Baby Williams

When will the newest addition to the Williams Clan come? Based on solid Biblical evidence, here are the predictions:

Thursday, 9/29
Teresa – 9.38am, GIRL, 7lbs, 3oz
Lisa - 11.11am, GIRL, 7lbs, 5oz
Krista – 3.05pm, GIRL, 7 lbs

Friday 9/30
Shannon – 6.02am, BOY, 6lbs, 8oz
Kathy – 11.46pm, GIRL, 7lbs, 9oz

Saturday 10/1
Melissa R – 2.17pm, GIRL, 7lbs, 9oz
Christina – 4.03pm, GIRL, 8lbs, 3oz

Sunday 10/2
Chris 8:12am, 7 lbs, 6 oz
Katie – 5.30pm, GIRL, 8lb, 8oz
Laura - 8:30pm, GIRL, 7.5 lbs

Monday 10/3
Kate – 5.17am, GIRL, 7lbs, 8oz

Wow- so we've all missed the time... let's see how everyone does on the other details!

IT'S A GIRL! Marion Blair Williams... Thursday, October 6 at 3:22pm, weighing in at 7lbs and 13 oz!

I think Krista is the winner - just a week off. I'm SURE she meant this week and not last.

Linz's Foot

I rarely offer prayers with great faith. But I am slowly learning that our prayers should only be as small as the God to whom we pray. So, after having gotten the diagnosis that it was fractured earlier this week, we decided to pray more boldly. Kara and I had been praying that I would go to the doctor today, and he would tell us that it was actually not fractured at all. Sure enough, the doctor said it was just a sprain. It reminds me of James 5:15, "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up". The doctor gave me a walking boot, so I'm off the crutches and soon to be back to wearing spandex on the bike! As you can see, my foot doesn't look that bad to begin with.

Who Wins The "Worst Injury Award?"

If you missed life group last night, our icebreaker was, "What is your worst injury?: Broken bones edition". So who had the best story? Was it Lisa's story of her grandfather finishing his lunch before taking her to the hospital with a broken arm? Or was it the gut-wrenching story of Shannon "unofficially" breaking her pinky toe while in the bathroom with a dozen other girls parktaking in some mysterious activity sure to have made the 6 'o clock news?

Were There Superheroes In The OT?: A Brief Analysis of Genesis 6:2

NIV Genesis 6:1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them,
2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.
3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-- and also afterward-- when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

So who are the "sons of God" referred to in Genesis 6:2? Is this a reference to creatures who are not human, as opposed to those of "man"? Are they super-human creatures, more than man, but less than angels? Or perhaps superheroes such as X-men, spiderman, or superman are myths who find their basis in real people who existed long ago. There have been many interpretations of this text. One theologian, William VanGemeren, believed the "sons of God" were indeed angels who had taken human wives, and their offspring were known as the "nephilim". The sin involved here would have been angels leaving their proper heavenly abode. Meredith Kline took them to be a reference to earthly kings, those who represented God. The sin in view here would be the implication of polygamy in verse 2. The "nephilim" were offspring who were tyrants who propagate violence. However, the most likely interpretation is that the "sons of God" were simply those who came from the godly line of seth. The sin in view here is primarily that of people being "unequally yoked", as godly people were marrying the ungodly. The reference to Nephilim are not necessarily related to the "sons of God", but were simply men who were excessively violent. This interpretation seems to fit more naturally with the tenor of the Genesis narrative. The obvious focus of Genesis 4-5 (Cain & Geneology) is that of the development of two distinct lines. The main point of this passage then is not to be used as a proof-text for the legitimacy of superheroes. Instead, it fits with the overall theme of Genesis leading up to Noah, which is to show the state of the world prior to the flood, as being one of man's increasing depravity.

To Blog Or Not To Blog

We are finally entering the 21st century as a life group. But more than that, we are now on the cutting edge of small group ministries. But is this a good thing? Are we not succumbing to the ways of the world, by using forms and mediums which are not prescribed by the Scriptures? Some might say that we should be very wary of computers, technology, and the internet, as they are tools of the world, the flesh and the devil. However, I would argue that it is for this very reason that we should engage these devices, as it will serve to redeem that which is fallen. As we have studied in Genesis, the fall resulted not only in alienation from God, but in our alienation from each other (see cain/abel), ourselves ("I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid"), and creation itself ("cursed is the ground because of you"). Computers would primarily fall into the category of our relationship with creation, however we see throughout the Scriptures that Jesus came not only to restore our relationship with God, but to redeem all that was broken by the fall. Psalm 96, Isaiah 65-66, and Revelation 21 speak to Jesus redeeming creation itself. Romans 8:19 states, "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedem of the children of God". These scriptures are a promise that Jesus will redeem all that was broken by the fall, even computer viruses. This means that for our life group to use a blog spot is to join Jesus in the process of redeeming that which he will ultimately redeem. The Israelites themselves were commanded to do this during the Exodus. In Exodus 3:22, God told his people to "plunder the egyptians", meaning to use all of their creations for the benefit of the Israelites. And so the answer to the question is: "To blog!" We shall plunder the internet to the glory of God! And blog we shall!