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Monty Roberts, A Real Horse Whisperer (VHS tape, produced by the BBC, 1997, 48 minutes, $.50)
This is one amazing story. I not only watched it twice, I also introduced my friends to it. Who knew that a man could "break" a wild horse in such a short period of time. Who knew how awful the usual way of taming horses could be. The scenes of horses with their legs tied up will haunt me for a long time, but I will also remember the man who turned away from such violence. Mr. Roberts had won riding awards as a child. As an adult he won rodeo championships. All the while he was observing horses, and how they communicated to each other. Walter Farley, gasp, was wrong! It is not the stallion that leads a herd- it is an older mare. Using the insights from his observations, Roberts developed a way to tame horses, not with violence and fear, but with gentleness.
His techniques don't just work with horses. Yes, he did advise Queen Elizabeth on her horses, but he also helped raise more than 40 foster children, most of whom came to him as angry teenagers. Fortune 500 companies also use him to train their people. I am not sure how old he is, but he is still giving demonstrations all over the world. (This year he's going to Australia and the UK.)
This tape teaches you a lot about horses, but it also teaches you a lot about making the world a better place. Start with anything positive that someone does. It doesn't make a difference how small the behavior is, just as long as it is positive. And make sure negative behaviors have consequences. For Mr. Roberts, someone's glass might contain only one drop of water, but for him, that one drop of water is where he starts.
An amazing man. An amazing story. Look for this tape on top the VHS shelves at the front of the store.
4 Kasım 2012 Pazar
Pre-, Post- or Amillennialism Prophecy
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The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook: All the prophecies of Scripture explained in one volume, by John F. Walvoord (HC, 1990, 809 pages, $5)
According to Walvoord, the importance of prophecy has changed over time, and so has its interpretation. Of course, the main interpretation question is whether to consider prophecy literally or allegorically.
In the New Testament, the question is which theological belief is true: premillennialism, postmillennialism, or amillennialism. (Premellennialism theology says Jesus will physically return to earth prior to the beginning of the millennium. Postmellennialism theology says Jesus' second coming will be after the millennium. Amillennialism theology sees the second coming as only figurative.)
Of less importance are the questions of which prophecies have already been fulfilled, of which are conditional and may never be fulfilled, or which might be fulfilled in more than one way. All this is confusing to someone like myself who comes from a liberal background, where hardly any attention is placed on prophecy, much less the end-times. So, does that make me an amillennialistic?
Walvoord writes in this 1990s book, "amillennialism continues to be the majority view of the church". Is that still true? I don't think so.
I was interested to learn that Augustine (354-430) reintroduced the church to literal interpretation of the Scriptures, but not to literal interpretation of prophecy. How could he interpret one literally, but not the other?
Reading parts of this book helped me explore my beliefs. It can also be used as a reference book. Either way, look for it on the non-fiction table. (L-r)
According to Walvoord, the importance of prophecy has changed over time, and so has its interpretation. Of course, the main interpretation question is whether to consider prophecy literally or allegorically.
In the New Testament, the question is which theological belief is true: premillennialism, postmillennialism, or amillennialism. (Premellennialism theology says Jesus will physically return to earth prior to the beginning of the millennium. Postmellennialism theology says Jesus' second coming will be after the millennium. Amillennialism theology sees the second coming as only figurative.)
Of less importance are the questions of which prophecies have already been fulfilled, of which are conditional and may never be fulfilled, or which might be fulfilled in more than one way. All this is confusing to someone like myself who comes from a liberal background, where hardly any attention is placed on prophecy, much less the end-times. So, does that make me an amillennialistic?
Walvoord writes in this 1990s book, "amillennialism continues to be the majority view of the church". Is that still true? I don't think so.
I was interested to learn that Augustine (354-430) reintroduced the church to literal interpretation of the Scriptures, but not to literal interpretation of prophecy. How could he interpret one literally, but not the other?
Reading parts of this book helped me explore my beliefs. It can also be used as a reference book. Either way, look for it on the non-fiction table. (L-r)
Sue's memorial. The future of the store.
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Sue's memorial service was Friday. There were sure a lot of people there: her cousins from out-of-state, plus people from the college, the bookstore, and her church.
When there was a time to share I spoke about how Sue had pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of you may not know that it was Sue who got me to blog. She wanted us all to blog, but I was new to computers, and wanted no part of this blogging stuff. I stormed in the next day announcing to all that if I was forced to write a single blog I would no longer work at the store. Somehow, though, by the end of the day I had written two blogs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
You will have noticed that lately we have rarely blogged. Partly, it is because of Sue's death, and partly because the future of the store is uncertain. It turns out that the store is owned by the Houghton Foundation, and they have yet to make the decision to continue the store, or not. You will not be surprised to know that all of us who volunteer at the store hope the Foundation does let us continue.
When I know anything, I will let you know
Karen Sue
When there was a time to share I spoke about how Sue had pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of you may not know that it was Sue who got me to blog. She wanted us all to blog, but I was new to computers, and wanted no part of this blogging stuff. I stormed in the next day announcing to all that if I was forced to write a single blog I would no longer work at the store. Somehow, though, by the end of the day I had written two blogs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
You will have noticed that lately we have rarely blogged. Partly, it is because of Sue's death, and partly because the future of the store is uncertain. It turns out that the store is owned by the Houghton Foundation, and they have yet to make the decision to continue the store, or not. You will not be surprised to know that all of us who volunteer at the store hope the Foundation does let us continue.
When I know anything, I will let you know
Karen Sue
tlhIngan Hol Dajatlh'a' (Do you speak Klingon?)
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Do you speak Klingon?
Or do you want to?
If so, this is the book for you. Apparently some people actually do speak this nonsense. At least they do on The Big Bang Theory.
So, here you are:
The Klingon Dictionary: English/Klingon and Klingon/English (Star Trek, The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases), by Marc Okrand (PB, 1985, $5, has a weak binding, and yellowed pages) Look for it on the new non-fiction table (L. sci. fi. )
(I just looked this book up on Amazon. It is amazingly rare. There is a more recent edition still in print. It is even available in e-book format. There are also entire books entirely in Klingon! Amazing, aint it.)
Or do you want to?
If so, this is the book for you. Apparently some people actually do speak this nonsense. At least they do on The Big Bang Theory.
So, here you are:
The Klingon Dictionary: English/Klingon and Klingon/English (Star Trek, The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases), by Marc Okrand (PB, 1985, $5, has a weak binding, and yellowed pages) Look for it on the new non-fiction table (L. sci. fi. )
(I just looked this book up on Amazon. It is amazingly rare. There is a more recent edition still in print. It is even available in e-book format. There are also entire books entirely in Klingon! Amazing, aint it.)
Jim Thompson, hero of Thailand's silk industry
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Jim Thompson: The Legendary American of Thailand, by William Warren (TPB, 1970, $2)
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
13 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi
Jim Thompson, hero of Thailand's silk industry
To contact us Click HERE
Jim Thompson: The Legendary American of Thailand, by William Warren (TPB, 1970, $2)
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
Papal Authority: Peter as the First Pope
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Some people don't believe that Jesus meant for the bishop of Rome, that is, the Pope, to be the head of His church. They think that when Christ said "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and to you I will give the keys to Heaven," He didn't really mean that Peter and the popes after him are to be his vicars on earth. People say that the Catholic Church invented papal authority. So, my question would be, When did the Catholic Church invent papal authority?
Let's take a jog backwards through history, shall we? Hmm, I see before Pope Benedict XVI, there was Pope John Paul II. John Paul I, before him. Paul VI, before him. Oh gosh, with 265 popes from today extending all the way back to St. Peter, this could take all day, and it wouldn't tell us when exactly the church supposedly started making up this papal authority thing.
Let's look at old writings. That's what we do when researching historic events, right? Either that, or we can take a trip with Doctor Who on the TARDIS. :)
A.D. 597- Here's a quote from a letter from Pope St. Gregory I to Bishop Eulogius of Alexandra. "Your most sweet holiness has spoken much in your letter to me about the chair of St. Peter, prince of the apostles, saying that he himself now sits on it in the persons of his successors..." Oh dear! It sure sounds like papal authority, doesn't it? Guess the great conspiracy has already taken root by that time. Maybe we'll look earlier in history for some sign that these popes weren't really popes.
A.D. 367 - St. Optatus of Milevis wrote, "You cannot deny that you know that upon Peter first in the city of Rome was bestowed the episcopal cathedra, on which he sat, the head of all the apostles (for which reason he was called Cephas), that in this one cathedra, unity should be preserved by all..." Oh my! Another vote for papal authority. It's funny, because I've heard other more recent (protestant) explanations about Simon-Peter's naming. But that's a tributary I won't travel in this post, but you can go to this CatholicAnswers site to learn more about that.
A.D. 189 - St. Irenaeus of Lyons wrote this in, Against Heresies. This is a long quote, but I'll give the key phrases. "...Tradition universally known Church founded and organized at Rome...For it is a matter of necessity that every church agree with this church, on account of its preeminent authority..." I don't even need to comment. It's pretty clear.
A.D.80 The Shepherd of Hermas. "Therefore shall you write two little books and send one to Clement [Bishop of Rome] and one to Grapte. Clement shall then send it to the cities abroad, because that is his duty."
And now I'm looking at Acts of the Apostles and seeing clearly that Peter is the leader of the apostles. It would be tedious to highlight each passage that points to this. Now, obviously Jesus knew Peter wouldn't live forever, so he had to pass on the keys. I mean, notice how the apostles took it upon themselves to replace Judas (Acts 1). Unless you're going to toss out all of Acts, you're going to have to admit that Jesus kept the church alive though the apostles with Peter as the head.
For me, all the evidence points to the fact that the early Christians felt Jesus intended papal authority, and that when Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah: flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee also, that you are Cephas, and on this rock will I build my Church; and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it" (The Diatesseron 23 [A.D. 170]) he meant for Peter to be His right hand man in His church on earth.
For more information see Jimmy Akin's book The Fathers Know Best and Catholic.com, especially this page or this one, but also search around that site. You'll read stuff by people way smarter and better educated than myself. I'm just a Catholic blogger in love with Jesus and truth. :)
 |
| St. Peter 6th C. |
Some people don't believe that Jesus meant for the bishop of Rome, that is, the Pope, to be the head of His church. They think that when Christ said "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and to you I will give the keys to Heaven," He didn't really mean that Peter and the popes after him are to be his vicars on earth. People say that the Catholic Church invented papal authority. So, my question would be, When did the Catholic Church invent papal authority?
Let's take a jog backwards through history, shall we? Hmm, I see before Pope Benedict XVI, there was Pope John Paul II. John Paul I, before him. Paul VI, before him. Oh gosh, with 265 popes from today extending all the way back to St. Peter, this could take all day, and it wouldn't tell us when exactly the church supposedly started making up this papal authority thing.
 |
| Pope chart available here. |
Let's look at old writings. That's what we do when researching historic events, right? Either that, or we can take a trip with Doctor Who on the TARDIS. :)
A.D. 597- Here's a quote from a letter from Pope St. Gregory I to Bishop Eulogius of Alexandra. "Your most sweet holiness has spoken much in your letter to me about the chair of St. Peter, prince of the apostles, saying that he himself now sits on it in the persons of his successors..." Oh dear! It sure sounds like papal authority, doesn't it? Guess the great conspiracy has already taken root by that time. Maybe we'll look earlier in history for some sign that these popes weren't really popes.
A.D. 367 - St. Optatus of Milevis wrote, "You cannot deny that you know that upon Peter first in the city of Rome was bestowed the episcopal cathedra, on which he sat, the head of all the apostles (for which reason he was called Cephas), that in this one cathedra, unity should be preserved by all..." Oh my! Another vote for papal authority. It's funny, because I've heard other more recent (protestant) explanations about Simon-Peter's naming. But that's a tributary I won't travel in this post, but you can go to this CatholicAnswers site to learn more about that.
A.D. 189 - St. Irenaeus of Lyons wrote this in, Against Heresies. This is a long quote, but I'll give the key phrases. "...Tradition universally known Church founded and organized at Rome...For it is a matter of necessity that every church agree with this church, on account of its preeminent authority..." I don't even need to comment. It's pretty clear.
A.D.80 The Shepherd of Hermas. "Therefore shall you write two little books and send one to Clement [Bishop of Rome] and one to Grapte. Clement shall then send it to the cities abroad, because that is his duty."
And now I'm looking at Acts of the Apostles and seeing clearly that Peter is the leader of the apostles. It would be tedious to highlight each passage that points to this. Now, obviously Jesus knew Peter wouldn't live forever, so he had to pass on the keys. I mean, notice how the apostles took it upon themselves to replace Judas (Acts 1). Unless you're going to toss out all of Acts, you're going to have to admit that Jesus kept the church alive though the apostles with Peter as the head.
For me, all the evidence points to the fact that the early Christians felt Jesus intended papal authority, and that when Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah: flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee also, that you are Cephas, and on this rock will I build my Church; and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it" (The Diatesseron 23 [A.D. 170]) he meant for Peter to be His right hand man in His church on earth.
For more information see Jimmy Akin's book The Fathers Know Best and Catholic.com, especially this page or this one, but also search around that site. You'll read stuff by people way smarter and better educated than myself. I'm just a Catholic blogger in love with Jesus and truth. :)
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