1. One of the most profound joys (if not the most) of the Christian life is when, by God’s grace, you are able to take him at his word and believe you are not condemned because of the cross.
2. My newest vinyl is The Bridge by Sonny Rollins. Straight from 1962. I have a number of jazz records but this is my first brand new one. And I cannot get over the sound. His tenor sax sounds like a voice. And Jim Hall’s guitar is one of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard. I can’t get over it.
3. Since we started this diet, I’ve read three books. Before, I couldn’t stay up night and read. Two pages and I was out. But since we started this diet, I’ve been able to read like I used to, at least a book a week.
4. I believe the sum total of the Christian life is summed up in, “Don’t be afraid. Believe the gospel.” The fight against fear is not tertiary but central.
5. Everyone believes in the complete sovereignty of God over all things. You can deride Calvinism all day long. But as soon as you ask God to save someone from their sin, you believe he can change their will for their good. And as soon as you ask God to heal a person from cancer, you have acknowledged he can and had the power to stop them from getting it, but didn’t.
6. I have in the past made fun of people who worried about all the ingredients in food. That ends now. A couple of weeks ago our youngest son’s stuttering problem got to where he couldn’t hardly talk. We were frustrated. He was frustrated. We started trying to figure out what had changed. We noticed it coincided with some chocolate milk and Popsicles we had bought the kids. Bethany researched a common ingredient and learned enough for us to not let the kids have anymore. Within a few days, his stuttering improved. Two weeks later? We cannot believe the dramatic difference. He will deal with stuttering like me for the rest of his life but we will avoid that ingredient like the plague.
7. There is nothing our governing authorities can do to stop God’s sovereign plan for his people.
8. I do miss pizza so very much.
9. Fantasy team is terrible. Cardinals are struggling. Long season.
10. If I do not keep the hope of heaven in front of me, the thought of my death and the death of those I love and the fact that it will happen for all of us, overwhelms me with fear and despair. But when I remember Jesus is making all things and there is no end to that hope, I can stagger out of that despair.
Echoes and Stars 
Number 6…when a friend of mine was young, his parents were at their breaking point with his behavioral and anger issues. Then they realized it was dairy, and the problems resolved themselves almost immediately.
Number 5 has some bad logic because believing in God’s sovereignty is not equivalent with being a Calvinist.
Much criticism about Calvinism uses those interchangeably. But you are correct that Calvinism is far larger than TULIP.
Love reading about your love of music and old-fashioned vinyl records. Haven’t got around to getting a turntable and some albums yet, but listening to music is one of my hobbies too!