NowTHINK!AboutIt

Tim Pepper For Your Listening Pleasure

June 26, 2016 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Diverse
Full Of Soul
Gripping

Following is a sampling of music by Tim Pepper (singer/song writer/guitarist/sound engineer/author/biotech lab rat/guy who waits tables part time).

What makes Tim’s music interesting is he writes in so many diverse styles: fast, slow, sad, happy, loud, soft, serious, light, bluesy, jazzy, rockish, folkish, reflective and just for fun. But all of his music has soul! Fast or slow, it grabs.

None of it forced. It just flows naturally.

Apart from a few keyboard lessons around age 8 or 9 and a few voice lessons in his late twenties, he’s never had serious musical training.

Following high school he borrowed my guitar, which mostly collected dust, and a few cord books. Guitar playing friends showed him a rift or two and with that, his musical career was launched. More than a hundred songs and several albums later, the rest is history.

You can read about Tim on his website. You can connect with Tim on Facebook. You can listen to more songs on his YouTube channel.

Differences Between Calvinists And Arminians

June 25, 2016 by EnnisP 2 Comments

Either/Or
Neither/Nor
What Are You
Going To Be

I consider myself neither Calvinist nor Arminian but rather a mix of the two. I don’t mean to sound uncommitted or indecisive when I say that.

It’s just difficult for me to think any person could really side completely with either.

And the two ideas vary a lot.

I doubt any person in either camp today is exactly what the forebears of either belief were in the past. Which, of course, means that if you say you are a Calvinist now, you will be differing with Calvinists of yesteryear.

As things move forward, and we think more deeply about our beliefs, perspective changes.

Don’t overreact. I didn’t say belief changes. I said perspective changes. If it doesn’t, you’re standing still.

It’s a fact. Today’s Calvinist is different.

The same could be said of Arminians but does anyone ever talk about Arminianism. Other than Calvinists.

Of the two ideas, the one most talked about, studied, explained and argued over is Calvinism. Everyone joins in that conversation. Arminianism, however, gets most of it’s attention from Calvinists.

So, I decided to put together a comparison of the two. Don’t get upset though. No insult is intended. The following list of comparisons is not exhaustive and is written in the spirit of fun and humor. [Read more…] about Differences Between Calvinists And Arminians

The Most Important Factor In Fatherhood

June 23, 2016 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Be There

Fathers.Com lists several statistical observations about children living in fatherless homes:

Fatherless children are more likely to live in poverty, at greater risk for alcohol and drug abuse, more than twice as likely to commit suicide, experience more trouble academically, are more inclined to exhibit delinquent behavior, and tend to engage sexually at a younger age.

All of the statistics are well documented. The conclusion is that Fathers do make a difference. The question is, Why? What is making the difference?

There are many possible answers to that question but one observation that is often overlooked is the fact that maybe a father makes an impact by just being present. Most books describe fathering somewhat like an Attorney General. He makes the right rules, maintains the right discipline, and models the highest standards of virtue always.

Rules, discipline and virtue are important but the stats quoted are based on homes with fathers vs homes without. Just being there is a big deal.

Although there is a lot of discussion and speculation about what good fathers do, beyond being present, it might be difficult to isolate exactly what that is.

Fathers, like any other humans, are individuals, meaning they’re diverse and have different ways of relating to family members. Their mannerisms are partly learned from previous generations and I doubt any two are exactly alike, even among those considered the best.

Let’s face it. Not all fathers are equally secure, confident, and motivated. They may or may not be educated. Some are entrepreneurs and some work-a-days but if they are present, they have an impact.

Even the fathers classed as good probably don’t know exactly what they do to make a difference but there are likely many reasons why being present is better than being absent.

A few observations are in order. [Read more…] about The Most Important Factor In Fatherhood

Create Sidebar Ads In 11 Steps With Picmonkey Collage

June 22, 2016 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Picmonkey
Makes The Web
Visual

Picmonkey is a powerful online photo editing site that offers more than just photo manipulation. The free account is inexpensive and considerably easier to use than Photoshop.

It’s powerful too!

You can easily create infographics – I do it regularly – and with the collage feature you can add images to the infographics, like the one to the right. It’s simple! Following is how I created the sidebar image. [Read more…] about Create Sidebar Ads In 11 Steps With Picmonkey Collage

9 Reasons Calvinism Is Illogical

June 20, 2016 by EnnisP 7 Comments

Of All Moral Choices
Salvation Is The Simplest
And Least Complicated

In the colonial era of American history, religion was very prevalent. The first settlers on American soil were religious dissenters, aka Pilgrims or Puritans. They lived by a very strict rule of life and church was the central point of their lives.

One well known minister from that era, Jonathan Edwards, preached a sermon titled Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God. The topic was Hell and no one could describe it better than Edwards.

In response to that sermon, almost the entire congregation reacted in some way. They wept in their seats, moaned, begged for mercy, cried out, walked around, fell down and more. That service is thought to be the start of the great revival that swept the area.

What people don’t always point out is that the colonies were immersed in the doctrine of Calvinism and those early Christians took the belief to it’s logical end.

Calvinism is the belief that God alone determines which individuals will be saved and which will not, and these eternal choices were made before creation.

In other words, if you or any other person is a Christian now, it is only because God decided in eternity past that He would save you. He saw you before you were conceived and chose or elected you for salvation. God was personally and intimately involved with you even before you were you.

In the colonial years, they believed that salvation was entirely a work of God. The Elect need do nothing, indeed could do nothing.

If any person approached a Christian leader and asked how they could be saved, the answer was simple. Nothing! You can do nothing to make it happen or to avoid it. If God has chosen you, you will be saved.

It is no wonder then that so many people responded so emotionally to Edwards sermon. If the listeners were longing for heaven – a reasonable assumption since they were in church – but were insecure about it, how could they not?

It doesn’t stop there. [Read more…] about 9 Reasons Calvinism Is Illogical