Oh, those whacky Baptists!
I got into a debate the other night while playing Spades with some Baptists. I love a good chat about faith, politics, and batting averages, but it came down to this: most Baptists believe in the salvation theory of "Once Saved, Always Saved".

I had never really thought about my salvation in those terms, but as he presented his Scriptural understanding of the issue, I could see how he came to that conclusion. I guess at the moment he said it, I didn't believe that particular philosophy, because I was appalled when he made the statement. Now as I put that statement on and wear it around, I like the way it looks on me. I may keep it.

I just wanted some feedback: "Once Saved, Always Saved"? I'm still pondering, but I liked his presentation in retrospect. I've never read anything in the scriptures that makes our salvation conditional upon our behavior, so I'm wondering how I attained my skewed tenant. I really want to hear from you guys on this one. I've always been Non-denominational, so let me know your denomination and your belief, and tell me if this is a personal or denominational point of view.

My take on this proposition at the moment is that I see a lot of scriptures that deal with how we should live after we've made the decision to follow Christ, but none on why He would choose to walk away from us for a particular act. So are the Baptists right?!? Discuss...

The Birth of A Salesman
I passed my retakes for the state insurance exam. I walked out in the lobby, and when the woman said I passed, I nearly screamed like a Miss America winner. I've never had such a rush of nausea, excitement, and fear in my life. I was barely able to stand as they placed the tiara on my head and put the sash around me.

The feelings of victory and elation quickly dissipated on the second day of on-the-job training when we drove over 500 miles in one day. I got home around 10:30 at night. The sash was crumbled under the front seat and the tiara was under a pile of applications.

In my reign, I have gotten to visit Loretta Lynn's Kitchen. It's a quaint roadside eatery in Waverly Tennessee. If you want to see what every Loretta Lynn fan with an excess of time and macaroni and a shortage of artistic talent think of this entertainer, you definitely need to see this place.

I can't tell you where Waverly is, because I can't remember. This last week was a blur of road signs and tiny gas stations and I loved it. I keep hearing that Johnny Cash song in my head, "I've Been Everywhere". I drive in a car all day, selling life and health plans to the elderly, and I love it. This is by far the most satisfying job I've ever had and I'm still trying to figure out why.

The aged have a unique smell to them which until now I always found offensive, their homes are closed up and usually insufferably claustrophobic on a ninety-degree day, but there's something compelling about the whole scenario. It's almost as if I feel I should be there, like I was meant to be there, talking to them, preparing them for the inevitable. It gives me a strange sense of peace to listen to their life's accomplishments, their passions, their regrets, and I empathize with them in their pain and their joy.

I see in them now what I've always feared: myself. I understand what makes the young afraid of the old and the old resentful of the young. We see in one another, what we fear to become and regret that which we have lost. I hear their stories and I see the eyes of my youth group at church. There is still hope and life in them, but they've been trapped in a body, which betrayed them by time. Our hearts never lose the desire to explore and discover new things, we just painfully learn to accept the physical limitation time and responsibility have placed upon us.

I gots to get me soma' dat!
Now on my Christmas Wish List:












A story released by The Daily Mail today via Drudge Report has listed these specifics of the SAS's newest toy:

"Resembling a 6ft-wide pair of aircraft wings, the devices should allow a parachutist to glide up to 120miles, carrying 200lb of equipment, the manufacturers claim."

wow. THAT is just fun.

It vexes me. I am terribly vexed.
I'm still studying and practicing for my state insurance licensing test that I'm taking next week but something's nagging at the back of my brain: is Batman a legitimate superhero or is he just the premiere crime fighter.

I was in the shower this morning and I kept trying to justify his superhero-esque legitimacy. Sure, he hangs out with a ton of superheroes at the Hall of Justice, he's a genius, he's got gadgets coming out the ying-yang, but they let Robin hang out at The Hall Of Justice, Robin.

I keep coming back to the issue that he has no super powers and all he does is fight crime at a street level, like stopping muggers or rapists. That's very noble, but not necessarily worthy of being called a Hero. He created himself purely to be a crime fighter to avenge the memory of his parent's death. That doesn't say superhero to me, that says crime fighter.

I need an alternate view, and Cam, yelling really loudly that, "Batman is too a superhero!!!", doesn't validate your argument.

[Aside]: Cam is a fellow youth group leader, newly pledged adult since his graduation this past May, and Lover of All Things Hero-esque, as am I. This is our own little debate that I'll bring to floor of the Senate.

I think I'd actually watch C-Span if they'd argue this topic in the middle of a filibuster. Man, that'd be good times.

Note for Cam: now that you're an "Adult", this argument we're debating isn't cute, it's the sad, sad argument of two Geeks. Welcome to my world. :D