AI is crazy

I threw some profile pics into an AI Generator, and it spit out several.

Here's a sampling, chosen because they make look like a badass.

the Barnhart Reunion (snapshots)

 

the summer of grilling

When we first moved into our new home, the only appliance it had was a refrigerator. Absent a stove, we turned to the trusty Blackstone grill. The thing about Blackstones is you can cook just about anything on them. You’re not limited to meat, planked salmon, and kabobs; Ashley loves making eggs and pancakes on it, for instance. For two weeks we cooked on nothing but the grill, and when we got a new stove – an air fryer stove, like the wife has always wanted – we decided to continue making most of our meals on the grill. Amish chicken, chicken thighs, pork chops and pork loins, ribeyes and top sirloins, shaved beef and beef medallions, salmon and tilapia – the Blackstone covers it all. On a whim I decided to chop up some cabbage and potatoes and throw them in a tin-foil pan and cook them on the grill, and it turned out so good that it’s become our standard for cooking vegetables. Perhaps the best part about working the grill is that I don’t do it alone; I always have company. Without fail Moose shows up from the woods and hovers around for choice morsels – I tend to throw him some meat most days – and Zoey and Naomi like to assist me with the cooking. At the end of a long day, there’s nothing quite as soothing as hanging out with my girls, smoking a nice cigar from House of Cigar, sipping on bourbon, and working the grill. I’ll miss these summer days, though I’m looking forward to our crop of winter meals: roasts and soups and stews and pies. 

Zoey, Naomi, and Maggie keeping me company while I grill. They're sitting on a brick
pizza oven that needs to be thoroughly cleaned before use; it's one of my late summer goals.

Moose enjoying some grilled shrimp. I am a generous master.

a new blog (transplant)

Greetings if you have come across this blog by way of the old one! One of the privileges of getting older is looking back on the days of your youth and seeing how cringe you really were, and that cringe was put on full display for anyone willing to take the time to comb through old blog posts. I won't link to the old blog here, for it is best Dead and Buried (though I'm keeping it alive for nostalgic purposes).

I figured now is as good a time as any to shift to a new blog. We've undergone lots of changes in the past six months, and in a lot of ways we are reshaping how we do life. Late last month we sold our first home on Woody Hollow Drive to move into a fixer-upper in the rolling wooded hills of Batavia, Ohio. 

our last family photo from Woody Hollow!

Our reasons for moving were several, but at the top of the list (1) we wanted to be closer to our church and church community, (2) we wanted more opportunities to live the homestead/hobby farm life, and (3) we wanted to get out of the Glitz and Glamour of uppity West Chester. While my drive to the office has doubled, I'm thankful that I get to do a lot of my job from home. We're looking forward to life outside suburbia, and it's been a bit of a culture shock, especially for the wife. According to the federal government, Clermont County is the westernmost Ohio county considered part of Appalachia, and that Appalachian culture is on full display. I'm quite fine with it; in a sense, these are my people. 

home sweet home

The home we purchased is surrounded by woods and filled with all sorts of wildlife: giant beetles, snakes, a koi pond with fish and flowered lily-pads and dragonflies and frogs, foxes and raccoons and opossums, and a menagerie of odd-looking bugs and woodland critters. Just yesterday Zoey found the bones of a deer on our property, and one of our goals is to bleach the bones and reassemble as much of the skeleton as we can ('Consider it part of next year's homeschool curriculum,' I told the wife). Our two mature cats, Moose and Elouise, love the property, and we got two new kittens, named OJ Pickles and Bear, who will be joining them outdoors. We have enough property to hopefully begin raising meat rabbits and chickens next year or the year after, and I'm looking forward to getting our garden going next spring (this year I contented myself with just a few plants in pots, and of course jalapenos were one of them). There's a lot of work to be done on the yard - the previous owners let it go the way of the birds - but we've found some hidden gems: yucca plants, which I love and whose buds are edible; bamboo along the fence-line, which can be used to make fishing poles and cat toys and all sorts of things; Chinese Rose of Sharon, which are midsummer bloomers; and Japanese maples, which are expensive. At some point an owner must've had been an aficionado of all things Asian. 

There's a lot of work to be done on the home itself; that's the nature of a fixer-upper. Our home warranty goes into effect the end of this month, and we have a laundry list of service calls to make. We've tackled a few things (electrical issues, some plumbing stuff, and odds-and-ends), and we're in the process of patching drywall, painting the interior top-to-bottom, and we're about halfway done tearing out the disgusting upstairs carpet and sealing the sturdy subfloor with Kilz and painting it with deck paint (a temporary solution until we put flooring in). Despite all the work that needs to be done, we're happy with the home: it's almost twice the size of Woody Hollow Drive, four bedrooms and three full baths, with a basement that, once waterproofed, can be finished. We have a five-year plan to bring it up to speed, and in the meantime the girls love it. 'This home is perfect for me,' Naomi mused. 

Another big change in the midst of all this is another promotion at work: come September I will be officially instated as the 'Assistant Director' at Walk of Joy. In this position I'll oversee all the departments within our company: our Residential department, our Employment department, and our two day programs. The plan is for a further promotion in September 2024 to 'Executive Director,' in which I begin taking over a lot of the responsibilities currently handled by our CEO. I thank the Lord for the favor He has shown me: over the past six years, I have gone from being a simple direct care service provider working shifts in the field to a Site Lead, to an Employment Specialist, to a Site Coordinator, to Assistant Residential Director, and I have two promotions on the horizon. Each new position has come with a significant pay raise, and each has come with less hours away from home. I'm reminded of one of my favorite passages from the psalms:

O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

   You maintain my lot.

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

   Yes, I have a good inheritance.  [Psalm 16.5-6] 

 

the year in books [V]

This month I finished several batches in my 2023 Reading Queue: a quartet of westerns, some historical fiction ranging from the biblical period to the Korean War, and several religious works. Of the westerns my favorite book was Loren D. Estleman's The Book of Murdock; of the historical fiction, my favorite is a three-way tie between Cain at Gettysburg (set during the American Civil War, obviously), The Iceman (set during World War Two), and Fields of Fire (set during the Vietnam War). Of the religious works, my favorite was John Frame's Salvation Belongs to the Lord; it was such a great, easy-to-understand, and succinct approach to Reformed theology that I may very well make it part of Chloe's curriculum next year. 

the year in books [IV]

The next batch of books this year is a slew of fiction: Stephen King's Salem's Lot, which was more a 'town mystery' than a vampire nove; Loren D. Estleman's The Book of Murdock, in which Page Murdock impersonates a priest to capture rustlers; P.T. Deutermann's submarine yarn, The Iceman, taking place under the waters of Guadalcanal; James Webb's Vietnam novel Fields of Fire; King's more recent The Outsider; and Larry McMurtry's Horsemen Pass By. Not a bad collection: two Stephen King, two historical fictions, and two westerns! My favorite of this back is a three-way tie between The Outsider, The Iceman, and Fields of Fire (all were great); my least favorite was McMurtry's Horsemen Pass By (I prefer westerns set in the 1800s). 

Calvin on Galatians

~  Potent Quotables from John Calvin's Commentary  ~

GALATIANS 2

Election Unto the Purposes of God. 'God had, no doubt, decreed, before the foundation of the world, what he would do with regard to every one of us, and had assigned to every one, by his secret counsel, his respective place. But the sacred writers frequently introduce those three steps: the eternal predestination of God, the destination from the womb, and the calling, which is the effect and accomplishment of both... [God] is said to separate us from the womb, because the design of our being sent into the world is, that he may accomplish, in us, what he has decreed. The calling is delayed till its proper time, when God has prepared us for the office which he commands us to undertake.' [from Galatians 2]

On Vocation. '[We] owe it to the goodness of God, not only that we have been elected and adopted to everlasting life, but that he deigns to make use of our services, who would otherwise have been altogether useless, and that he assigns to us a lawful calling, in which we may be employed.' [from Galatians 2]

Reliance on Works Nullifies the Work of Christ. 'If the death of Christ be our redemption, then we were captives; if it be satisfaction, we were debtors; if it be atonement, we were guilty; if it be cleansing, we were unclean. On the contrary, he who ascribes to works his sanctification, pardon, atonement, righteousness, or deliverance, makes void the death of Christ.' [from Galatians 2]

GALATIANS 3

Justification by Law or Faith? 'The law holds all living men under its curse; and from the law, therefore, it is in vain to expect a blessing... The blessing which it offers to us is excluded by our depravity, so that the curse alone remains... The law justifies him who fulfils all its precepts, while faith justifies those who are destitute of the merit of works, and who rely on Christ alone. To be justified by our own merit, and to be justified by the grace of another, are two schemes which cannot be reconciled: one of them must be overturned by the other... You will more easily unite fire and water, than reconcile these two statements, that men are justified by faith, and that they are justified by the law.' [from Galatians 3]

Faith Is Never Alone. 'It is not our doctrine that the faith which justifies is alone; we maintain that it is invariably accompanied by good works; only we contend that faith alone is sufficient for justification... We, again, refuse to admit that, in any case, faith can be separated from the Spirit of regeneration; but when the question comes to be in what manner we are justified, we then set aside all works.' [from Galatians 5]

GALATIANS 4

Christ Under the Law. 'Christ the Son of God, who might have claimed to be exempt from every kind of subjection, became subject to the law. Why? He did so in our room, that he might obtain freedom for us. A man who was free, by constituting himself a surety, redeems a slave: by putting on himself the chains, he takes them off from the other. So Christ chose to become liable to keep the law, that exemption from it might be obtained for us.' [from Galatians 4]

On Spiritual Illumination. 'Paul reminds the Galatians whence they had derived the knowledge of God. He affirms that they did not obtain it by their own exertions, by the acuteness or industry of their own minds, but because, when they were at the farthest possible remove from thinking of him, God visited them in his mercy. What is said of the Galatians may be extended to all; for in all are fulfilled the words of Isaiah, “I am sought by them that asked not for me: I am found by them that sought me not.” (Isaiah 65:1.) The origin of our calling is the free election of God, which predestinates us to life before we are born. On this depends our calling, our faith, our whole salvation.' [from Galatians 4]

On the Observance of Holy Days. 'When certain days are represented as holy in themselves, when one day is distinguished from another on religious grounds, when holy days are reckoned a part of divine worship, then days are improperly observed. The Jewish Sabbath, new moons, and other festivals, were earnestly pressed by the false apostles, because they had been appointed by the law. When we, in the present age, intake a distinction of days, we do not represent them as necessary, and thus lay a snare for the conscience; we do not reckon one day to be more holy than another; we do not make days to be the same thing with religion and the worship of God; but merely attend to the preservation of order and harmony. The observance of days among us is a free service, and void of all superstition.' [from Galatians 4]

Ministers: The Tools of God's Providence. 'True, we are “born of God,” (1 John 3:9;) but, because he employs a minister and preaching as his instruments for that purpose, he is pleased to ascribe to them that work which Himself performs, through the power of his Spirit, in co-operation with the labors of man. Let us always attend to this distinction, that, when a minister is contrasted with God, he is nothing, and can do nothing, and is utterly useless; but, because the Holy Spirit works efficaciously by means of him, he comes to be regarded and praised as an agent. Still, it is not what he can do in himself, or apart from God, but what God does by him, that is there described. If ministers wish to do anything, let them labor to form Christ, not to form themselves, in their hearers. The writer is now so oppressed with grief, that he almost faints from exhaustion without completing his sentence.' [from Galatians 4]

GALATIANS 5

On Circumcision. 'But what is the meaning of this, that Christ will profit nothing to all who are circumcised? Did Christ profit nothing to Abraham? Nay, it was in order that Christ might profit him that he received circumcision. If we say that it was in force till the coming of Christ, what reply shall we make to the case of Timothy? We must observe, that Paul’s reasoning is directed not so properly against the outward rite or ceremony, as against the wicked doctrine of the false apostles, who pretended that it was a necessary part of the worship of God, and at the same time made it a ground of confidence as a meritorious work. These diabolical contrivances made Christ to profit nothing; not that the false apostles denied Christ, or wished him to be entirely set aside, but that they made such a division between his grace and the works of the law as to leave not more than the half of salvation due to Christ.' [from Galatians 5]

Defending Circumcision and Attacking its Abuse. 'When he views circumcision in its own nature, he properly makes it to be a symbol of grace, because such was the appointment of God. But when he is dealing with the false apostles, who abused circumcision by making it an instrument for destroying the Gospel, he does not there consider the purpose for which it was appointed by the Lord, but attacks the corruption which has proceeded from men.' [from Galatians 5]

The Sacrament of Circumcision. 'When Abraham had received a promise concerning Christ, and justification by free grace, and eternal salvation, circumcision was added, in order to confirm the promise; and thus it became, by the appointment of God, a sacrament, which was subservient to faith... the Divine appointment of circumcision was only for a time. After the coming of Christ, it ceased to be a Divine institution, because baptism had suceeded in its room.' [from Galatians 5]

The Practice of the Sacraments. '[The] sacraments, when we partake of them in a sincere manner, are not the works of men, but of God. In baptism or the Lord’s supper, we do nothing but present ourselves to God, in order to receive his grace. Baptism, viewed in regard to us, is a passive work: we bring nothing to it but faith; and all that belongs to it is laid up in Christ.' [from Galatians 5]

False Doctrine a Leaven that Spreads through the Whole Dow. 'Satan’s stratagem is, that he does not attempt an avowed destruction of the whole gospel, but he taints its purity by introducing false and corrupt opinions. Many persons are thus led to overlook the seriousness of the injury done, and therefore make a less determined resistance.' [from Galatians 5]

The Two Tables of the Law. 'The law consists of two tables, the first of which instructs us concerning the worship of God and the duties of piety, and the second instructs us concerning the love of our neighbor; for it is ridiculous to make a part the same with the whole.' [from Galatians 5]

Love Fulfills the Law. 'God therefore chooses to make trial of our love to himself by that love of our brother, which he enjoins us to cultivate. This is the reason why, not here only, but in the Epistle to the Romans, (Romans 8:8, 13:10,) love is called “the fulfilling of the law;” not that it excels, but that it proves the worship of God to be real.' [from Galatians 5]

What does it mean to love thy neighbor? 'He who loves will render to every man his right, will do injury or harm to no man, will do good, as far as lies in his power, to all; for what else is included in the whole of the second table? This, too, is the argument employed by Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (Romans 13:10.) The word, neighbor, includes all men living; for we are linked together by a common nature.' [from Galatians 5]

Self-Denial: The Beginning of Obedience. 'The Spirit denotes the renewed nature, or the grace of regeneration; and what else does the flesh mean, but “the old man?” (Romans 6:6 Ephesians 4:22 Colossians 3:9.) Disobedience and rebellion against the Spirit of God pervade the whole nature of man. If we would obey the Spirit, we must labor, and fight, and apply our utmost energy; and we must begin with self-denial.' [from Galatians 5]

A Reality Check. 'What can be conceived more dreadful than that men should walk after the flesh, and shut themselves out from the kingdom of God? Who will dare to treat lightly the “abominable things which God hates?” (Jeremiah 44:4.)' [from Galatians 5]

A Warning Against Obstinancy. 'Paul does not threaten that all who have sinned, but that all who remain impenitent, shall be excluded from the kingdom of God. The saints themselves often fall into grievous sins, but they return to the path of righteousness, “that which they do they allow not,” (Romans 7:15,) and therefore they are not included in this catalogue. All threatenings of the judgments of God call us to repentance. They are accompanied by a promise that those who repent will obtain forgiveness; but if we continue obstinate, they remain as a testimony from heaven against us.' [from Galatians 5]

Virtues as the Kindness of God. 'all virtues, all proper and well regulated affections, proceed from the Spirit, that is, from the grace of God, and the renewed nature which we derive from Christ. As if he had said, “Nothing but what is evil comes from man; nothing good comes but from the Holy Spirit.”' [from Galatians 5]

What about virtuous unbelievers? 'There have often appeared in unrenewed men remarkable instances of gentleness, integrity, temperance, and generosity; but it is certain that all were but specious disguises. Curius and Fabrieius were distinguished for courage, Cato for temperance, Scipio for kindness and generosity, Fabius for patience; but it was only in the sight of men, and as members of civil society, that they were so distinguished. In the sight of God nothing is pure but what proceeds from the fountain of all purity.' [from Galatians 5]

A Few Comments on the Fruit of the Spirit. 'Joy does not here, I think, denote that “joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17,) of which he speaks elsewhere, but that cheerful behavior towards our fellow-men which is the opposite of moroseness. Faith means truth, and is contrasted with cunning, deceit, and falsehood, as peace is with quarrels and contentions. Long-suffering is gentleness of mind, which disposes us to take everything in good part, and not to be easily offended.' [from Galatians 5]

What role does the Law play in sanctification? '[Where] the Spirit reigns, the law has no longer any dominion. By moulding our hearts to his own righteousness, the Lord delivers us from the severity of the law, so that our intercourse with himself is not regulated by its covenant, nor our consciences bound by its sentence of condemnation. Yet the law continues to teach and exhort, and thus performs its own office; but our subjection to it is withdrawn by the Spirit of adoption.'  [from Galatians 5]

The Spirit WILL change us. 'If the Spirit of God lives in us, let him govern our actions. There will always be many persons daring enough to make a false boast of living in the Spirit, but the apostle challenges them to a proof of the fact. As the soul does not remain idle in the body, but gives motion and rigour to every member and part, so the Spirit of God cannot dwell in us without manifesting himself by the outward effects.' [from Galatians 5]

GALATIANS 6

A warning against eager chastisement of a brother. '[No] man is prepared for chastising a brother till he has succeeded in acquiring a gentle spirit.' [from Galatians 6]

A rule to observe when chastising a brother. 'Whenever we have occasion to pronounce censure, let us begin with ourselves, and, remembering our own weakness, let us be indulgent to others.' [from Galatians 6]

On bearing one another's burdens. 'The weaknesses or sins, under which we groan, are called burdens. This phrase is singularly appropriate in an exhortation to kind behavior, for nature dictates to us that those who bend under a burden ought to be relieved. He enjoins us to bear the burdens. We must not indulge or overlook the sins by which our brethren are pressed down, but relieve them, — which can only be done by mild and friendly correction.' [from Galatians 6]

A warning of impending judgment. 'To destroy sloth and pride, he brings before us the judgment of God, in which every individual for himself, and without a comparison with others, will give an account of his life. It is thus that we are deceived; for, if a man who has but one eye is placed among the blind, he considers his vision to be perfect; and a tawny person among negroes thinks himself white. The apostle affirms that the false conclusions to which we are thus conducted will find no place in the judgment of God; because there every one will bear his own burden, and none will stand acquitted by others from their own sins.' [from Galatians 6]

A few parting shots on Good Works:

1. We have no good works which God rewards but those which we derive from his grace. 

2. The good works which we perform by the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, are the fruits of that adoption which is an act of free grace. 

3. They are not only unworthy of the smallest and most inconsiderable reward, but deserve to be wholly condemned, because they are always stained by many blemishes; and what have pollutions to do with the presence of God? [from Galatians 6]