Merry Christmas from Psalm 46

The Christmas season brings all sorts of traditions to the surface. First and foremost, we celebrate the birth of Emmanuel--God with us. As part of that birthday celebration, the living room becomes a greenhouse, lights are put up, baking gets done, gifts are exchanged, and greetings are offered. These are all good things, in moderation, of course. There is another tradition that is becoming more popular lately. This one isn't so great. This tradition comes courtesy of mental health officials and is spread by the media. What is it? It's the tradition of telling you how to cope with all the stress, anxiety, and depression that comes with the Christmas festivities and consumerism.

According to this group, there is a right way and a wrong way to deal with Christmas. In other words, there are rules to follow: 5 ways to complete your shopping today, Take it easy, Don't overspend, Make peace with your family, etc. This advise may be good and it may be well-intentioned. But, keep in mind it is coming from many of the same people who consider a Christian as mentally unstable and who want you to wish others "Happy Holidays" so as not to offend. It is incredibly ironic that their solution to the fulfillment of the Gospel is to give you more Law to follow.

Don't get me wrong; I firmly believe that real live people (maybe even you) are having real live problems during this time of year. Maybe your difficulties have been going on for a long time and December only makes it worse.

Let me give you an alternative approach to coping with Christmas, from Psalm 46. It begins,

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1 ESV)

Or as Martin Luther put it:

A mighty Fortress is our God,
A trusty Shield and Weapon;
He helps us free from every need
That hath us now o'ertaken.

Notice how God provides both protection and the ability to fight. Sometimes just curling up in His loving arms is the right thing to do. In other situations, it's time to take a stand and do the right thing. To me, one of the most comforting verses in the Psalm is verse 10:  

"Be still and know that I am God."

In this verse, God is rebuking the world for not being faithful. Jesus used the same words in Mark when he rebuked the storm, "Be still!" (Mark 4:29). To get the full impact from the Psalm, think of a booming, disembodied voice, peals of thunder, earthquake, etc.:

"BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD!"

When you put it that way, the verse doesn't sound very comforting. What it does sound like is yet another rule for me to follow. I'm feeling better already!

Seriously though, when you are facing the uncertainties and stress of this time of year, finances, raising a family, etc. do you need a lecture or a refuge? Isn't it possible that God actually whispers in your ear?

"Be still and know that I am God!"

Let's break down what He's saying.

Be still - Freeze, stop fidgeting, stop wiggling, dry your tears, take a deep breath, and another
and know - Let there be no doubt. Have I ever lied to you?
that I am God - Not you, not your money, not power, not any addiction. I will provide.

He probably whispers it to you all the time:

• Watch the sunrise over Lake Tahoe: "Be still and know that I am God!"
• Visit the crowded mall near Christmas: "Be still and know that I am God!"
• Compare your checkbook to the stack of bills: "Be still and know that I am God!"
• See the baby in the manger: "Be still and know that I am God!"

Have you heard Him? Not sure? Are you listening? Really listening?

OK, try this. Whisper to yourself, right now, "Be still and know that I am God!" Say it again, louder this time. Now you know what the words sound like to your ears. And the next time you feel overwhelmed with joy or sadness, excitement or dread, you will be ready to recognize God as He whispers in your ear:

"Be still and know that I am God."

Merry Christmas from Psalm 46 and your Elder Webmaster

Stephen
Sola Gratia - Sola Fide - Sola Scriptura

7 Things I Like About Windows 7

With Christmas only a couple weeks away, it’s time I cover some of the reasons you should consider using Windows 7. If you are buying a new PC for Christmas or are wondering if you should retire Windows XP and take the upgrade plunge on your existing PC, here is a quick summary of why I like Windows 7.

1. Faster startup and shutdown – One of my computers takes several minutes to finish loading everything in Windows XP. Shutting down takes almost as long. That same system boots Windows 7 in well under a minute. Shutting down takes just a few seconds. Granted, it is important to be able to use the computer but I am a pretty impatient guy when it comes to my computer. When I decide to turn it on (or simply wake it up), I want to get busy, not wait for the computer to get it together. Same thing goes with shutting down: when I am done, I want it to go to sleep. Windows 7 is much improved on both ends.
2. Friendlier Taskbar – Hover the mouse over an application icon and you will see realtime previews. If you have several web sites open in Internet Explorer, hover the mouse, and see previews of each page. To open the one you want, just hover over it. Notice, not one mouse click.
3. Pin frequently used programs to the taskbar – When you hover over the pinned icon, you will see a “jump list” of common commands. In Microsoft Word you see the most recent documents opened, for Internet Explorer see web sites recently visited.
4. Go to the Library – In the olden days, Microsoft wanted you to save all your photos in the (My) Pictures folder. Same with music, documents, and videos. In Windows 7, Libraries allow you to save these items in a variety of folders (even shared on the network). The Libraries give you one central point to find everything. Think of this feature like the old card catalog at a real library. You don’t scan the shelves hoping to run across what you need, you start at the card catalog, get the details, and grab the item off the correct shelf. Same principle with the Windows 7 Libraries.
5. Touch and multitouch – If you’ve used an iPhone, you know what I’m talking about. Of course, you need a display that supports it, but touch is a lot of fun. Touch has been available for some time but it always felt like an add-on. With Windows 7, it is fully integrated in the operating system.
6. Improved and (finally useful) User Account Control – UAC is much less intrusive. No longer will it bug you to death with multiple, “Are you sure you want to do that?” prompts. You Windows XP users have probably heard horrer stories. UAC makes much more sense now.
7. The Device Stage – Makes it easier to seamlessly manage phones, printers, mp3 players, cameras, etc. that you connect to your computer.

So there’s my summary. Seven things I really like about Windows 7. Now for the big question: Should I upgrade my XP or Vista system?

Let’s start with Vista first:

1. If your reasonably-new Vista system came with a free upgrade to Windows 7, do it. Please back up your data and follow all the instructions included with the upgrade.
2. Assuming you do not get the free upgrade, if you are happy with the way your Vista computer works, save yourself some money and keep Vista.
3. If you are not real happy with Vista AND you see that Windows 7 solves some of your concerns, it may be worth your time & money to buy the upgrade. Back up your data.
4. Either way, don’t forget to back up your data.

Now, if you have Windows XP systems, the situation is a bit more involved:

1. Make sure your PC meets the minimum requirements. The more it exceeds those minimums, the happier you will be. Run Microsoft’s Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to check compatibility
2. Make sure you locate the installation files for all your applications (Microsoft Office, etc.).
3. With Windows XP, you cannot do a simple “upgrade” to Windows 7. You actually need to perform what Microsoft calls a custom or clean installation. This means you will:
1. Back up your files and settings. Microsoft provides a free tool called Windows Easy Transfer that will perform the backup and restoring of your personal files but not the installed applications.
2. Install Windows 7
3. Restore all your personal files
4. Re-install all your applications

NOTE: During this process, all of the data on your hard drive will be erased so you must back up all your personal files.

If you are not sure whether upgrading makes sense, ask me. Rather than buying a single license, consider buying the Windows 7 Upgrade Family Pack – upgrade 3 PCs for about $150. And then back up your data.

Stephen
Sola Gratia - Sola Fide - Sola Scriptura