Three Nails

Three Nails
The church service today was meaningful:
Christ is Eternal King Beautiful!

We are His subjects and heirs;
He? The Ruler who cares.

We are nothing without Him.
We are everything with Him,
That He wills.

He never faults or fails.
We are made secure by three nails—
That He endured,
Through which He cured
Our sin that apart from Him prevails!

By Bart W. Newton ©2009

Not with Pen & Ink

Believe it or not, there is a time when pen & ink just don't get the job done:

"I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. " --Apostle John, 3 John 1:13-14 (NIV)

"The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

"We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ." --Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 3:2-4 (NLT)

Fountain Pen Inks Currently in Rotation

The following inks are loaded & in use:

• Noodler's Bulletproof Black in Lamy Safari (EF) & Parker 88 Place Vendome (M)


• Private Reserve American Blue in Mont Blanc 144 Classique (F cursive italic)


• Private Reserve Copper Burst in Dollar 717i Clear Demonstrator (F-M)


• Private Reserve Dakota Red in Pilot 78G (B stub/italic)

Current Fountain Pen Collection

Fountain pens currently in my possession:

• Cross Century Classic, gray matte, extra-fine nib (gift from wife in early 1990s)
• Parker 88 Place Vendome, beige & burgundy, medium nib (gift from colleague in early 1990s)
• Mont Blanc 144 Classique, fine cursive italic nib (A "too good to be true" clearance buy at Office Depot that was true! Purchased sometime around 2004 +/-. )
• Lamy Safari, charcoal, extra-fine nib ("daily workhorse")
• Pilot 78G, cinnabar red, broad (western light medium) stub/italic nib (Mainly for letters/notes to my wife.)
• Dollar 717i, piston fill clear demonstrator, western fine nib (Main use is for underlining text & writing margin notes with Private Reserve Copper Burst ink.)
• Cross Century II, classic black, extra-fine nib (Received as warranty replacement for Cross Century Classic listed above that developed a loose feed. Plan to send Classic to a repair shop.)
• Sailor Profit Superscript, specialty 3-in-1 calligraphy nib (Use for highlighting with Noodler's Firefly ink.)

Raising the Next Generation of Believers

"And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel." Judges 2:10 (ESV)

"There is just one way to bring up a child in the way he should go and that is to travel that way yourself." --Abraham Lincoln

Rousing a Sleeping Giant

Peggy Noonan wrote a positive review of her experience regarding last week's Presidential Inauguration in her mostly weekly "Declarations" column in the WSJ Opinion Journal. Near the end, she wrote some insightful words about the potential pluses and minuses of President Obama's self-confident persona and how he might do what he doesn't intend to do:

"As for Mr. Obama, some thoughts that start with a hunch. He has the kind of self-confidence that will serve him well or undo him. He has to be careful about what he wants, because he's going to get it, at least at the beginning. He claimed a lot of moderate territory in his Inaugural Address (deepen and expand our alliances, put aside debates on size of government and aim for government that is competent and constructive), but no one is certain, still, what governing philosophy guides him. He would be most unwise to rouse the sleeping giant that is American conservatism. One thing that would rouse it, and begin to bring its broken pieces back together, would be radical movement on abortion, such as pushing the so-called Freedom of Choice Act.

"There was another great gathering in Washington this week, of those who themselves are not always invited or included, because of their unflinching views. The Right to Life march was marked, according to participants, by an air of peacefulness, and unusual sweetness. The attitude toward President Obama? They prayed for him. As great Americans, which is what they are, would."

2009 Devotional Reading

Last year as part of my most-days devotional reading, I completed The Christian Almanac by George Grant and Gregory Wilbur and Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry & Richard Blackaby. I highly recommend both resources.

My 2009 devotional reading includes the morning readings from Morning & Evening (I'll save the evening readings for another year, Lord willing) by C.H. Spurgeon and The One-Year Christian History by Michael & Sharon Rusten. My personal reading Bible for the year is the English Standard Version Literary Study Bible. I plan to read through this Bible chronologically along with many others of the First Christian Church of Owensville congregation who are also reading through-the-Bible-in-a-year.