I Ordered My Glasses Online

I ordered my new transitions glasses online. I really wanted transitions but couldn't afford them (even with our discount from the insurance). So I started looking around online and found http://www.39dollarglasses.com/. The total cost for these glasses was $93 including shipping. That was about half of what I was going to pay after the insurance discount.

The process was pretty simple. You choose your frames by looking at them on models of similar face shape and coloring as you. You can also print them out life size, cut out the lenses, and "try them on". My frames are very sturdy metal. The base price was either $39 or $49. (I don't remember which.)

Then you enter your prescription. There are hint prompts if you don't know what you are doing. If you decide to do this, make sure your prescription is written clearly and that the put the pupil distance (PD) on there. I had to call doctor to decipher his writing. I also had to measure my own pupil distance. There are directions on the site about how to do this. While it is not hard, I would have preferred that the doctor had actually written it on the prescription.

Then you choose the type of lenses you want. They sell two kinds of transitions in two colors (brown and black). I got brown. In the picture above, I had just come in from outside so there is still a tannish tint. They also sell clear lenses, prescription sunglasses, and bifocals.

I have been very pleased with my purchase. I had to have them adjusted at Wal-mart (for free) when they got here, but I would have had to do that anyway. Glasses never fit me right the first time. The tint changes color quickly. The frames are sturdy. They came also came with a hard case which I thought was cool.

So if you want glasses that are good quality and less money, I highly recommend http://www.39dollarglasses.com/.

Innocent People

I saw this on A Keyboard and a .45 who got it from someone else who probably got it from someone else.

Polygamy

I have been getting lots of notices from various organizations about the Netherlands accepting the polygamous marriage of immigrants (typically Muslim). The notices have been written in a horrified tone similar to homosexual "marriage". While I do not think that polygamy is the way God designed marriage, I do consider it a marriage. Why? Because God did. Throughout the Old Testament there are polygamous marriage. God never has people send away their second or third wives. He did have them send away their non-Jewish wives during the rebuilding of Jerusalem. God never sends a prophet to confront a leader with many wives. He did send Nathan to confront David and (in the New Testament) John the Baptist to confront Herod about adultery.

Now I agree that God planned for marriage to be between one man and one woman for life. That is what he created in the Garden of Eden.

That fact doesn't stop us from recognizing remarried couples as married. We recognize them as married whether or not they got divorced for scriptural reasons (adultery would be a scriptural reason, he golfs too much would not).

My mother has told me of a dilemma in the African church. Many people when they come to Christ are in a polygamous marriage. She said most of the time they must send away their extra wives and kids or leave their husbands before they can be baptized. I think this is a grave error. Those kids need both parents. I would baptize them and just admonish the men not to marry any more women. I would admonish the women to stay married even if their unbelieving husband marries again.

I know it isn't ideal, but to me it seems more in line with what God would do (and has done in the past).

Watered-down Gospel

Halfway through an article about Rick Warren's McCain/Obama debate, there was this interesting quote.

Faith and Action president Rob Schenck said there is a wide concern that California mega-church pastor and The Purpose Driven Life author Rick Warren's approach to the proclamation of the gospel is a "downgraded" version.

"Adapted to be perhaps less offensive or less exclusive, maybe more culturally popular or easy to embrace," Schenk contends. "When in fact, by doing that, Pastor Warren threatens to neutralize the very message of the gospel."

That is one of the things that makes me nervous about my church. While I wouldn't call the sermons fluff, I do sometimes wonder if we expect too little of people. Brett and Alex Harris have championed the "Do Hard Things" motto to teens, but doesn't it apply to us all? And didn't Jesus say that we should count the cost before following him? So I would like to know what you all think. So I am trying a little survey.
Click Here to take survey

Update: I just read an article recommended by Jeana at Laugh at the Days that deals with this issue. Here is a quote.

A few years ago I spoke to a pastor of a small church that had been formed largely on the basis of Purpose Driven principles. I asked what their discipleship process involved. I was shocked when the pastor told me, without any remorse, that “if you are really looking to grow as a Christian this isn’t the church for you.” He went on to explain that his church was geared almost entirely towards evangelism. The Sunday morning services were stripped of almost anything that might offend: congregational prayer, the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and so on. The music was done in the style of what was most popular in the town (or what had been most popular in that town in the 80’s) and the preaching always presupposed almost no knowledge of biblical principles. There was a small amount of discipleship training, but only on a very basic level. In other words, this church was driven by unbelievers. Their tastes, their likes and dislikes and their desires were considered the foundation for all the church was and did.

What the blogger calls evangelism, I would call acceptance. To me true evangelism is not only introducing people to Jesus, but also discipleship and helping them transform through the power of the Holy Spirit. True evangelism doesn't end at baptism.