July 2010

(Tim, w/thanks to Kamilla) We were privileged to have dear friends who serve in DR Congo with us for a week, recently. The husband grew up an MK in Congo and he and his wife have given their lives in service to Africa.

One evening, the discussion turned to the United Nations and I was shocked to hear the strength of this godly couple's condemnation. The wife said something like, "The United Nations is totally corrupt." What she said, though, was even worse--I just can't remember her exact words. I asked if she'd meant what she said and she intensified the condemnation.

The United Nations is perversely wicked in its work in Africa, and this extends not simply to its policies, but also to UN individuals profiteering both financially and sexually. Along with many of the NGOs, these UN men and women are the new colonialists.

If I were running for President...

(Tim) Digging the hole for an in-ground swimming pool led to French authorities unearthing the tiny corpses of eight infants murdered and buried by their mother in her back yards. Acknowledging such child slaughter to be a growing trend, French authorities are horrified. In an article titled "Why Are French Women Killing Their Babies," several possible explanations are given:

Experts explained each of those cases as resulting from pregnancy denial, an often misunderstood and minimized condition. According to (former gynecologist) Michel Delcroix ...pregnancy denial is a quasi-schizophrenic condition in which women either don't realize or cannot accept that they are with child — not even enough to have their unwanted babies aborted... Delcroix says it's now rising in frequency. The probable reason, he says, is changes in wider social factors that have downgraded the value of childhood, parenting and family.

But in some cases, it can also be a matter of women simply failing to see themselves as mothers. "Some women never manage to update their self-identity during pregnancy, [while others] want to become pregnant without wanting to procreate," psychiatrist Pierre Lamothe told Le Parisien on Thursday. "When the child arrives, it doesn't really exist for them. They don't give it life, in psychological terms. If they saw it as a [real] baby, they wouldn't kill it."

Others just never realize — or acknowledge — that they're with child.

Women don't realize they're "with child?"

Why would they when seconds prior to birth these same mothers can murder these same children with no consequences at all? Who exactly is "quasi-schizophrenic"--these mothers or the civil magistrate?

Think about it: a mother sees no reason why waiting a few minutes to murder her baby should cause the civil magistrate to prosecute and imprison her. Why should she leave the comfort of her own home...

(David) Yesterday's final climb of the 2010 Tour de France was up the back side of the Cor de Tourmalet. It ended up being an epic stage in which the two top bikers of this year's Tour, Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador, separated from the peloton in the last 10 kilometers of the race and obliterated the 1 minute, 21 second lead attackers had opened over the peloton earlier in the race. During those 10 strenuously uphill kilometers Schleck and Contador not only overcame the advantage of the previous leaders, they put 1 minute, 30 seconds between themselves and the second group to finish the stage.

Here's a video of the madness of the last ten minutes of the stage. Note the extraordinary moment of  affection immediately following the race between the two men competing for this year's Tour de Fance championship found between 9:40 and 10:15 of the video (and be sure to watch at least a few minutes of the race up the mountain that precedes this moment or you won't get the point of the embrace). As we watch these men rejoice in having fought the fight together, let's remember that the Christian life is a race, not a leisurely walk in the park. Praise God for the example of masculine affection in the midst of conflict afforded us by these men competing in an infinitely-less-important race than the one in which we are running.

(Tim, w/thanks to Heather) There's more than ample evidence that, if confirmed to SCOTUS, Ms. Kagan will serve for many years as President Obama's hack, faithfully politicizing our highest court in order to protect the murder of many millions of children across our land.

No better proof of the depth to which Ms. Kagan has sunk in the past, and is likely to continue in for decades in the future, is this account by former Surgeon General and longtime member of Tenth Presbyterian Church, C. Everett Koop, detailing how Ms. Kagan supported the murder of unborn, but viable, babies by manipulating the words of...

(Tim) Audio from the ClearNote Conference is up, now. Here's the page with all the audio in one place. For those looking for individual sessions, here's Pastor Dave Curell's "Fear and Love on the Cross;" here's Pastor Stephen Baker's "Fear and Love Embrace in the Godly;" here's Dr. Bob Forney's "Fear and Love Embrace in the Home;" and here's Jody Killingsworth's "Fear and Love Embrace in Worship."

Mark your calendars now for the ClearNote Conference next year. We'll be announcing the subject soon. The dates are July 8-9, 2011. The conference is always the weekend following the Fourth of July. Don't miss it.