The last couple of months has been a time of change for my wife and me. We have seen one of our boys leave college, find a job, get his own place. Another, find his own place while still in school, and still yet another go off to college. We have gained a new foster child. Our oldest and dearest foster child graduated from college last May, moved in with her sister and found a job which she is ok with (for now).

I receive a email devotional called "Of First Importance" .... which consists of a quote which encapsulates some timeless truth of Christian doctrine and/or experience.  I hope to share the best of them with you ... the ones that really 'speak' to me.

WOW! What a workout!

My hubby and I just finished chest and tri day and let me tell you, I'm really hoping I can finish this entry before my arms go completely numb.

I cannot remember the film ... maybe "To Sir With Love" or "Finding Forester" or "Goodbye Mr Chipps" even, where a teacher was summed up in that cryptic and cynical phrase. There are a lot of movies about teachers out there, and a lot of them I have watched. Some "hit the nerve" more than others. At the moment, grading papers is it for me and I do not enjoy the experience. Reading the work is no problem, time consuming but often quite enjoyable - but assigning marks and grades can be a challenge.

Almost every person or group has a material principle, that which you must understand and keep in view in order to understand them and read them correctly.  I thought, as a first entry, I should give readers the key, the material principle of what I write.

It is the doctrine of justification.  That we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, for the sake of Christ alone.

If you read something I write, and it seems to conflict with that, there is a problem some place.  Likely just in understanding or in my sloppy writing.

What? Not yet another blog? What is so special about this guy anyways?

That's what I thought when the topic of a blog for the moderators was brought up several months ago. (In actuality it's now almost a year ago.) Many things went through my head, not the least of which was, what on earth, or in heaven's name am I going to write about?

There have been a few people who have asked me when I was going to start writing? I'm still not sure what that means. Write what? A book? A blog? A note to my son's school for early dismissal?

The Phantom of the Opera, The Mask, The Son of the Mask...

These movies all have one thing in common: People wear masks.  In the Phantom he wore his Mask because he was disfigured,  in The Mask and the Son of the Mask, the Mask provided an opportunity to live out their most intimate desires without much thought to the consequences.

"Have a good weekend!"  - the traditional way that Aussies say: "Farewell until Monday," at the end of the working week. A tradition I hope continues, despite the impact of shift work, 24/7 trading and all the other cultural changes that are making the weekend days just the same as any other day.