Olympics” on Sunday evening, as is our custom, but Mr. & Mrs. Bdad will be here for dinner.

Lunch today with Bethany gave me insight into why Americans don’t long for heaven.  Why would you when you have all you can eat salad, soup, vegetables, shrimp, roast beef, and 30 kinds of dessert for $8.99?  By the way, if you’ve ever served in the military, you can eat free at Golden Corral on November 16.

Then we went to the library.  One of six or so public libraries in this city.  I found three books on Herculaneum.  But more importantly, I wondered why I ever buy books.  Why do we buy the kids books?  It’s all there.  Not only books, but also CDs and DVDs.  There is a check-out limit of 50 items, which just proves my point.  Who needs heaven?  Who needs salvation? We need trials.  We need Obamacare.  We need depressions so that we are less blind.

I went out to check the mail and a couple of Mormon missionaries found their prey.  We had a good talk on out the sidewalk on this gorgeous afternoon.  I pray that they will follow up on some of my suggestions.  Such as reading Galatians very carefully.  And watching the Bible versus the Book of Mormon.  I think the Mormon church has been so hurt by evidence against what they believe that their approach now is to deny the validity of evidence and go with what Jesus tells them in their heart. Sad.  Don’t be like one of them.

The gorgeous weather almost enabled me to get my personal best on my 10k bike riding path.  If I had run over a few old ladies, I would have made it.

Speaking of which, I think my truck has a sexy side.  Two times in the last three days, other drivers have tried to snuggle up.  Very intimately.  I am thankful that the Lord gave me alertness and quick reflexes.

I finished my research and writing on Pompeii today.  I get double duty out of this, since it counts as one of my additional assignments in a course and it will go on the new Italy and Malta CD for the Pictorial Library.  Pompeii is worth studying if you ‘re interested in what Roman cities were like.  True, Jesus never went to a Roman city (as far as we know).  But Paul never went anywhere else.

Kelli has the kids now at the local church’s Fall Festival.  Bethany asked me at lunch today what Halloween celebrates.  She understands Christmas and Easter, but what does Halloween commemorate?  Good question.

The boys are wrapping up their projects for the History Fair.  Luke is doing the Revolutionary War and Mark is working on Apollo 11 and the moon landing.  This morning we had advanced PowerPoint lessons.

Before the day’s out, I hope to finalize and print my short research paper on Syracuse (see Acts 28:12), read an hour for NT Backgrounds class, write at least one handout on Isaiah 7, and maybe even write some emails.  BTW, if you ever write me and I don’t write back within a week and you want a response, feel free to write me again with a reminder.  If it’s more than a week old, I don’t feel the urgency anymore.  One thing I don’t have to do tonight though is to write a post for this blog.