The Pumpkin Patch

Expelled DVD is Available

My degree names me as a scientist, and my job classifies me as one. I have been looking forward to watching Ben Stein's DVD "Expelled". I found some time and watched it with Susan. It focuses on the scientific educational system and its view toward intelligent design. If you are interested in this, or want to know what your children will be up against in higher education, give this DVD a couple hours of your time.

I gave one example in an earlier post. The following are a couple more examples from my own, so be it very limited, experience with the scientific elite:

1) One morning in Historical Geology class, as I was focusing on keeping my eyes open more than the content of what was being taught, the teacher called me by name and asked how I could just explain everything we observe using no science, but answer everything with "divine intervention". I assured the class this man knew nothing of what I believed. I looked at the professor and told him, "just because you try and shove something down my throat does not mean I have to swallow it. Do you desire for your students to think or just swallow?" He did not answer.

2) Another professor, on a field trip, asked me in front of the class about my belief in God. I asked if she believed in right and wrong. She answered, "no". I asked her if she condoned Hitler's action. She answered, something like, "we now know a reduction in the gene pool is not healthy for the overall species". I made sure I understood her answer and repeated back to her, "the only thing Hitler did wrong was reducing some genes that may have been passed on to the future species?" She answered "yes".

Just two examples, and overall I was not a very good apologist - nor a very good student. My concern was for my fellow students; a few did come to me with questions about life and God. Sadly, they literally came to me under the cover of darkness and I could feel the fear, for if their professors or other Darwin-bumper-stickered classmates found out, there would have been a price to pay. I pray for two fellow classmates in particular; I had some good conversations with them about who Jesus the Christ was and is. I pray their souls have evolved since then and their eyes have been opened to their creator.

Road Kill Kitty Cake

Of the five Crummett kids, Sam has the highest education; he is also the only one of us who could win the prize at his work’s Halloween Potluck for the “spookiest dish”.

A True Coach

I was on the couch or in bed all day yesterday with a cold - for the first time this year I was able to watch some college football. I watched Georgia beat LSU. After I saw the following video, I am happy Georgia won. As long as Mark Richt remains the head coach, and they are not playing a PAC 10 team, I will root for Georgia.

The Shack

Everytime I peruse the book isle at Costco I am tempted to buy it, for it must be quality writing with its current residence at the top of the New York Time Bestseller List. Obviously I am interested in the subject. I have no trouble buying things I should not at Costco, but I have refrained on this one.

My hesitation from the start: with a subtle twist, the essence of God is changed via the powerful literary form of a narrative.

God has chosen, through the Bible, to teach us about himself through story - the narrative. Why? It taps into our emotions and connects our heart with our head. God does not teach us theology by only stating principles for us to learn. For example, he brings us into the scene to watch, feel and understand what happens when an eighty year-old man named Moses approaches Pharaoh, the most powerful King on earth, and ridiculously requests to let a couple million of his slave laborers go. When we leave the scene we not only know God is sovereign, we feel it.

God does not tell just tell us to believe he is our redeemer, he wants us to feel it through the beautiful love story of Ruth and Boaz.

God does not just tell us to love our wives, he wants us to feel it through the sensual intimacy of the Song of Solomon.

God does not just tell us he loves us, he wants us to feel it as it is described four times in the New Testament narrative of the Crucifixion.

The Shack is wanting you to feel some principles about God that are false.

If you care to read more, Gerald Hiestand has a good review here.

I will most likely end up reading it, but remembering to guard my heart as I do. If you have read it, am I off base?

A Wedding Ceremony

Communion, baptism and the wedding ceremony; why is it that some ceremonies elicit emotion from us no matter how many times we take part or witness it? All have been instituted by God and they point to something greater (our souls knows this). The wedding ceremony may be the greatest:

• it points to the past, for we witness God create a new oneness before our eyes as two become one - we think of creation


• we celebrate the present, for the closest communion between two individuals has taken place and it is based on a vow - our relationship with God is based on his promises to us.


• it points to the future, for we are the bride of Christ and some day we will come together with our redeemer

Thank you David and Amber Austin for giving us strength from the past, joy in the present and great hope for the future.

Humpty Dumpty

Pre-wedding activities for David and Amber's wedding - run the kids at the park. The Oregon and California Crummett cousins had fun at Bidwell Park in Chico.

Smoke Detector

This may have been the Crummett's smoke detector when we lived in "the cabin" decades ago:

The Power of Words and the Wonder of God

Susan and I fly home tomorrow morning from Minneapolis. We are grateful God worked it out and allowed us to attend John Piper's conference titled "The Power of Words and the Wonder of God".

I plan to make additional posts in the future as I meditate on the six speakers we heard; it may take six months to soak in the six messages.

All of the messages (print, audio and video) are here.

ESV Study Bible

I made the switch from the NASB to the ESV around three years ago and have never looked back, for it is a very well done word for word translation. A study Bible has been in the works for a while and I placed my order last spring. The delivery date is approaching:

The figures and notes look great and the essays contained in the back appear to be worth the price of the Bible. Two of the authors, J.I. Packer and John Hannah both have a small connection with my family, for Sam (brother) had a one-on-one semester study with Packer at Regent and I was blessed to sit under Hannah for a week of teaching at BSF Headquarters. I enjoyed sharing a dinner together with Dr. John Hannah one evening - a very gracious, humble, down-to-earth man who has been touched by the grace of God (he is also quirky, but brilliant).