Splinters of Silver Scripture declares that the Words of God are pure, as silver tried in a furnace [Psalm 12:6], that God proves us as silver is tried [Psalm 66:10], and refines us as silver is [Zechariah 13:8-9]. I pray through this blog, not my words but, through the reading of the scriptures, through the presentation of thoughts and of comments, splinters of silver may prick and stay with us throughout our lives. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 13 1147 72 7776

Articles from Splinters of Silver

Atheism or Anti-Theism Taught In The Classroom? 2007-11-20 16:46:00 We seem to hear a lot about “separation of church and state” and about how we need to keep religion and Christianity to ourselves or in the privacy of our own homes, but interestingly Scholastic would like to introduce the concept of The Golden Compass: Language Arts Lessons & Activities to our children through their teachers.Check out the advertisement:[http://content.scholastic.com/browse/unitplan.jsp?id=284]Welcome Teachers! We hope you enjoy this language arts program featuring The Golden Compass, the soon-to-be-released film based on the multi-award-winning novel by Philip Pullman. You’ll find turnkey, skill-building materials on symbolism and characterization that help students understand the relevance of literary themes in their lives. The lessons and activities, while connected to the book and film, can be taught independently to supplement any language arts curriculum.Here are some SparkNotes concerning the book:[http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/hisdarkmaterials/summary ...

Have Australian Santa’s been told to say “No” to “ho ho ho” 2007-11-15 12:34:00 There is apparently a claim that Santas, at least in Australia, will not longer be able to say “ho ho ho.” Some have said that they have been told to replace the traditional greeting with “ha ha ha.”Why, you ask? Seemingly, some may feel that the term “ho ho ho” could be offensive to women. The claim is that not only can “ho ho ho” offend women it could also possibly scare children.Honestly, I have seen more children scared of Santa’s beard than his greeting of “ho ho ho.” And I have yet to hear of a mother not bringing their child to see Santa at the shopping centers because of his greeting. Maybe the children are simply scared because it is a big fat man, with a beard, wearing a suit, which they do not know.My son loves Spiderman and he enjoyed getting his autograph while we were visiting Universal Studios, but when we saw Spiderman in the mall a few weeks later my son was scared to go up to talk to him.The company, Westaff, claims, “"We ask our Santas to try ...

Christian Children's Book: Salvation, Baptism, & Eternal Security 2007-11-14 14:59:00 The initial purpose behind writing this book is to focus on the current questions my children have concerning salvation, baptism, and eternal security.One of the greatest ministries we have as Christian parents is to teach our children about the things of God. Can there be any teaching more important than the Gospel itself, of how the love of God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Willing to suffer the death of the cross, Jesus Christ gave Himself ransom for all those which put their faith in Him. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, we as sinners can find forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Jesus Christ. Our children deserve to know of this great love. As Christian parents we owe it to our children to tell them of the things of God, and as saved sinners we owe it to God to be obedient to His Word.Although the pages of this book may be read by the children alone, I would suggest that the parent(s) consider spending a moment with their children with it. This book is n ... Amp  Children

Blue Smoke Screen 2007-11-13 13:53:00 [Article]Well, would you look at that. Your guess is as good as mine."Unexplained Blue Cloud Floats, Darts Around Customers At Gas Station""A strange blue cloud seen floating and darting around customers, freezing for 30 minutes and then speeding from an Ohio gas station, remains unexplained even though it was caught on security cams. " ...

Snake Bit Hypocrisy 2007-11-13 12:50:00 During my glance over an atheist blog I sometimes visit, the writer references another blog, referencing a Kentucky news article. In reading the article, I can’t help but see why the non-Christian world would enjoy such a tale.The article’s title is “Family sues hospital over snakebite death,” but that doesn’t really convey what actually transpired to cause the snakebite. Or, should I say what was taking place at the time of the snakebite? Apparently, a 48 year old London, Kentucky woman was trying to handle a yellow timber rattler during a service at East London Holiness Church. Although, it seems, sometimes people that are bitten by snakes during religious services will refuse medical attention, when Linda Long was bitten on the right cheek, she was rushed to Marymount Medical Center in London.There is apparently a lawsuit pending concerning the medical attention given (or not given) and supposed comments toward the woman and her family regarding the snakebite incident. Ple ...

Demon Dog 2007-11-12 12:13:00 Note: I just found this article interesting. You must draw your own conclusions.Apparently there was a photo taken of Joe Martinez at a relative’s anniversary several years ago, which has the appearance of a dog looking over his shoulder. Of course the dog is not supposed to be in the photo. Apparently, noticing the dog peering over his shoulder in the photo has allowed him to kick his drug habit, claiming it was a sign from God that he had Satan following him everywhere he went.According to experts, the photo appears to be genuine, with no evidence of tampering, but there seems to be a lack of evidence to support a true conclusion to the story and photo.I will note for a moment, that as a Christian, I do believe in God, Satan, devils, and spirits, but in cases like this (and the many so-called sightings of Mary, Jesus, and saints) I find myself being hesitant to quickly accept them as miracles of God. I fully believe that God can and does perform miracles, but His miracles are perfo ...

Killing In The Name of Darwin 2007-11-07 14:21:00 [Article]He describes himself as "a social darwinist.""I am prepared to fight and die for my cause," Sturmgeist declares, "I, as a natural selector, will eliminate all who I see unfit, disgraces of human race and failures of natural selection."A teenager, claiming to be Pekka-Eric Auvinen, (but authorities will not say for sure if that is his name) has apparently killed seven of his fellow students and the headmistress at Joleka High School in southern Finland, after posting a message to YouTube (as user called Sturmgeist89 - Sturmgeist means storm spirit in German.) predicting the event.“Hours after posting his last message it appeared the teenager carried out his threat and, shot dead the school's principal and five male and two female pupils, before shouting "This is the start of the revolution" and shooting himself in the head. He was said to be in a critical condition last night and unlikely to survive.”Is this the next step for mankind in evolution?I can’t help but ponder ...

Preview: Ekleipsis, In the Land of Erde 2007-11-02 15:49:00 Coming soon will be my first attempt at writing a fictional book. Entitled Ekleipsis, it will be the first book, in at least a two part series, taking place in the Land of Erde. Feel free to check out the preview: http://www.landoferde.com/ The book has been edited for grammatical mistakes, and is now in the process of being reviewed for content. I hope to have the book completed and available at http://www.lulu.com/ by the end of the year.The book is a medieval type, with a religious theme. No, it will most likely not be found on the Best Seller List, but I have enjoyed writing it none the less. I shall post an update when it is had been completed.Until then, enjoy the blog! ...

George's Secret Key to the Universe 2007-11-02 12:59:00 Apparently, Stephen Hawking and his daughter, Lucy, have written the book entitled, “George's Secret Key to the Universe” to explain the universe and black holes to children. Different than a simple science fiction book, this book is supposed to be “an adventure that is based on real science rather than on fantasy. I thought it was important to weave science into the story line because I wanted to make “George’s Secret Key to the Universe” appealing to children who wouldn’t otherwise pick up a book on physics.”According to the interview, the following question was asked to Mr. Hawking: Q: In your children's book, you describe the universe without a creator. Does this reflect your personal beliefs?A: The lesson of the book is that the universe is governed by the laws of science. One could regard these laws as the work of God but discussion of such theological issues is not appropriate in a children’s adventure story. Has anyone read this book?If so, what is your opi ...

Replacing Scripture with Scientology Literature 2007-11-01 10:13:00 It never ceasing to amaze me when so-called Christians, especially pastors or teachers, claim that the Scriptures are ancient or merely too hard to read (apparently just for their congregation), so they find literature by various kinds of authors (Christian or non) to take its place, believing it will do a better job than the Word of God in people’s lives.Apparently, “Two [Pentecostal and Methodist Episcopal] pastors who spoke recently with CNN explained that when it comes to religion, they still preach the core beliefs of Christianity. But when it comes to practicing what they preach in a modern world, borrowing from Scientology helps.” [article]They would have us believe, “As men of God rooted in Christian values, they do not see Scientology as a threat to their faith, but rather as a tool to augment it.”Note: “Scientology was founded in the 1950s by L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer. Followers are taught that they are immortal spiritual beings called thetans. Alth ...

Filling the Void 2007-10-30 09:46:00 In a recent blog post, the writer suggests, by the title “Saying Goodbye to Your Imaginary Friend,” that persons should turn away from believing in God.The claim is through childhood, children may easily develop beliefs that fictional characters and invisible friends are somewhat true, since their ability to perceive fact and fiction is greatly less than adults. Although, as a child grows and matures, they begin to see the line between fact and fiction in somewhat of a new light, realizing that some things they considered to be fact are but fictional, and some things they considered to be fiction are actually factual.It is here that the writer would like to assume that Christianity is merely made of adults who are unable to say goodbye to childhood fantasy, without Filling the Void with another fantasy, namely a mythical being we call God. Interestingly, throughout time man has also filled science with cases of unexplainable fantasy, only to later replace fantasy with more fantasy, ...

108 Year Old Rabbi Dies, Leaving Claim Jesus Is the Messiah 2007-10-26 15:53:00 I was recently given an article, though it is from April 2007, whereby “one of Israel's most prominent rabbis” had apparently left a note proclaiming “Yehoshua, or Yeshua (Jesus), is the Messiah,” wishing it not to be read until one year after his death, at age 108.Concerning the letter abbreviation of the Messiah’s name, He will lift the people and prove that his word and law are valid.The Hebrew sentence (translated above in bold) with the hidden name of the Messiah reads: Yarim Ha’Am Veyokhiakh Shedvaro Vetorato OmdimThe initials spell the Hebrew name of Jesus, Yehoshua. Yehoshua and Yeshua are e?ectively the same name, derived from the same Hebrew root of the word “salvation” as documented in Zechariah 6:11 and Ezra 3:2. ­The same priest writes in Ezra, “Yeshua son of Yozadak” while writing in Zechariah “Yehoshua son of Yohozadak.” ­The priest adds the holy abbreviation of God’s name, ho, in the father’s name Yozadak and in the name Yeshua.The ...

Helloween 2007-10-25 13:31:00 Yes, it is spelt that way in the title on purpose. How do you consider Halloween personally? Do you see it as a pagan holiday, religious holiday, or simply just a day for you and/or your children to enjoy dressing up in costumes, walking around the neighborhood collecting a bucket full of candies, and maybe visiting a haunted house or two as all innocent fun?“The modern holiday of Halloween has its origins in the ancient Gaelic festival known as Samhain.” Samhain (“the word for November in the Gaelic languages”) has origins as being “used for a month in the ancient Celtic calendar, in particular the first three nights of this month, with the festival marking the end of the summer season and the end of the harvest.” It appears that the Gaulish calendar (noting “the Gauls practiced a form of animism,” the worship of animals, and “perhaps the most intriguing facet of Gallic religion is the practice of the Druids.”) was set to the belief that the year was divided into ...

An Atheist’s Fantasy of Killing God 2007-10-25 08:15:00 Verified at snopes.com, coming this December 2007, is a movie entitled The Golden Compass.Origins: “The film is based on (released in the U.S. as The Golden Compass), the first offering in Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy of children's books, a series that follows the adventures of a streetwise girl who travels through multiple worlds populated by witches, armor-plated bears, and sinister ecclesiastical assassins to defeat the oppressive forces of a senile God.”Snopes also notes, “The series' author, Phillip Pullman, is an avowed atheist who has averred that "I don't profess any religion; I don't think it's possible that there is a God; I have the greatest difficulty in understanding what is meant by the words 'spiritual' or 'spirituality.'" Critics of Pullman's books point to the strong anti-religion and anti-God themes they incorporate, and although literary works are subject to a variety of interpretations, Pullman left little doubt about his intentions ...

Qualifications of a Bishop or Deacon 2007-10-24 08:48:00 In I Timothy 3, we have the qualifications of a bishop and deacon, as given us by God, through the pen of Paul.1 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. ...