Just A Book? (Spiritual Post)

I was visiting an online forum today and I something I read caught my attention, because I wondered if other people felt this way also. The person wrote "The bible is just a book, and God is much more than any book." This troubled me, because while I agree that God is much more than any book, I can't agree that the Bible is just a book.

It is true that Bible's hard (or soft) covers and the paper that makes up the pages are inanimate objects but I believe that the words contained on those pages are the living Word of God. The reason I believe this is because it is still changing lives over 2000 years after it was completed.

Okay, so some of you may be thinking "Wait, Allen, there are other so-called 'holy books' that are still changing lives and guiding people centuries after they were completed. What's the difference between them and the Bible?" And I would have to respond, "That's a good question." Here's my answer, based on my personal experience and the Bible itself...

Hebrews 4:12 (King James Version)

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Bible is the only "book" that can show a person their life, personally and intimately, as it is and how a person's life could be with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in it. More than that, it can show a person how to live once they accept Jesus into their heart. Only with the Holy Spirit and being truly born again in the spirit can a person have a new life. The Bible is the only book that can show a person how to die to their present, sinful ways and have a clean start with the abilility to resist sin and temptation, through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Does that make a person perfect? No, but we are to strive for the perfecting of the spirit, with the help of the Lord, towards the ultimate prize and reward (making it to Heaven) for serving Him as He has shown us how to do -- in the Bible.


Hebrews 6: 1 - 20 (King James Version)

1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

3 And this will we do, if God permit.

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

The Bible is more than just a book. It is the Word of God and it is ALIVE -- its truths the same yesterday, today and forevermore. You have no idea how glad I am about that...


Best Wishes,
Allen

Just A Quick Update And A Link (Mentioned In The Audio Blog)

The ISAA Rapport

Best Wishes,
Allen

Some More Updates

Weatherpixie appears to no longer exist on the web, so I took that link/graphic off.

I also added some new "IR Blogger" links (thank you, James Landrith, for your comprehensive and exhaustive list of IR links!) that I felt were family-focused and/or interesting. If you know of more IR blogs, please e-mail me!

Lastly, I added a current picture of Rachael Lampa to Tuesday's post, so you could see what she looks like.

More blogging soon!

Best Wishes,
Allen

An IR/Spiritual Post

I am saddened yet resolute today. I had been eagerly anticipating the new Rachael Lampa (who is mixed race: Irish and Philippino) Contemporary Christian album "Rachael Lampa," which was released today. I was shocked, however, to hear the first single "When I Fall." In Christian circles, "falling" refers to falling from grace through sinning against the Lord. Many people believe it is possible to willfully sin against God and yet still make it to heaven by just confessing the sin(s) and asking forgiveness.

Rachael Lampa - promotional picture for her 2004 Rachael Lampa album

Under the Old Testament, this was true because a sin sacrifice could be offered by the High Priest of the Jews for other Jews (because salvation was only granted to the Jews in Old Testament times). But God made a new covenant through His Son, Jesus Christ, in the New Testament and made a way for all who believe on Jesus' name, sacrifice and resurrection from the dead to be saved. With that covenant came a new understanding, which Jesus made clear when He said "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." (John 5:14)


Hebrews 10: 26-31 (King James Version)

26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

I am sad to see Rachael fall and to essentially glory in it by making "When I Fall" the first big single off her album...but I am more resolute than ever to stand for this Holy God that I serve. Am I anything special? Of myself, no, I am not anything. But "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phillipians 4:13)

Best Wishes,
Allen

I don't normally do this but since this issue affects every American, please click on the graphic below to learn more about what the nonprofit I run, the International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA), is doing in response to yesterday's announcement by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson.
 


 

Thanks!  You may help save lives by participating in this effort.
 
Best Wishes,
Allen

(Loren) Root wishes she could turn back time. "I would've researched. I would've talked to people," she said. "You can find these support groups, you can go on the Internet." "People need to know that there's a really bad side to this procedure," she said. "Death."

A Costly Choice: Weight-Loss Surgery Wrecks Woman's Health This is the surgery that medical professionals want to happen more often -- and it's a surgery that is destroying people's lives! If you click on the story link above, this woman, Loren Root, had WLS and is slowly starving to death. There is a fund set up for this poor woman, so please help any way you can. You can also help by clicking HERE and sending a message to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services -- people don't need this surgery, they need to be educated in self-esteem, fitness and healthy food choices. As you can see, WLS is rarely the "quick-fix" it is claimed to be. This woman's case is extreme but not terribly uncommon. It is one of the many side effects that affect more than 40% of WLS patients. Not all deaths are immediate. Please help save lives because OBESITY IS NOT A DISEASE!

A Few Touch Ups To The Blog Site

I've been making a few modifications for everyone's convenience. I've replaced the Enetation commenting with Blogger's commenting. Unfortunately, this wiped out the past comments. They're still on enetation.co.uk but it would be frustrating to have two sets of "comments" text on each blog entry. Seeing as how there really hasn't been a whole lot of commenting in the past, I think it's better just to start fresh with the new system.

I've also implemented a blogging hack from blogger.com that allows the archives to be listed in a drop-down menu plus I've deleted the links to Alexa.com and Amazon.com, as they weren't doing anything other than taking up space. Lastly, I added a link to my "Open Letter To The Public" webpage and deleted the counter at the bottom of each page (it wasn't not being very accurate, since I double-check those kinds of things).

If I find any other neat things to add, I'll let you know! If you have any cool suggestions, leave me a comment below.

Best Wishes,
Allen

What A Difference A Few Months Make

In May, I was unemployed, still kind of sick and struggling to find relevant ways to spend my time while my wife worked and my kids were at school. Now, I've been blessed with a great job (that grants overtime -- woohoo!), my volunteer work running ISAA (International Size Acceptance Association) is booming and bustling (check out our Yahoo activism -- plus I'm writing an ISAA-related book.

I may be ridiculously busy but I'm hardly complaining! It's good to have purpose and feel needed.

I won't bore you with the daily ISAA routines. Let's just say that I do a lot of communicating and coordinating, often with ISAA branch leaders in different cities (and usually different continents). I'm grateful for e-mail and instant messaging or I wouldn't be able to do all this!

Why am I writing a book? Two reasons.

One: I believe that ISAA has had a fascinating history over the last seven years. In fact, I believe ISAA's history will be one that people will enjoy and be surprised at.

Two: This is an opportunity to sum up ISAA's philosophies and recommendations to the public which I truly believe represent a realistic, healthy way to deal with the "obesity epidemic." It is my hope that this information will help improve health and save lives.

This is some of what's been going on with me lately.

I'll keep you updated as things progress.

Best Wishes,
Allen

I Now Own A Handheld Computer

This is a copy of one of my Xanga blog entries but I thought you might find it interesting...

I'd been holding back for years, mainly because of the expense but I finally needed one. I needed one to help organize my contacts and appointments when I am away from computers. So I did what every value-minded individual does to get the highest quality product for the lowest price: I went to eBay.

I bought a Handspring Visor Deluxe for $40.00 and a USB sync cradle for $5.00. I received the Visor (which included a detachable, solid plastic screen cover *and* a leather case) within two days (I was impressed) and the cradle within a week. Both looked new and nice and both work well. (I only had to add 2 new AA batteries to the Visor).

A couple of weeks ago, I downloaded the King James Version of the Bible for Palm OS (for free) along with a free Bible reader program. I also subscribed to Avant Go and can now download headlines and stories from BBC News, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and PCWorld.com. No, I'm not a former journalist...

Now, I do not let this new "toy" take up every waking minute, but it nice to have the option of Bible study or news reading a couple of times a day.



I also have inputed around 70 addresses, so I'm happy.

I do warn about eBay, though -- I can see how it could be habit-forming. Must...use...sparingly...


Best Wishes,
Allen

Well, Some Ideas Are Good And Some Aren't...

Several months ago, I started a new blog on Xanga because I wanted to try to separate my "spiritual" commentary from my IR commentary -- and you know what, since then, I've been much less motivated to blog at either.

I think that defeats the purpose, don't you?

So I'm going to put the Xanga blog on permanent hiatus and just focus on IR Haven. I started out with IR Haven, the website, and I'm really not ready to let it go. It means too much to me.

I do wonder whether or not I want to keep the "Love Sees No Color Ring" going, though. It started out as the second pre-Webring Rings on the Net but now I find all kinds of sites applying for it.
The idea behind LSNC was a good one and at one time, it had nearly 100 sites participating. It's down to something like 36 and I really cringe at some of the sites applying these days...I dunno.

What do you think? Leave me a comment. Do you think LSNC should continue or has its time passed?

Best Wishes,
Allen

An IR Thought, While Being As Un-Political As Possible...

This morning, I was listening to talk radio, as I often do on my morning commute while taking my youngest son to school. A conservative talk show host (not Rush) was confused and beside himself about why President Bush and now his brother, Governor Jeb Bush, do not take hard stances against the issue of illegal immigration. In fact, both President Bush and his brother tend to lean towards policies that seem to "reward" coming to the U.S. illegally while citing compassion as the reason.

I think I do understand why they differ from party-line on this issue, and if my hunch is correct, it has nothing to do with politics. President and Gov. Bush have immediate family members who are interracially married into the Hispanic nation and those family members have biracial children. It would not be unreasonable to think that their opinions and feelings about those family members might spill over into their politics.

Is that right? Is that conservative? Is that good decision-making? Probably not, but it is very human. And in regard to interracial issues, it's a bold stance to take which I can respect (if that is the reason)...even if I don't agree with it, politically.

That's just my thoughts on the issue, from an IR perspective. What do you think? Feel free to comment below.

Best Wishes,
Allen

My Experience In Seeing "The Passion of the Christ"



8:15 p.m. Sunday 3/7/2004 - This should be an interesting set of blog entries. "Set," you say? "What do you mean by 'set?'" At this moment, I am sitting on the floor of a Cinemark Theater in Pflugerville, Texas, several miles from where I live in North Austin, waiting 90 minutes to see a 9:40 p.m. showing of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." I had come at 6:30 p.m. to see the 7:00 p.m. showing, but both the 6:30 and 7:00 showings had already SOLD OUT. I drove to another relatively nearby movie theater to see it there instead but it was not even showing there...so I drove back to the Cinemark and bought my ticket 2.5 hours in advance. I'd heard the ticket counter person tell someone else to arrive an hour to an
hour and half early because there's always a big line to get in. So, I went home to tell my wife, Angel, so she wouldn't be shocked that I'd be gone so late.

I have never seen a movie sell out tickets for multiple showings on multiple screens nearly two weeks after it's debut! And these are not churches buying up whole blocks of seats for their memberships -- these were all just curious everyday people like me...

I suppose Mel Gibson should thank the media for all the buzz they created with their unabashed intolerance of this subject matter: the very real arrest, trial, torture and crucifixion of Jesus Christ -- but that should not overshadow His very real resurrection from the dead and victory for those who believe in the saving power of His Name. Now, in all fairness, I have not seen the movie yet. I just got back from the concession stand where a small drink and a small package of Sweet Tarts cost me $5.00 (why am I not surprised?).

I'm the fourth person in line, though; I wanted to get a good seat. Angel suggested I bring a book or something to read. When I told her I didn't really have any books I wanted to read, she suggested I write a personal log entry. I thought that was an intriguing idea -- and then I realized as I pulled into the theater parking lot that I could blog about my first impressions of the movie after seeing it, thus making this a multi-part blog entry.

That's cool. I'm hoping this will make for more interesting reading.

8:47 p.m. - This is incredible. I'm watching the group of people who just got out of an earlier showing of "The Passion." Almost all of the women are crying or teary-eyed (some men, too) and EVERYONE is somber. Incredible!

About 8:55 p.m. - This showing I'm about to see is obviously about to sell out, too. Two rows out of three are filled with people waiting to see this film. I have seen people of all ages and all nations, some interracial couples and multiracial individuals (including children). I've heard at least three languages being spoken (English, Spanish and either Chinese or Vietnamese) while people are passing the time. I understand why people might bring their newborns (although I don't think that's any better than bringing any child under 12) but there are several young children here and I feel sorry for those children; they should not be subjected to the kind of violence they will see in this movie.

About 9:00 p.m. - There are now three rows of people in line for the movie.

About 9:05 p.m. - I now have a choice seat in the middle of the theater. Here's hoping my pen lasts...

9:40 p.m. - The theater is almost packed and still filling up. Cell phones are everywhere. The movie is about to start.

11:59 p.m. - I'm in my van, the movie is over. This is a good movie, a powerful movie but it does have some flaws. It's cinematography is wonderful, it's a beautifully filmed movie and well-directed by Gibson. I even appreciated the way its flashbacks were handled, they were tasteful and well-timed. I think the multiple languages with English subtitles was a stroke of pure genius, it works well in underscoring the differences in the cultures in Israel at the time. The acting was appropriate and skillful. As a whole, it does well in bringing the scriptures to the audience and making the audience see and feel their meaning.

Unfortunately, there are many "embellishments" to the scriptures that stray from the original scriptures as well as some distinctly Catholic symbolism. For example, while I loved when Jesus was onscreen, by 3/4 of the way into the movie, I was tired of seeing Mary, mother of Jesus. I did not think Jesus should share screen time with His mother; the movie was about Him and His passion (suffering). There were parts where Mary was very appropriately used, such as when Christ addressed her as "Mother, behold your son" and looked to one of His disciples and said "Behold your mother." Again, when the movie portrayed the scriptures, it excelled masterfully. Gibson succeeds in making us feel Christ's sufferings -- until Gibson abandons scripture to create new torments for Jesus. This and the overt Catholic symbolism distracted from an otherwise incredible movie.

Don't get me wrong. I understand that Mel Gibson is devoutly Catholic. I am not anti-Catholic, just as this movie is not anti-semetic. I am simply pointing out that Gibson's symbolic embellishments do not add to the movie, they work against its very premise and disrupt the flow.

Now there were embellishments that added to the movie. Gibson's use of Satan was, for the most part, quite intriguing throughout the film, as was his use of the supporting cast of Jesus' disciples and those whose lives Jesus influenced.

Again, when the movie did portray the scriptures, it excelled masterfully. To his credit, Gibson even used the scriptures which answer the question "Who killed Jesus?" This was in two parts. First, when Pontius Pilate is questioning Jesus...

John 18: 10 - 11 KJV (King James Version -- I don't know which translation of the Bible the movie used)
Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above...

and in a flashback to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says

St. John 10: 11 KJV
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

St. John 10: 18 KJV
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Overall "grade" for the movie? I'll give it an "A" for effort. Would I endorse this movie? Yes, I would but with 2 cautions:

1. Do not, under ANY circumstances, take children under age 12.

2. As my wife recommended to me, be prayerful before you see this movie and read the scriptures for yourself.

They can be found in:

St. Matthew 26: 18 - 75

St. Matthew 27

St. Matthew 28

as well as

St. John 18 and

St. John 19

Thanks for reading this! Please feel free to leave your comments.

Best Wishes,
Allen

Just Checking In...

I apologize that I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks. I've been pretty ill off and on since Thanksgiving 2003. I only found out last week that my immediate family has a history of lactose intolerance (being unable to digest milk and dairy products).

If you want to learn about lactose intolerance, the National Institutes of Health has a great webpage on it at http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/lactoseintolerance/

It's taken a lot of prayer and faith to constantly lean on the Lord when I've felt my worst (and just when I've felt pretty bad). I mean, it's not like I've just had a little bit of an upset stomach or some unpleasant gas as a result of dairy products. It's been an everyday struggle to keep weight on! I've lost about 20 pounds (that I had no desire to lose) since last November.

Some friends of mine from church were kind enough to do some research on my symptoms and suggested some changes in the foods I'm eating. I've already had to make changes in what I eat in order to avoid dairy products, so I'm going to make these changes at the same time.

According to my friends, this will be a "semi-vegetarian" approach: some meats like chicken or pork (and to drain the fats off of those) but no red meats, more vegetables and, like I said, no dairy products. I already have been using wheat bread for over 20 years, so no switch there. I'll also have to cut out carbonated drinks (such as sodas) and (Agh!) caffeine. The aim is to help me keep weight on and improve my overall health.

I want to make sure to add that my wife has been wonderfully supportive of me throughout this whole ordeal.

I'll keep you updated.

Best Wishes,
Allen

How's This For Romantic On Valentine's Day?



This is Mangia Pizza's heart-shaped pizza, specially made just for Valentine's Day. It's a Chicago-style pizza pie. I ordered ours with pepperoni, tomatoes, extra cheese and mushrooms and believe me, it was a hit with my wife (little did I know that she had gotten the kids their own Gatti's cheese pizza -- seen on Josey's plate at top of picture -- so this one was OURS!) -- and delicious! I managed to go out and get it before the weather deteriorated and do not regret it for a minute. If you're in Austin, Texas, give them a call this weekend and order one, they're GREAT!!!

Best Wishes,
Allen

Happy Valentine's Day From Snowy Austin, Texas!



At least, it was snowy this morning when my wife took the above picture of our boys. The younger one, Josey, had never seen snow before -- so this was a treat for him and his brother, Adam. They ran and threw snow balls and had a blast until they got too cold and came inside. My wife took some more pictures so I'll just go ahead and share them.



My wife took all of these pictures with our digital camera. On one hand, the sunrise was gorgeous.



On the other hand, there was a beautiful view of the moon over snowy rooftops.



The above is my wife's necklace that reads "Love Is Cool!"

I have another pic but I'll save it for a separate entry.

Best Wishes,
Allen

I’m Having A Wil Wheaton Moment…

...but it’s not a bad thing. Wil Wheaton is, of course, the actor who played “Wesley Crusher” in Star Trek The Next Generation. He had a few scenes in the last Star Trek movie, Nemesis and those scenes were cut to where he had no speaking parts. Well, that happened to me (and another associate from ISAA, we were both interviewed) – except it wasn’t a Star Trek movie…it was the “Supersize Me” documentary which debuted at the Sundance film festival to rave reviews and won Morgan Spurlock a Best Director (for a documentary) Award.

Am I disappointed? Not really, as from all accounts I have heard, the film took a totally different direction (no pun) than we were originally led to believe. Interestingly enough, ISAA is still thanked in the credits of the film, according to the director.

I suppose the real question is, will I end up in the DVD edition? Hm! Who knows…lol!

I did have an interview in Travel+Leisure Magazine this month and most likely the UK edition of GQ Magazine. Life goes on.

Best Wishes,
Allen

First Blog of 2004

Well, it's official -- the IR Haven blog is one year old! I'm sorry I haven't posted recently, I have been waiting for something special in terms of IR topics. I mean, I've learned some interesting facts, like the fact that some of the top entertainers and sports stars, etc. are biracial or multiracial. I learned that one of my favorite Christian recording artists is biracial: Rachael Lampa (she's half-Philippino and half-Irish -- and you can listen to her new album, Blur, on her website)

Other than that, I've been working a lot, I recorded a new edition of The ISAA Rapport and it will be going online soon. Oh, and a documentary I was in ("Supersize Me") went to the Sundance Film Festival. Life is very interesting right now.

I'll blog again when I have more to blog about. I hope all of you are doing well.

Best Wishes,
Allen

Happy Day After Christmas!

We had a great Christmas which we spent with family and friends. I hope you did as well.

I want to note an addition to the personal links section on the blog. I have added a link to a new blog I am doing called "Take A Stand." I have often made it very clear what my spiritual (Christian) beliefs are in my blog entries this year. I don't regret that at all but I have slowly come to the conclusion that perhaps it is better for me to focus more freely on that in a separate blog. IR Haven should primarily be about interracial topics. There have been some blog entries where I was able to tie the two together and should that be possible in the future, I will do it. But I don't want to confuse anyone about what IR Haven is about...and I feel like those lines have been unintentionally blurred sometimes.

To further clarify, the fact that there is a new blog does not mean that IR Haven will not reflect my beliefs at all. Who I am has not changed and I think that will show through in what I write.

For those who enjoy the spiritually-focused posts, you can continue to enjoy them at Take A Stand on Xanga.com

If you have any questions, you can comment here or e-mail me at irhaven@ev1.net

Have a great weekend!

Best Wishes,
Allen

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

On this fine Christmas Eve, I want to send my heartfelt thanks to all of you for reading IR Haven's blog this year. It is my prayer that each and every one of you will be well and have a wonderful, safe holiday season.



Best Wishes,
Allen

Christmas Gets Closer

Just a quick blog to let everyone know I'm okay. The Christmas program went well on Sunday and I am enjoying my new job. IR Haven joined a new webring (Multiracial Cultural & Mixed Race). I may add a few more if I can find appropriate webrings and code that works with the blog template (ah, technicalities).

Anyway, have a great day!

Best Wishes,
Allen