Christmas in July #1

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This is one of the most beautiful Christmas songs out there.  And it deserves to be played all year.  It's so beautiful, it brings me to tears.  And I imagine that this is how heaven will sound ...

Christmas Canon by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. 

 (And for the equally-great, more rockin' version - Christmas Canon Rock. Oh my goodness, it makes my heart want to burst! Too much beauty!) 

Most Popular Posts of the Week:

A Fresh Start

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I have several other blogs, all with a different purpose and target audience:             1.  Love, Heal Me and My Impressionistic Life (contains many posts about the struggles we encounter on our walks with God - written for the hurting Christian who wants raw honesty and deep thinking)             2.  The Sweetly Broken Journey (includes my life story, a Bible Study for mature Christians, and a "self-help" journaling guide-book to help people grow in their faith and through the trials)             3.  Heather's Garden and Home (includes recipes, posts on gardening and family life and faith, and some social and political thoughts - written for the average person, not just Christians)             4.  Iron Sharpens Iron Bible Study (contains only the Bible study I wrote for mature Christians)           ...
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Spiritual Warfare: Sword of the Spirit 2 (the bedrock)

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It was hard to watch my friend struggle through her deep emotional pain (see previous post ), and I couldn't really do anything to stop her difficult trial or make it all better for her, especially since the battle was mostly in her head.  And I know what that's like: Anxiety is a bully who doesn't play by the rules.  Unfair, unruly, and aggressive.  Running roughshod over you, your mind, your life. I couldn't fix it for her because she was in a battle she was forced to fight herself.  But I could at least try to encourage her by letting her know that I understood, that I got through something similar and that I know she can too... but that she has to want to get through it, to fight it and not give in.  She has to refuse to succumb to the Enemy's lies and destructive tactics. And to help her do this, I shared with her one of the things that helped me get through my hardest times: My "sword of the Spirit," my own personal list of favorite verses that I wou...
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Spiritual Warfare: Sword of the Spirit 1

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[I intended to do a post like this later in a Spiritual Warfare series, but since it's relevant right now to someone I know ... and since it's been so long since I've added to this series... I'll publish it now.   Previous posts in this series are "My Story" ...  "Be strong in the Lord" ...  Spiritual Warfare sermons by Tony Evans ... "Stay on the Path" ... "Underestimating ourselves/overestimating Satan" ... "Overestimating ourselves/underestimating Satan" ...  #1 Satan's Schemes (unbelief, sin, fear) ... #2 (fear, psychics, prayer) ... #3 (vulnerable in good times) ... Spiritual Warfare: Resources ... #4 (vulnerable in bad times )... #5 (innocence, naivete) ... #6 (half-truths) ... #7 (bad theology) ... #8 (deserts) ... #9 (bitterness, unforgiveness) ... and (for fun)  "Scariest Halloween decoration ever?" I'll break this post up into several parts over the next several weeks.  Much of these posts wil...
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More Anti-Calvinism Memes #8

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I think these are the last of the Anti-Calvinism memes for now.  When I get creative, I'll make more. Hmm!?! So you're a Calvinist? That would be great ... That face you make ... So let me get this straight ... See, nobody cares! Still waiting ... Calvinism:  One does not simply ... Look at this Calvinist world ... When A Calvinist Hears ... Tell me again ... The bookcase I told you ... WRONG! Santa Claus A "Secret" Will Hard To Swallow Pills How Calvinism Was Created and Two Calvinists Talking...   (Yeah, yeah ... I know ... they're childish and mean.  But I couldn't help it.  They basically wrote themselves.  If it makes you happy, you can choose to substitute "Free-Will" in there for Calvinism.  But I like these the way they are.  Makes me giggle.) Then why fight it ... . When it turns ugly
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And Yet Again - 21 More Anti-Calvinism Memes

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I giggle making these.  Helps me blow off steam. Only if you're elected ... So you're a Calvinist? Except for you ... "I love being a Calvinist" First I'll tell them ... Said Jesus Never! We Calvinists say ... The bookcase Researching John Calvin Snap Out Of It The Pro-Calvinism Meme Absolutely Sure ... Calvinist Lunatic If you want people ... Another Predestination Sermon It's called "Calvinism" Lucky Dude "All" Means "Some" God "In Control" "Total depravity" (AKA "Total Inability" - a concept NOT found in the Bible anywhere!) It's be...
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2020: We Can All Understand!

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   2020 Version of Things Here's hoping 2021 is better! [Update: And now here's the  new one for 2021 .  That didn't take long.  But I'm glad to see we're trying to laugh about it.] [And another update from February 15, 2021: I am adding this note here because I don't know where else to put it.  I just wanted to share this story which I believe confirms my idea that our online devices are indeed listening to us all the time, even when we don't know it.   Our online service is used for our few tablets, phones, and laptops, but we  don't have smart TV's or one of those always-on units that listens and responds when you ask it questions.  Well, yesterday we had some friends over, and we got to talking about the movie "Return to Oz" from 1985, about how creepy it was.  We talked about it for just a couple minutes, maybe 2-3.  Well, a couple hours after they left, I turned on a tablet, looked at the home "news page" (through the sea...
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List of Calvinist Preachers, Authors, Theologians, Websites, etc.

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I  found a lot more names to add to my list of known Calvinists (found in my various  "How to Tell if a Church, Pastor, or Website is Calvinist"  posts).  But instead of adding this huge list to all those posts, I am going to put it here, and I'll just provide a link on those posts to this one.  [FYI: I added a note at the bottom of this post on May 5, 2021.] So here it is, a "master list" of known Calvinists to help you be careful and discerning about who you listen to and where you get your theology from.  There are plenty more Calvinists out there, but these are just the names that I ran across the most.   These are either definite, self-professed Calvinists or "most likely Calvinist," in my estimation.  (I haven't heard of most of them, but it's good to know their theology before I do.)   After finding these names in various places online, I looked up each person to see if they are Calvinist.  If they did not self-identify ...
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Why I Could Never Be An Atheist!

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“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”   (Psalm 14:1)   “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”   (Romans 1:20) I have gone through some hard times recently.   (This is a repost from not too long ago.)  Not only has there been a bunch of discouraging trials, but these trials have been accompanied by “spiritual droughts” of sorts.   Long, dry spiritual times, the kind that could leave you wondering if you only convinced yourself all along that there is a God.   He has been so silent, so distant . . . and at a time when I needed Him to show Himself most.   My soul has ached for more than what He is giving right now.   I cry out, but hear nothing.   I pray and pray about certain things.   And . . . nothing happens.   Many prayers have not been...
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Why I Hate Calvinism So Much!

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  Wanna know why I hate Calvinism so much? Watch a few of these songs.  Listen to the words.  Think about how much Jesus sacrificed for us.  The incredible price He paid.  The love, grace, forgiveness, help, healing, and salvation He died to give us.  How true hope and life is found  only  in Him. Oh, What Love  by The City Harmonic I Am  by Crowder Hallelujah Christmas   by Cloverton Sweetly Broken  by Jeremy Riddle  (God draws  everyone  to Him.  He calls  everyone  to come out of death and into life!  Will we listen?  Will we respond?) Secret Ambition  by Michael W. Smith Fell Apart  by The City Harmonic Confession (Agnus Dei)  by The City Harmonic  (Calvi-Jesus did  not  take away the sins  of the world , but of just a few people.  But the Jesus of the Bible did!  And that's why I love Him!) Healing Begins  by Tenth Avenue North A...
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Satan vs. Calvinism's god

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Hmm ... let me see ... 1.   Satan lies.   Calvi-god lies too - telling us that he loves all people, that he wants all people to be saved, and that he sent Jesus to die for sinners, when in reality he predestined most people for hell and gave them no chance to be saved because he only sent Calvi-Jesus to die for the "elect."  Not to mention that Calvi-god is the cause of all of Satan's lies. 2.   Satan is a master of half-truths and deception.   Calvi-god is a master of half-truths and deception too - telling people to repent but hiding the fact that they can't repent unless he makes them repent, commanding  them to be obedient but hiding the fact that he actually controls everything they do, commanding the "non-elect" to do things he made impossible for them to do (repent and believe) but then causing them to do things he commands them not to do (disobey, rebel, reject him).  Not to mention that Calvi-god is the cause of all of Satan's half-...
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