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Point Pleasant: Reading for the Year, 2014

http://jdittes.blogspot.com/2014/12/reading-for-year-2014.html

Reading for the Year, 2014. OK, it's time for a victory lap of sorts. If you're wondering what's on my mind, take a look at the books I read this year. I'm at 66, and while I'll finish a few over the Christmas break, I'm not sure I'll make it to 70 before 2015 begins and brings with it new experiences (trips to New Orleans, Germany, the Republic of Georgia, and a return to Philadelphia and New York City) to read up on. A few other books that I would recommend that I didn't mention above:. 1 Two historica...

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Point Pleasant: Do I Believe in Satan?

http://jdittes.blogspot.com/2007/07/do-i-believe-in-satan.html

Do I Believe in Satan? I was listening to Andy Gullahorn, one of my favorite prog-Christian-folk singers the other day, and this lyric came on:. If I were the devil, I wouldn't wear red. I wouldn't breath fire cause it might give me away. I started thinking about the Devil, and I was surprised by what came to mind. I realized that I don't believe in Satan, and I don't think I have for some time. Is this wrong? Do you have to believe in the Devil to get into heaven- or hell? Am I missing something here?

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Point Pleasant: September 2013

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Book Review: Willa Cather's One of Ours. My rating: 3 of 5 stars. I love-love-love Willa Cather's work. She's one of my favorite authors. Why doesn't she get the respect she deserves? Would you believe Bob Meusel hit .337 with 105 RBI? That's where Cather stands among the American writers of her day- and in my book, that's pretty darn good. In One Of Ours. Claude is passionate enough to attract a girl-next-door type named Enid, but again, he's trapped between two worlds, able to provide amply for Enid, b...

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Point Pleasant: February 2013

http://jdittes.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html

The weeks between Epiphany. And Lent are among the darkest of the year. Sure, the sun sets before I can return home from my teaching job on most days, but they are spiritually muddled, too. This year, I made a resolution that resolved this dilemma. In the six weeks between Epiphany Sunday and Ash Wednesday, I would write out 30 psalms by hand. This idea isn't new. But the practice was for me. I accomplished my goal this week with two days to spare. I tried to be "led" to psalms. I'd hear one referenc...

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Point Pleasant: More Evil...Personified

http://jdittes.blogspot.com/2007/07/more-evilpersonified.html

I had some excellent responses to my last blog. I was going to follow up in the comments, but I think it merits a new blog. If you haven't read the earlier post. Be sure to go there first. I'm not going to try to ignore sections of the Bible. I'm growing as a Believer, and this blog was more of a reflection of my personal growth and understanding of temptation. Was Jesus tempted in this way that night? Does the answer really matter? I'll close with three points:. Also believing in Evil incarnate? In othe...

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Point Pleasant: A Return to the Question of Satan

http://jdittes.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-return-to-question-of-satan.html

A Return to the Question of Satan. A couple of events this week led me back to explore the topic of Satan. I have admitted earlier in this blog my difficulty in really believing in the Evil One. Or at least with the certainty that many of the Lucifer-wielders. Seem to have for him. Two events this week brought Satan back to light and led to some interesting new takes on the subject. As if I made decisions or interpreted scripture with any care what some made-up entity really wants! This is hard for me to...

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Point Pleasant: March 2013

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Give Me This Cup: A Meditation for Holy Week 2013. The senses awaken: a whisper in the air, spring is almost come, and the smell.  Dirt writhes with worms, flowers burst to life. My mind goes back. I see a cross. And hanging there, a man looks back at me. Or maybe hes not looking directly at me. His eyes seem distant- deadened by pain and heartbreak. He says, I thirst. The soldier dips the rag into a wooden bucket. He twists it in there. I wave my arm at the soldier.  He doesnt see me. Links to this post.

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Point Pleasant: Some Tips I've Learned for the College Bound

http://jdittes.blogspot.com/2014/11/some-tips-ive-learned-for-college-bound.html

Some Tips I've Learned for the College Bound. This blog is in response to the New York Times article, " For Accomplished Students, Getting into a Good College Isn't as Hard as it Seems. Most of my Facebook friends have kids who are younger than Ellie, so let me break down the college process for you, to save you some stress and ensure that your child controls their educational and fiscal destiny. 1 Any school is a be-all, never an end-all. 2 Connect present with future. Some technology investments- compu...

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Point Pleasant: December 2013

http://jdittes.blogspot.com/2013_12_01_archive.html

Playing for Peace on Christmas Eve. So this is Christmas: Fort McAllister, Georgia, the Confederate fort that marked the end point of General William Tecumseh Sherman's epic, two-month scramble from Atlanta to the Atlantic- the "March to the Sea". That gutted the Confederacy, ensured Abraham Lincoln's re-election, and gave to humanity the phrase, "War is Hell.". One of them calls. A chorus of "not it" replies, and a game of hide-and-seek commences. A fort is a great place to play hide-and-seek. I find my...