cheers, Tramper!!!

1 bag peanut butter chips (10oz)
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
6 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips (12oz)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped

1. You’ll need a 13×9-in. baking pan lined with nonstick foil to extend about 2 inches above narrow ends of pan.
2. Melt peanut butter chips and butter in a large bowl in the microwave or in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until thoroughly blended and smooth. Remove from heat, add cereal and stir until evenly coated.
3. Scrape into prepared pan, spread evenly, then cover with wax paper. Use another 13×9-in. pan or heavy book on top to press into an evenly compact layer, then remove wax paper. Place pan in freezer about 10 minutes or until firm.
4. Melt chocolate chips as directed on bag. Add corn syrup and stir until well blended. Spread chocolate evenly on cereal mixture, then sprinkle with nuts. Top with wax paper and lightly press nuts into chocolate. Remove wax paper; refrigerate pan for 1 hour or until firm.
5. Lift foil by ends onto cutting board.
Cut and enjoy!

If I am granted those two premises, what I believe follows is that a “personal prayer language” is not, in my opinion, prohibited by the bible but neither do I think the bible promotes/describes/defines the phenomena and furthermore, the bible does not need to promote the practice to make it a legitimate facet of someone’s personalization of their faith. I know that is a mouthful and perhaps a hornet’s nest. What I am getting at is this- I think it is a mistake of those that have that experience in their prayer life to try to find proof texts to justify it.

The experience itself is by definition subjective. By claiming that this verse and this verse and this verse allows for this experience one opens up for scrutiny a hermeneutic and a line of reasoning. What the SBC seems to be saying is that they don’t find the passages and the arguments and the connected dots convincing and frankly, I’m not sure that I do either. But what if a SBC missionary said, “When I pray kneeling before an open window as the sun rises, I feel/believe I am communing more intimately with God.” What could be said of this? I have no grounds to discount someone’s perceived benefits of praying in that fashion, even though I don’t share in that as part of my own prayer life. If that same person said, “I pray that way because Psalm 42b says. . .” now we are moving into different territory and I might be moved to say, “I don’t think Psalm 42b is really teaching that. . .” which I think is what the SBC is in effect saying. They are not convinced by the arguments from Scripture relating to a personal prayer language. Maybe they shouldn’t be and that’s a-okay.

I don’t think that all of the ways we personally seek to communicate with God need to be “proof-texted” and this might be a case where attempting to do so was a mistake. And for the record, I hope I am not perceived here as denigrating the practice of praying in a personal prayer language. I have not experienced that but I have other ways that I meaningful interact with God that are between me and God alone. I don’t think they are forbidden by Scripture but I am not going to seek to justify them from Scripture either.

I agree that it our love for our neighbor that is one of the strongest witnesses for the Gospel. With that said, I keep coming back to “what does that look like in our society today?” How do we love and not become like the world? The world does not want tracts handed to them, and more often than not they don’t want to come near our churches.

On another note that I think is important, is it possible to truly help others understand God’s love without also talking about His holiness and the fact of His righteous wrath towards us sinners? I think far too often all we feel comfortable with is talking about God’s love, yet His love is almost meaningless if separated from His holiness. How good can the “Good News” be if we don’t see how bad the situation is that we are in?

Sorry for using so many question marks. It just kind of happened that way.

1 package devil’s food or chocolate fudge cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
Granulated Sugar

Heat oven to 350. Mix cake mix, oil and eggs in large bowl with spoon until dough forms.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Makes 2 loaves @8 slices each

1 package yellow or butter cake mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup honey
3 eggs

Heat oven to 350 – grease and lightly flour bottom and sides of 2 loaf pans.

Beat cake mix, 1/2 cup walnuts, the butter, honey and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour into pans.

Bake 40-50 minutes depending on the size and shape of your pan, test with a toothpick. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Spread glaze over the top allowing some to drizzle over the sides. Sprinkle with additional walnuts. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Glaze Recipe

1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or clear vanilla

Mix powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and the vanilla. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and consistency of thick syrup.

OR

Use some ready to spread icing from the grocery store.