Here we go again

Hey all you xangers!  Long time no see! 

I thought I'd update quickly to ask for your prayers.  There is a potential big decision facing me and our family.  Please pray for wisdom and peace as I consider this un-named big decision in the next week or so.

Currently Reading The Blazing Center Study Guide: The Soul-Satisfying Supremacy of God in All Things see related

Xanga, what's that?

I realize it has been a terribly long time since I posted.  I have no excuse, except that the real big stuff going on around here is pretty well covered by wifey. 

What she didn't cover was my trip to Suzhou, China over the last few weeks.  I am including just a few of the pictures that I took on my brief sightseeing tour on the Saturday I was there.  I will not have much in the way of captions, since I don't know much about what I was photographing.  Ask me anything on these, and I'll give you an answer - it may be made up, but I'll give you one.

I ate lots of Chinese food, but very little like what you get here - No General Tso's chicken.  I guess the strangest thing was eel, which tasted like fish.  It was hard to get used to seeing heads, feet, and tails on everything.  The strangest dish I saw was duck heads.  I saw tongues, too, but the whole head really threw me.  What's there to eat on them?

My hosts were gracious and spoke english well enough (certainly better than I spoke Chinese!).  I'm glad I went, but it is good to be home!

Flying over the North Pole - look for Santa's house

Humble Administrator's Garden

Humble Administrator's Garden

Humble Administrator's Garden - Bonsai, which originaed in China, not Japan

Thousand person rock  

 
Tiger Hill Pogoda

Buddha

Crowded street (duh!)

Chinese Star Wars - one of the english stations ran a marathon of all 6 movies over the weekend.

Currently Reading Hebrews (Let's Study) By Hywel R. Jones see related

Don't Forget

Is this thing on?

Whaddya Think?

From the preface to Isaac Watts' Hymns and Spiritual Songs

At their importunate and repeated Requests I have for some Years past devoted many Hours of leisure to this Service. Far be it from my Thoughts to lay aside the Psalms of David in public Worship; few can pretend so great a Value for them as my self: It is the most artful, most devotional and Divine Collection of Poesy; and nothing can be supposed more proper to raise a pious Soul to Heaven than some parts of that Book; never was a piece of Experimental Divinity so nobly written, and so justly reverenced and admired: But it must be acknowledged still, that there are a thousand Lines in it which were not made for a Saint in our Day, to assume as his own; There are also many deficiencies of Light and Glory which our Lord Jesus and his Apostles have supplied in the Writings of the New Testament; and with this Advantage I have composed these spiritual Songs which are now presented to the World.  (Emphasis mine)

Compare to this:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God man be perfect, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16,17)

Is Ike saying that there are parts of scripture that are insufficient?  I  don't believe that we are limited to singing the Psalms in worship, since there are many instances of non-psalmodic singing in scripture that is accepted by God.  But, we shouldn't presume to think we can improve upon what God has provided, should we?