In Memory

In memory of my Aunt Prissy, who passed away yesterday of cancer at 49 years old.

More on tax treaties

In this post on the Tax Prof blog, the issue of tax treaties comes up again. (See this previous post).

As a general note, I think I find the U.S. entering into treaties that submit the people of this nation to foreign power a bit unconstitutional. (Please add a note of sarcasm to the word "bit").

And you think taxes are bad now...

Can you imagine having taxes on global e-commerce? Ack! Tax Prof blog has a post here, and I have copied the abstract below, regard global taxation.

This paper assesses national and international responses to tax challenges presented by cross-border electronic commerce. Almost ten years after these challenges were first identified, a survey of national government reactions shows that many countries have not passed any significant tax legislation or administrative guidance with respect to the taxation of global e-commerce. This lack of action at the national level can be explained in large part by the leadership role taken by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in developing the guiding principles and, subsequently, the tax rules to confront the e-commerce tax challenges. The OECD’s general success with e-commerce tax reform demonstrates the potential of the OECD to act as a kind of informal (lower case) world tax organization, which emphasizes deliberation, consensus-building and the use of non-binding mechanisms such as the OECD model tax treaty. Moreover, the OECD’s success suggests that calls for a more formal (upper-case) World Tax Organization, which could impose binding tax rules on participating nations, may be misplaced.

The Coolness of Tax

The government will always get its own...

Take for instance this article on the Tax Prof blog.

"Having someone else pay your taxes can get tricky, since the government counts the amount that person pays as taxable income. "

Gary Allan - The One

No rush though I need your touch
I won't rush your heart
Until you feel on solid ground
Until your strength is found, girl

I'll fill those canyons in your soul
Like a river lead you home
And I'll walk a step behind
In the shadows so you shine
Just ask it will be done
And I will prove my love
Until you're sure that I'm "the one"

Somebody else was here before
He treated you unkind
And broken wings need time to heal
Before a heart can fly, girl

I'll fill those canyons in your soul
Like a river lead you home
And I'll walk a step behind
In the shadows so you shine
Just ask it will be done
And I will prove my love
Until you're sure that I'm "the one"

Trust in me and you'll find a heart so true
All I want to do is give the best of me to you
And stand beside you

Just ask it will be done
And I will prove my love
Until you're sure that I'm "the one"

Good Thought

“I WOULD RATHER TEMPORARILY FAIL WITH A CAUSE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY SUCCEED, THAN TO TEMPORARILY SUCCEED WITH A CAUSE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY FAIL.” –WOODROW WILSON

A funny...

From BuffaloWings&Vodka, a funny thought.

Things your law professor is doing instead of grading your exam:

....Looking at the webcounter he's installed to see how many times you've checked your grades, and laughing....

All law student's know how true that seems!!

Spirit of the Law

Every law student knows about IRAC (or the newer CREAC). Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion. The crux of it, that which determines the top and bottom half of the class, comes from knowing the rule and applying it to the facts presented. That is what lawyers do...why they are paid so much sometimes. They have to use their minds to take a rule that can seem impersonal and distant on paper and apply it to a real scenario, involving real people.

It is application that makes those stale words in books come alive. More and more, I'm understanding that is what I need to do in my life as a Christian. In the song "Everything to me" by Avalon, the lyrics go like this:

I grew up in Sunday school
I memorized the Golden rule
And how Jesus came to set the sinner free
I know the story inside out
I can tell you all about
The path that led Him up to Calvary
But ask me why He loves me
And I don't know what to say
But I'll never be the same
Because he changed my life when He became...

Everything to me
He's more than a story
more than words on a page of history
He's the air that I breath
The water I thirst for
And the ground beneath my feet
He's everything, everything to me

Living in a modern world, it is sometimes hard to remember that Christ really did live those words written in the bible. He cast out demons, raised the dead, walked on water, and most important, took the sin of the world with him on the cross and conquered death for us. The significance of that is hard to grasp until you really dig into scripture and see how we are suppose to live. However, the first step is to realize that those stale words on the page won't mean anything to us individually until we apply them to our lives.

I Am, Part 2

In a previous post I talked about Nicole Nordeman's song, "I Am". I've been listening to the song so much lately because of hard times in my life, I'm publishing the song's lyrics in full below:

Pencil marks on a wall, I wasn't always this tall
You scattered some monsters from beneath my bed.
You watched my team win, and watched my team lose
Watched when my bicycle went down again

When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call You by name
And I said Elbow Healer, Superhero, come if you can
You said, I Am

Only sixteen, life is so mean
What kind of curfew is at 10 pm?
You saw my mistakes and watched my heart break
Heard when I swore I'd never love again

When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call You by name
And I said Heartache Healer, Secret Keeper, be my best friend
You said, I Am

You saw me wear white by pale candlelight
I said 'forever' to what lies ahead
Two kids and a dream, with kids that can scream
Too much it might seem when it is 2 am.

When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call You by name
Oh, Shepherd Savior, Pasture Maker, hold on to my hand
You said, I Am

The winds of change and circumstance
Blow in and all around us
So we find a foothold that's familiar
And bless the moments that we feel you nearer

When life had begun I was woven and spun
You let the angels dance around the throne
Who can say when, but they'll dance again
When I am free and finally headed home

I will be weak, unable to speak, still I will call You by name
Creator, Maker, Life Sustainer
Comforter, Healer, My Redeemer
Lord and King, Beginning and the End
I Am, I Am

KLove Ministry

There is a radio station I listen to here in Lubbock. I'm not sure from where, but it is sydicated nationally and anyone can listen via the internet.

They are funded through pledge money from listeners, and they failed to reach their goal during the Fall Pledge Drive. Therefore, they are doing a year-end pledge drive.

One guy called in who said that while he and his wife cannot afford much, they both received the same message from God that they should give monthly to the KLove ministry. They are selling their house and some of their things so they can get financially back on track...but in the mean time, they are donating.

Relying on Malachi 3:10-11, the man said that God has all the money in the world; He doesn't need our money, he needs our trust, our faith.

I say, Amen.

KLove

A resolution worth keeping

From Dr. Jack Graham, Dallas TX:

You probably know the story of Simon Peter, a sometimes brash and confident fisherman, who denied Jesus just as the Lord predicted. When Peter realized his sin, he wept bitterly and went away into the darkness of misery. But that same Peter who had been outside the love of God and having denied Christ moved back into the arms of Christ because of forgiveness. He was renewed, restored, and recommissioned.

He went from that time of turmoil in his life to be ignited by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and become the greatest preacher and Apostle of the first century. Why? Because Jesus said he was going to build His church on people, just like Simon Peter, who are frail, fragile, and often fall, but that also desire to wholeheartedly love, follow, obey, and live for Him.

It may be that in the days of this past year, you’ve found yourself living in denial of your faith at certain times. Maybe you’ve walked away from the love of God or found yourself distracted and unfocused when it comes to your relationship with Christ. Pray that Christ would bring you back into a spirit-filled relationship with Him and that He would reignite your heart on fire for Him.

In the coming year, commit yourself to the spiritual exercise of your soul. Build yourself up in Christ through faith, ground yourself in Jesus growing into spiritual maturity, and live fully in the love of God. Do you want to stay in the love of God during this coming year and those after? Then stay in the Word of God!

YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION SHOULD BE TO BUILD YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE UP EVERY DAY THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST AND IN HIS HOLY WORD.

Guardianship

I'm taking a short course this next semester on Guardianships. I found the following blog post on my professor's website incredibly interesting and thought it was worth an entry on my own blog.

Here is the link

A list to think on

I took this list from another blog. I thought it sounded great...

1. Parents ... have wisdom of gold that is not taken until long after it is given.
2. My greatest ... fear is being left alone.
3. I secretly ... wish I had a room full of books that I could work through at my own pace.
4. The problem with ... problems is that they never go away.
5. My mother used to ... get up early in the morning to go to work, and I would sit in her bathroom door and watch her get ready.
6. Women ... love and feel things deeply.
7. Men ... smell great - sometimes!
8. I hate ... (am massively irritated by) slow drivers.
9. Long ... lines help me build by patience.
10. Being young ... is over-valued, because there is rarely much wisdom in youth.
11. Aging ... is under-valued, because there is quite often a lot of wisdom in age.
12. I love ... good coffee, chocolate, and sunrises.
13. People tend to ... refrain from speaking their minds.
14. My favorite ... thing to do is watch movies.
15. I'm getting better at ... learning to let my issues go.
16. I wish ... I could lie under a blanket of stars and try to count them.
17. Some things ... are of little consequence, despite the value we try to give them.
18. In a year ... I hope I will have found a job that I love.
19. Children ... have enough innocence to give them wisdom beyond their years.
20. I would like to be ... Christ-like in everything I do.

Back in the Saddle

So Christmas is over, and the New Year is right around the corner. Colorado was absolutely fantastic...pics coming soon. I'm back in The Big D visiting my family...but once I return to good ol' Lubbock, just wait! Regular posting will start once again (whereas they ended right before finals) and I'm doing a re-organization of the entire blog.

Hope everyone is having a great time of year! I'm off to Bath and Body to buy 5 Anti-bacterial soaps for $10...lol. Gotta keep those hands clean and smellin' good!

Merry, Merry Christmas!

I'm finally done with finals!!

Woooohoooo!!!!!!!

Now, off to Colorado and then Dallas. Awesome! Here I come oh snow!

The End of Courtship, Part 1: a commentary

In a recent conversation, I posed the question, "What sets me apart from other girls?" The answer surprised me...because it was rather bland. Though token thoughts were offered, ultimately, nothing was offered.

For the first time in human history, mature women by the tens of thousands live the entire decade of their twenties — their most fertile years — neither in the homes of their fathers nor in the homes of their husbands; unprotected, lonely, and out of sync with their inborn nature.

A century ago, things were much different.

In polite society, at the beginning of this century, our grandfathers came a-calling and a-wooing at the homes of our grandmothers, under conditions set by the woman, operating from strength on her own turf.

I write a lot of entries on dating...not because I have some aspirations to be an informal social theorist or the like...but because I am in the midst of it. I want to get married. I'm not saying tomorrow, but I greatly desire to find a Godly man who will be the spiritual leader of my home. He will make me and our children feel cherished; he will see me as God sees me - as one of a kind.

One of the problems with dating today is that it has turned from courtship, in which two people yearned for each other, to advertising. Today, we sell ourselves; we are commodities on an open-market; free-trade princples are the rule.

Those women and men who get lucky enter into what the personal ads call LTRs — long-term relationships — sometimes cohabiting, sometimes not, usually to discover how short an LTR can be. When, after a series of such affairs, marriage happens to them, they enter upon it guardedly and suspiciously, with prenuptial agreements, no common surname, and separate bank accounts....

A fine woman understood [way back when] that giving her body (in earlier times, even her kiss) meant giving her heart, which was too precious to be bestowed on anyone who would not prove himself worthy, at the very least by pledging himself in marriage to be her defender and lover forever.

Defender and lover forever...how fantastic. I dream of the day that a man tells me that he wants to be my defender and lover forever. There are two men in my life that will never leave my heart...even if they leave this world, I know they are still with me: my father and my brother. I know that both of them love me beyond reasoning (for real love cannot be lowered to the level of mere logic)...I am their daughter and sister. I pray simply that someday, a man will cherish me enough...love me enough...be able to see the woman that is uniquly me...to be my defender and lover forever.

Thought of the Week

Speaking as a woman...men, listen up. I have some great advice for you.

The key to a woman's heart is this: courtship. Women want to be courted...they want romance.

Learn the art of courtship, and you are 90% of the way there.

Of course, knowing what is involved in actually courting a woman is a whole other matter....

Halloween Pics

My Costume...Meow!


The Trunk!

These are from "Trunk or Treat" at my church. Good times!

Separation of Church and Church

I was priviledged recently to engage a good friend of mine in a theological discussion about the role of doctrine in the lives of Christians and the Church as a whole. It was my view that the idea of doctrine leans toward religiosity, which I try to avoid at all costs because I think it tends to separate the body of Christ more than unify it. She clings quite closely to that same doctrine that I try to avoid, because she says that the church's doctrine (Catholic, Methodist, Church of Christ, Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, etc.) defines the sermons it gives, the activities it engages in, etc.

During our discussion, I could feel her putting up a wall. Since then, I learned that she went away feeling that I did not respect her position, that I had preached at her, and that she felt I was ignorant in "my" church's doctrine and should learn about it. I am hurt by what she said because I tried very hard to remain relaxed and open during the entire conversation. Her exact words in her later email were,

"I was totally shocked at how uneducated you were about your denomination. I know you don't like denominations, but regardless, this is your chosen one at the moment. I think education is key to anything and you can't just say, well I read the Bible, that is all that matters."

I would like to argue that I can say that. Because, the theology of any particular denomination does not bind God. However, God gave us his word; he is perfect, and will honor what he has said. Therefore, when I read the bible, I know what the truth is. Likewise, I feel that even the idea of denominations is unbiblical.

When the church was forming in those first centuries, Paul warned the various churches to watch out for division. To the church in Rome, he said, "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teachings you have learned." (Romans 16:17). To the church in Corinth, he wrote, "I appeal to you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." (1 Corinthians 1:10). Christ warned us of this very problem: "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." (Matthew 12:25).

There are many, many other examples in the old and new testaments about how division causes failure, but unification will glorify. Therefore, I do not spend my time dwelling on those aspects that will divide the church. We should turn to the bible when we wonder what to do. My friend pointed out that at some churches, and she specified the Baptist church, you have to be a member of that church, according to its doctrine, to partake of the Lord's supper. Who is allowed at the Lord's supper? Everyone. When the members of the church in Corinth didn't wait for people, when the were divided about who was allowed to partake of the Lord's supper, Paul chastised them. (1 Corinthians 11:17-34). Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40). We are not called to exclude people, but to welcome people. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one ande only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, emphasis added).

I'm not sure if my friend will ever see what I'm trying to say about not focusing on those things that divide us, but bring us together; that the bible is the only set of "rules" that counts. I think the unease between us right now is rather symbolic of the unease within the church as a whole. Personally, I still don't think knowing or not knowing about the particularized doctrine of the church I go to will serve me as a Christian. I will attend a church that follows bibical teachings and no others; I will not attend a church that treats the bible as a euphemism or excludes people. As far as point of view, I will use the discernment given to me through the Holy Spirit to listen to what my pastor says. We are called to do that in all areas of our lives, and that includes in church. You have to watch out for false teachings. Regardless, my prayer is that enough people will see my point regarding denominations that the church can become a unified force in the world to effect change and enable the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of men.

20/20 Foresight

It has become a habit of mine recently to complain. Everyone has negative things in their lives, but recently for some reason, I've thought that my burdens were somehow greater or more important than others...that it was time for me to have some "self" time.

Listening to Third Day's "Cry Out to Jesus" made me change my thinking.

Several years ago, I began loosing weight. Back in 2001, I weighed significantly more. Four years later, I'm 110 pounds lighter. I've manage to keep all the weight I've ever lost off; that is truly a blessing. When I was heavier, I use to wonder why God had allowed me to become that way at such an early age. I remember back into elementary school being overweight. At that point, it was more my parent's duty than my own to make eating choices for myself. Over the years, their bad habits became my own. It took going to college and living on my own to change. I wondered many times over those years why God hadn't provided me with a different situation.

However, God walked with me through my weightloss; I did indeed cry to Jesus many times. Since that journey, people are always shocked to find out I weighed so much more at one point. What was a burden at one point, what drove me to incredible self-hatred before, grace has turned into a blessing. I've been able to be a real, personal role-model for dedicatedly changing something about myself. One of my friends is loosing weight right now and says that she knows she can because I did. God has given me the opportunity to witness in a way I never thought possible: by using my own struggles to glorify him - I never would have made that journey but for God's grace.

Today, when I struggle, I complain. It seems I've forgotten that God uses our struggles to teach us and others. What I learn today, I can share tomorrow. If Christ was as self-centered as I've been recently, if he had as much self-pitty as I do, man would the world be in trouble. The saying goes that hindsight is 20/20. I say that for Christians, so is foresight. No matter the problems I have today, I know that God will use the lessons I learn in my life and the lives of others. I know that I am here for a reason and I won't be here longer than he needs me to be.