Citizenship

Readers of any regularity here know that I enjoy following politics.  ("Enjoy" might be the wrong word since politics can be so maddening so often.)  It's easy to get caught up in current events and to lose sight of the eternal perspective we're called to have as Christians.   Yes, I've been placed in this time, in this country, in this state by God.  But it's not my home.  I came across a good reminder of this in a book on the minor prophets we're studying in Sunday School, The Prophets Speak of Him: Encountering Jesus in the Minor Prophets by Anthony Sevaggio. In the chapter on Amos, I found this:

The nation-building work of Christ has profound implications for believers. First, Jesus calls you to be a citizen of his kingdom and to place your allegiance to his kingdom above all else. In the Gospel of Matthew, Christ commands us to seek first his kingdom (Matt. 6:33). In Paul's letter to the Philippians, he reminds us that our citizenship is a heavenly citizenship (Phil. 3:20). To be a citizen of this kingdom means ordering your life according to the laws of the King. Second, being a citizen in this new nation brings tremendous benefits and privileges. In the second chapter of Ephesians, Paul informs us that while we were once excluded from citizenship, we are now, through the work of Christ, 'fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household; (Eph. 2:19). As a citizen of this new nation, you enjoy all the benefits of being a member in Christ's body. You hear the Word of God preached. You receive the sacraments. You enjoy the fellowship and encouragement of other believers. Most of all you enjoy union with Christ. Finally, it is part of your calling to continue the nation-building work of Christ. This work is not over. Christ continues to build this nation by adding new members. You are called to participate in this work by sharing the good news of this kingdom with those who are foreigners and aliens to its promises. Christ has called you to be an agent of his redemptive work of nation-building.

This world is not my home. This world is not my home.  This world is not my home.  I need the reminder.

Through the Psalms: Psalm 31

My favorite line from this psalm is in verse 15:

My times are in Your hand...

Henry Law comments:

There is a flood of comfort in the thought that God's unfailing providence ordereth all our matters. Each event is surely ordered. If without Him no sparrow falls, surely without Him no ill prevails against us. His hand is over all. He can deliver from each foe's malice, and each persecutor's rage. Knowing this, let us direct our prayer to Him, the only source of help.

It's easy to say I believe in God's providence, but where's the proof if I don't turn to Him in prayer, instead worrying and being anxious? Lord, I believe.  Help my unbelief!

Through the Psalms: Psalm 30

Here is Henry Law on Psalm 30:6-10 ~

Seasons of prosperity are full of peril.  They induce forgetfulness of Him by whom alone we stand.  But God remembers us when we turn from Him.  He looks away.  Troubles instantly rush in.  The shining of His face is the true joy.  His look averted makes the prospect dark...Trouble is sent in mercy.  It subserves a blessed end.  It rouses the sleepy soul from dangerous lethargy.  It is a scourge which drives the careless to the mercy-seat.

That's a rather good rebuttal to that theology that teaches that our best life now is what we're seeking here on earth and that God's plan for Christians is their prosperity on this earth, isn't it?  "Seasons of prosperity are full of peril" indeed.  He loves us so much that He'll remove any barrier to our growth unto Christlikeness.  We have a good Father.

Quote of the Day

The Anchoress on President Obama's State of the Union address:

I felt like he was the only person in America who had not watched the past year of his presidency.

Through the Psalms: Psalm 29

The recurring phrase "the voice of the Lord" dominates this psalm.  The voice of the Lord:

is over the waters

is powerful

is full of majesty

breaks the cedars

divides the flames of fire

shakes the wilderness

makes the deer give birth

strips the forests bare

Henry Law comments:

The voice of the Gospel has no boundaries. It is gone forth into all the earth. By the Spirit's power it will gather in converts from all lands.

Thank you, Father, for your power and might, for your Word, for your earth-shattering voice.  Thank you that you've made my heart alive to hear it.

Word of the Day

The teacher who blogs at Seasonal Soundings learned a new word, and it's a new one to me, too.  And, oh, how fitting it is!

Through the Psalms: Psalm 28

Like many psalms, this one starts with the psalmist in anguish and distress, but we see him preach to himself truths, turn to God for help, and praise is the result.  Psalm 28 is one of these.  After reading many of these psalms, we could conclude that our prayers aren't complete without this element of sticking with it until the doxology comes.

Henry Law leaves us with this precious reminder to keep praying:

The gift of prayer is for the common weal of God's chosen.  They are dear to Him; and it is joy to Him to hear petitions in their behalf.  They are dear as His people, heirs of His kingdom, sheep of His fold.

How blessed we are as His children to have such a Father!

Through the Psalms: Psalm 27

I'm behind in posting, so I'll just post a quote from Henry Law's commentary on Psalm 27:

We tread no path of trial or of suffering which is not hallowed by our Lord's preceding step.  We taste no bitter cup which His lips have not drained.  No misery afflicts us which He has not previously endured.  The stings of calumny are keen.  It is anguish when false tongues persist in charging falsely.   Jesus felt this.  No scrutiny could find fault in Him; but still His judges must have show of evidence; therefore, false witnesses were bribed to fabricate malicious tales.  There is great mercy in these foreshadowing views of Jesus.  They imprint the stamp of inspiration on the blessed Word.

Quote of the Day

From the excellent Punic Wars & Culture Wars: Christian Essays on History and Teaching by Ben House:

The political implications of the Reformation, especially of Calvin's variety should fill several volumes in any series of political science texts. The most fundamental doctrine affecting and limiting the power of government was Luther's, but even more so Calvin's emphasis on the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. If the sovereignty of God is asserted, then the sovereignty of the state (totalitarianism) is prohibited, the sovereignty of the individual (autonomy) is denied, the sovereignty of "the people" (democracy) is discounted, and even the sovereignty of the institutional church (ecclesiastical tyranny) is checked...Where Calvin's ideas spread, governments were made more free and open."

Through the Psalms: Psalm 26

I loved Henry Law's perspective on Psalm 26, but I'll only share a few nuggets here. First, read the psalm (it's short!). Note that in verse 7, David's motivation for cleansing his hands and going to God's altar was so that he could "...proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works."

Law on verse 7:

Views of redemption lead to grateful love, and prompt the voice of praise. They warm the heart; they cause the lips to sing; they fill the inner cistern; and the waters overflow. There is no theme so joyous as the Lord's wondrous works. Faith strives to speak, but due utterance fails. It is far easier to tell ocean's drops than to portray the Saviour's love, His worth, His righteousness, and the glories which He has purchased. But still, the more we speak, the more we feel; the more we feel, the more we speak.

I see the mighty Pacific ocean all the time, and I never fail to be impressed by its size, power, and beauty. And Law says it would be easier to count all of that ocean's drops than to portray the glories of our Savior. Yet, we should be speaking of them anyway, and this leads to more doxology, which sheds light on even more glories!

May we get caught up in that endless cycle!

Through the Psalms: Psalm 25

I don't have much time this morning, so I'll leave you with this Henry Law quote from his commentary on Psalm 25:

Faith is emboldened to ask great things from knowledge of the character and works of God. It can appeal, Thou art the God who willed and wrought salvation for me: it is Thy purpose and decree to save me to the uttermost. Hence Thou hast given Jesus for me, and me to Jesus.

May we remember God's character and works as we walk through this day. May we appeal to Him on the sure basis of all He has done for us in Christ.

Identity Crisis

I have one. Yes, I'm clear on who I am, and the IRS, Social Security Administration, US Navy, the State Department, the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Maine, and Texas, TRICARE, several banks & mortgage companies, my employers, the University of Georgia, and countless others are, too. Everyone except some women in a tiny driver's license office in a run-down shopping center in Kaneohe, Hawaii. And in order for PalmGirl to take the test to get her driving permit, I will have to legally change my name. Yes, I'm serious. They haughtily informed me that they've "held meetings" about us. When I told them that 2 years ago, they allowed PalmBoy to take his test and he has the same mother that PalmGirl has, they produced a photocopy of his record and admitted that they'd made a mistake.

This is one of those maddening bureaucratic nightmares that makes me terrified of more government control over ANYTHING. These women completely miss the point of their policy, and they do it in the snottiest possible way.

It's also insane that the state of Hawaii requires 2 parents to give permission for a minor to take a permit test. And I really don't believe they enforce that policy for everyone. (Single parents, parents with addictions who just disappear, and kids who are unofficially adopted by others are not unheard of stories here.) They say it's for liability -- that if my daughter should get into an accident, I've given her permission to drive. But they won't let me give her permission to drive! I'm tempted to just let her drive without a permit. If she gets in any trouble, I'll be in the clear because I'm not her mother!

I'll be meeting with the legal office at Pearl Harbor next week to sort this out. Meanwhile, my 15-year-old daughter must learn to patiently wait.

Hawaii friend, you should feel safe and secure knowing that these women have put a stop to my identity shenanigans. Every other agency in the free world missed it, but they have put a stop to it.

Quote of the Day

From In the Beginning Was the Word -- Language: A God-Centered Approach by Vern Poythress:

Subtle indications of the goodness of God can be seen in the rules for language. Language is indeed a gift, a benefit, even if we ourselves misuse the gift. It allows fellowship with one another, encouraging one another, passing on knowledge to one another, expressing affection for one another, appealing to another for help. It provides a tool for increasing mastery of the world. To crown all, it serves to convey the very voice of God to us, in order that we may be forgiven and reconciled to him, and receive his blessing.

Through the Psalms: Psalm 24

The earth is the LORD'S, and all its fullness,

The world and those who dwell therein.

For He has founded it upon the seas,

And established it upon the waters.

And that Holy God, Creator of Heaven and earth, made a way for me, creature born in sin, to be reconciled to Him. Henry Law comments on Psalm 24:4-6 :

...But this blessedness belongs not only to the Head; His members share with Him. All who by faith are one with Him, all who constitute His body, are clean, and pure, and righteous, even as He is. His all-cleansing blood for ever washes out their many sins. His glorious righteousness is reckoned as their very own. His indwelling Spirit wholly sanctifies their inner man.

May that Gospel, that very best of news, propel me today. And you, too!

Quote of the Day

From Doug Wilson:

Well, it looks as though the Lord has been very kind to us on the health care monstrosity. Not only was He kind to us, He was kind to us through the instrumentality of the people of Massachusetts. Whodah thunk?

Through the Psalms: Psalm 23

One line from Henry Law's commentary on Psalm 23 is sticking with me today:

The end secured is security along the road.

We're not just saved in Heaven; we're saved here on earth, too, with God preserving us all along the way. Thanks be to God!

Quote of the Day

From Blaise Pascal:

O Lord, let me not henceforth desire health or life, except to spend them for you, with you, and in you. You alone know what is good for me; do, therefore, what seems best to you. Give to me, or take from me; conform my will to yours; and grant that, with humble and perfect submission, and in holy confidence, I may receive the orders of your eternal Providence; and may equally adore all that comes to me from you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Through the Psalms: Psalm 22

Henry Law breaks his commentary on Psalm 22 into three readings. Today I read verses 11-21. Verse 11 is a common cry from the human heart:

Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.

Law comments:

Absence of human help is not a loss if it secures the help of heaven. Welcome all earthly destitution, if God supplies the void.

What makes us feel the most alone can be the very thing that drives us to God and aids our sanctification. May we view our sorrows and loneliness in light of eternity.

Through the Psalms: Psalm 21

Psalm 21:13 -- Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power.

Henry Law comments:

Such is the fitting chorus to this song of triumph. Let every believer's voice call Jesus to His final exaltation. When that great day shall come, may we lift up the voice and celebrate His glorious power! Let us exalt Him now in heart, by life, in lip, by every faculty, and at each moment. Let the eternal song be no new song to us!

How will I exalt him today in my heart? In my life? In my lips? By my every faculty? At each moment? How will you?

Through the Psalms: Psalm 20

From Henry Law's commentary on Psalm 20:

It is our joy to know that the shed blood prevailed. Each faithful suppliant can remind our God that full atonement has been made for every sin; that all due wrath has been expended on our surety; that His death is our death; His sufferings are our sufferings; His payment is our payment; the curse inflicted upon Him is our redemption. We may kneel joyfully before the throne, and with assurance cry, Remember the offering of the dying Jesus; accept the burnt-sacrifice of the atoning Lamb.

That's such an astounding truth, so completely praise-inspiring, why, oh why, do I have to be reminded of it so often? Father, may this truth rule my mind today.

Language

Last week, on one day, I received in the mail both my new MacBook and In the Beginning Was the Word: Language -- A God-Centered Approach by Vern Poythress. What a day! :-) This Latin student and teacher finds this book utterly fascinating. Here's why:

In each and every rule or regularity concerning language, we meet the power and presence of God. God has given language, and with language he has given us its order. It is God who specifies the rules. Linguists, when they do research, find rules that God has already put in place.

There's more:

All order in language derives from God's having given order. And so, relations to God are an indispensable aspect in accounting for any particular thing. When we study language, we are uncovering a display of the wisdom that God has in giving us this stable, complex, and flexible tool for our use. (Thank you, God!) We can praise God for his wisdom, and for his generosity and goodness in giving us language, one of the most valuable things that human beings can ever enjoy.

I can't wait to dig deeper into these ideas.

Through the Psalms: Psalm 19

In Psalm 19, David worships the Lord because of His perfect revelation in both His creation and His Word. His meditation on these wonders leads Him to pray that he would please this Lord who has displayed such majesty. Henry Law comments:

Precious, indeed, will be this psalm be if it thus leads to wrestling hold of Christ, who is all strength and all redemption to us.

May we all, as we gaze up into the glorious sky and bend our heads over God's Word, run to Christ, our Redeemer. God is so good to us to communicate with us in these ways. He, the skillful and generous Creator, loves us, friends! Look up, and rest in His love today.

Through the Psalms: Psalm 18

Henry Law breaks his commentary on Psalm 18 into three readings. In today's, he comments on verse 49:

...let us pray for grace to realize the wondrous mercies which encompass us; let our thoughts seldom wander from the Cross. Oh! what a sight of wonder! How precious is that expiating blood! Let us ponder its worth, and the marvels it has wrought, till our hearts become one blaze of love, our lips one note of praise.

This is my prayer today, that I will be consciously aware of His mercies as I go through the day. He has answered right away as I turned to read Hosea (we're studying the minor prophets in Sunday School) and found the theme of mercy in Chapter 2. As I'm prone to anxiety and worry, Lord, may I think on Your mercies and find rest and comfort and peace.

Quote of the Day

From American Thinker on the controversy over Brit Hume's comments about Christianity and Tiger Woods:

Yet something must now be asked about this notion that "faith is a private matter." If secularists are so adamant about it, why do they never admonish the Richard Dawkinses and Christopher Hitchenses of the world to mind the principle?

Through the Psalms: Psalm 17

Today I'm attending a memorial service for a friend who lost her battle with cancer. Chris was an amazing woman who leaves behind a husband and two sons younger than my own children. She dearly loved her Savior and now she's in His presence. Henry Law's commentary on verse 15 of Psalm 17 is a meditation on Heaven, and while I mourn that Chris is not here, I know she's enjoying this: (I'm changing Law's he/his to she/hers)

Clad in pure righteousness, enrobed in beauty compared with which the sun is pale, decked in perfection fit for the palace of the King, she will be welcomed to the heaven of heavens. Though for a little time her flesh may slumber in the grave, yet she will surely wake. The hour is coming in the which all that are in the grave shall hear His voice and shall come forth. Then He will change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body. We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Then indeed we shall be satisfied. What more could be desired? What more could be conceived? What more could Heaven bestow? The glorified spirit reinhabits a glorious frame; the resurrection robes are now put on, and they must shine for ever. No lapse of age can change their hue. This wedding-garment is every new. Gazing on this prospect, we may care little for those short-lived troubles. They need not fear the face of man who soon will see the face of God.

Amen.

Crash

Last weekend after working all day on lesson plans and syllabi, my laptop crashed. I've been limping along all week, sharing a computer with PalmPilot, trying to recreate, remember, and readjust to a different work style. Have I mentioned that I'm not a person who is into change?

I guess this was what it took to convert me. I'm now a Mac person, and while much of the setup was easy, I cannot get email to work. PalmBoy, my in-house tech guy, can't figure it out, either. And my wireless printer isn't speaking to my new laptop yet, so I'm virtually paralyzed. It's a lesson in patience, and as usual, I want patience, and I want it NOW! Now, please excuse me while I go pull out some more hair...

Through the Psalms: Psalm 16

I don't have much time to post this morning, so I'll just leave you with a short quote from Henry Law's commentary on Psalm 16:

Happy the hours which flow in meditation on fulness of joy and pleasures with God for evermore! To gaze on the prospect is heaven begun.

May we all meditate on Him today!

Through the Psalms: Psalm 15

Today I read Psalm 15 which opens with:

LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

I admit a discouragement with the psalmist's reply of the characteristics of those qualified because I don't measure up. I'm not consistent, and I too often fail. Yet Henry Law reminds me:

Our holiness presents no title at God's bar; it blots out no sin; it pays no debt; it arrests not condemnation; it weaves no justifying robe; it presents no shadow of a claim. Christ, and Christ only, justifies; His blood alone can cleanse from sin; His death alone appeases wrath. His pure obedience, placed to our account, is the only robe for heaven.

How awful it would be to think that it would take my goodness (and here I remember that yesterday's psalm assured me that I had none on my own) to save me, yet I function practically in that way at times. Thank you, Father, for reminding me that only Christ's righteousness makes my entry into your Kingdom possible. And only God's mercy applies that righteousness to me. Law closes his commentary with doxology:

Again, we bear in mind this righteousness [our own striving] is not our plea. If it were so we fail. It is our evidence, and though imperfect, it is true. Its imperfection drives us more to cling to Christ. He and He only is the essence of righteousness. All righteousness He fully wrought. He casts His glorious covering over all our failings. In Him we are completely justified. In Him we joy with joy unspeakable and fully of glory. O God, we thank Thee for Christ Jesus!

Amen.

Through the Psalms: Psalm 14

Late last year I began going through the book of Psalms using Henry Law's Daily Prayer and Praise. I'm planning to share my thoughts on these meditations here in the new year to encourage you to join me in the Psalms and to give myself some accountability to stick with it. The readings are short but meaty, and they always leave me with something to mull over during the day.

Today I read Psalm 14, and you probably recognize it by the attention-getting opening line, "The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." Law comments:

The heart is the index of the man. Its language reveals the real character. If we could hear the secret whispers of the graceless heart, the sound would be but one. The godless think there is no being greater than themselves. Their conceit rejects divine supremacy. It scorns to yield to any yoke.

Yes, and so do I all too often. On its surface, it's a depressing psalm, but after expounding on the folly of godless men and women, Law brings the Good News:

Let us bless God that the blood of Jesus can cleanse from all such stains, and make us whiter than the whitest snow.

There it is -- the Gospel. God's rich mercy. Those sins in Psalm 14? They're my sins. My sins which were nailed to Christ's cross. I'm going to park there today, and I'll have this hymn in mind.

End of 2009 Reading Meme

I'm a sucker for reading/book memes, and I liked this one from Educating Petunia:

How many books read in 2009?
39

How many fiction and non fiction?
20/19

Male/Female author ratio?
29/8

Favourite book of 2009?
I can't pick just one!
~The Soul of a Chef
~The Kite Runner
~A Thousand Splendid Suns
~The Art of Teaching
~South of Broad

Least favourite?
~From Fear to Freedom

Oldest book read?
~The Iliad

Longest and shortest book titles?
~The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30)
A tie: 1984 and Nero

Longest and shortest books?
~South of Broad (I think)
~The Old Man and the Sea

Any re-reads?
~Stepping Heavenward
~The Dumbest Generation
~Animal Farm
~1984

Favourite character of the year?
~Stepping Heavenward's Katy, which is why I've read and reread this book so often

Which book wouldn’t you have read without someone’s specific recommendation?
~The Soul of a Chef

Which author was new to you in 2009 that you now want to read the entire works of?
Khaled Hosseini (I read both of his books, and I hope he'll write more soon.)
Agatha Christie

Did you read any books you have always been meaning to read?
~The Iliad
~Knowing God

Did you learn anything about yourself and blogging this year?
~ Blogging has fallen by the wayside as I've been busier than ever in real life.
~Because I'm guarded in what I write about my children out of respect for their privacy, I can't be as real as I want to be on this blog.
~ If nothing else, the reference that my blog provides me makes it worth keeping. I'm forever looking up a favorite quote or something else I've posted.
~ Lately, Facebook has fit my lifestyle more in that I can post really short things. Blogging requires more thought.
~ I'm too chicken to link my blog to my Facebook account because I'm pretty sure my political posts would offend many of my Facebook friends. Who knows, though, I might get brave one of these days!



(Full disclosure: If you click on one of the links above and then make a purchase through Amazon, I get a tiny percentage. I then use it to feed my insatiable book habit. PalmPilot would appreciate your frequent clicks!)

Books I Read in 2009

Here's what I read in 2009:

JANUARY

~ Elizabeth Prentiss: More Love to Thee - Sharon James
~ The Soul of A Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection - Michael Ruhlman
~ Reflections on the Revolution in France - Edmund Burke (for Omnibus III)

FEBRUARY

~ Killer Angels - Michael Shaara (for Omnibus III)

MARCH

~ Christianity and Liberalism - J. Gresham Machen (for Omnibus III)
~ The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway (for Omnibus III)
~ The Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (for Omnibus III)
~ Animal Farm - George Orwell (for Omnibus III)
~ From Fear to Freedom: Living as Sons and Daughters of God - Rose Marie Miller

APRIL

~ The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald (for Omnibus III)
~ Stepping Heavenward - Elizabeth Prentiss (a re-read)
~ Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller (for Omnibus III)
~ The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
~ Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture - Gene Edward Veith, Jr. (for Omnibus III)

MAY

~ Legends of the Fall - Jim Harrison
~ 1984 - George Orwell (for Omnibus III)
~ A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
~ How Should We Then Live? - Francis A. Schaeffer (for Omnibus III)
~ Honolulu: A Novel - Alan Brennert

JUNE

~ Pompeii - Robert Harris
~ Heart and Soul - Maeve Binchy
~ Dynamite Road - Andrew Klavan
~ The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30) - Mark Bauerlein (I read this last year, but it's assigned reading this summer for the teachers in our secondary school and definitely worth a second look. My initial thoughts on it are here.)

JULY

~ Knowing God - J.I. Packer
~ Nero - Jacob Abbott
~ The Courage To Be Protestant: Truth-lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World - David Wells
~ Checking for Understanding: Formative Assessment Techniques for Your Classroom - Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey

AUGUST

~ Teacher Man - Frank McCourt
~ The Art of Teaching - Gilbert Highet

SEPTEMBER

~ Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie

OCTOBER

~ Dear John - Nicholas Sparks
~ Cat O'Nine Tales: And Other Stories - Jeffrey Archer
~ The Death of the Grown-Up: How America's Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization - Diana West

NOVEMBER

~ An Educated Choice: Advice for Parents of College-Bound Students - Frank A. Brock
~ South of Broad - Pat Conroy
~ The Iliad - Homer (translated by Richmond Lattimore)
~ Because He Loves Me: How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life - Elyse M. Fitzpatrick
~ The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett

DECEMBER

~ Troilus and Cressida - William Shakespeare

My top five of the year, the ones I looked forward to picking up and settling down with the most, in no particular order:

~ The Soul of a Chef
~ The Kite Runner
~ A Thousand Splendid Suns
~ The Art of Teaching
~ South of Broad

(Full disclosure: If you click on one of the links above and then make a purchase through Amazon, I get a tiny percentage. I then use it to feed my insatiable book habit. PalmPilot would appreciate your frequent clicks!)

Happy New Year!

Wishing you and yours a happy and blessed 2010!

Anyone want a $20 reward gift card from Omaha Steaks? I have one that I'm not planning to use. It expires Feb. 25, 2010. The first to leave a comment asking for it gets it!