Archive for September, 2007

Weekend Thoughts

This has been a great week. Heather had a great time at the retreat and somehow we managed to survive without her for a couple days. I think Heather and I are finally getting into our groove with this new blog format. Our visits are getting back up to where they were pre-crash which is encouraging. Thanks for hanging in with us!

Here are some end of the week thoughts and a video to kick of your weekend.

  • Heroes kicked off the new season this week. Next to 24, this is my favorite show. I thought the premier was pretty good. There’s no telling where it will go this season. If you missed it, you can watch it online.
  • I love good photography. Here’s a really cool high-res image of the moon, and a series of photos of fairgrounds from around the country.
  • It’s funny how your kids think Daddy can fix anything. Yesterday my youngest daughter jumped on her balloon and popped it. She says, “Oops! I broke it. Daddy’ll fix it.” Reminded me of the time my oldest got mad at me because I wouldn’t stop it from raining.
  • We finished the John Piper series, The Blazing Center, this Wednesday night. I highly recommend it. I think everyone that attended has been permanently changed. The idea that “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him” is a life changing thought!
  • I’m getting really annoyed by reality tv. This is getting out of hand. Armageddon must be right around the corner. Things are getting worse.
  • I recognize that I am taking this blog to a new all-time low by showing this, but I simply cannot help myself. This is a Japanese potty training video. With another child about to start potty training, this was extra funny to me. And not only is it HILARIOUS, it’s informative about other cultures!

1694 days ago 4

Men are Like Cats

Crazy CatMy family has owned two cats. Both of them met an early demise, but while they were living I learned something. You can never really fully train a cat. They’re too smart. The best you can hope for is the appearance of obedience while in your presence. You can teach them to stay off the counters, when you’re watching. You can teach them to keep their paws out of the fish tank, when you’re watching. You can even teach them not to scratch up the curtains, while you’re watching.

But once you leave the house, all bets are off. They revert back to their pre-civilized state. Most people consider this a sign of intelligence.

My wife was gone this past weekend on a women’s retreat to Asheville, NC. I was at home with the 3 kids. I discovered a frightening reality. As soon as she was out the driveway, all the training that she has spent all these years cultivating went clear out the window. Only the inner caveman remained.

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1696 days ago 8

The High Stakes of Fatherhood

Eli was a nice man. By all accounts, he was a good man and well liked. He had two sons as well as an adopted son, Samuel. Samuel had been dedicated to God by his Godly mother, Hannah when he was about 3 years old. Yet I Samuel tells us that he brought judgment on Israel for 40 years. His failures as a father and as a priest in the tabernacle resulted in terrifying consequences. I believe that if the Church does not manage to find passionate men that are willing to be Godly fathers and spiritual leaders then not only will our families suffer, but we will lose the city to the Enemy.

Eli’s Wicked Sons

Hophni and Phinehas (Samuel’s two natural sons) were corrupt, godless young men with no regard for God or the tabernacle in which they grew up. Despite having grown up around such piety, with the ark of the covenant nearby they remained rebellious and unrestrained. They would steal the meat that was about to be offered to God to have for dinner. They would interrupt the sacrifice, reach into the pot and take the meat. If anyone objected they would threaten them physically. They seduced women that waited at the door to the tabernacle and had sex with them (presumably in the tabernacle itself). This shows a startling lack of a fear of God or even a basic level of reverence for His ways. (I Samuel 2:17) Remember, that the tabernacle was a holy place. A place to be revered and respected. These young men were committing blasphemy that should have horrified and enraged anyone who knew about it. Yet it continued.

Eli finally confronts his boys about their sin, and they ignore him. They blow him off as if he hadn’t even said a word. You can just imagine them rolling their eyes and saying, “Whatever, Dad. It’s no big deal.” By this time, Eli had so abdicated his authority as their father that they easily ignored his correction. So once again, Eli backed down and left them unrestrained.

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1697 days ago 3

Blog Carnivals, Oh My!

Heather and I got picked for a couple blog carnivals this week.

Thanks to For Sale by Locals for choosing my article on How to Sell Your House in Over 6 Months.

And Heather was picked for the Carnival of Family Life hosted at Mom on Wheels for her Cooking Blunders post. Thanks!

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming…

1698 days ago 2

Weekend Thoughts

I’m going to combine the random thoughts bullets with the Friday video. Doing the bullet points is fun to write and I think more fun to read on Friday than just a video. Don’t worry. I’ll still include a video in the post each week…

  • The photo gallery is back online! It’s just our family photos so it may not be of much interest to most of you, but I’ve had people ask about it since I took it offline months ago. You can follow the previous link, or click the icon in the right sidebar. If you’re interested in hosting your own photo gallery, Gallery2 is the BEST.
  • It’s finally started raining here and my grass is turning brown. I don’t get it. This has to be some kind of practical joke. I’ve kept it green all through this drought and then it finally starts raining and it starts dying. I may just finish it off with a RoundUp bath.

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1701 days ago 6
house-for-sale

How to Sell a House in Over 6 Months

Anybody can sell a house in 30 days. Put out a sign, hire an agent, clean the toilets and you’re set. But it takes real skill to make the sale of your house drag on an on for months on end. If you too would like to drag out the adventure of selling your home, then this is the post for you!

I’m going to reveal my secret tips to you, my loyal readers, free of charge (for a limited time, restrictions apply. Success varies depending on location, market fluctuations, intelligence and the direction of the wind. Ben Cotten cannot be held liable if these tips fail and a client sells a home quickly).

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1703 days ago /  Tagged: , , , , , , , 17

Relationships and the Supremacy of Christ

We finished Colossians this week! I for one have gotten a lot out of the series as I’ve studied and taught it. This final installment gets really practical. It’s as if Paul has stopped arguing his points regarding the supremacy of Christ and assumes the we are convinced. Because in the final two chapters he begins to explain what the Christian life should look like (and shouldn’t look like), bearing in mind that Christ is supreme, we are raised with Him, and unified with Him.

This is where the rubber meets the road with this book. It steps out of philosophical debate and defense of ideas and principles. Paul brings all that he has said previously to bear on our character and lifestyle.

Here are the highlights…

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1704 days ago 1
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