...we must remember to exercise restraint, lest sorrow engulf us. For nothing more readily happens to fearful consciences than falling into despair. And also by this strategem, whomever Satan sees overwhelmed by the fear of God he more and more submerges in that deep whirlpool of sorrow that they may never rise again. That fear cannot, indeed, be too great which ends in humility, and does not depart from the hope of pardon. Nevertheless, in accordance with the apostle's injunction the sinner always ought to beware lest, while he worries himself into dissatisfaction weighed down by excessive fear, he become faint.
Institutes , 3.3.15 (Battles p.608-9)
Which also I think fits well with a great passage in 1 Samuel 12:
And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.
5 comments:
Hey Badger,
Just a question to which you won't know the answer:
Why does your "Live Traffic Feed" show me as "Bloomfield," "West Baden Springs," "Spencer," "French Lick," and all sorts of other towns in which I don't live? Some of those are an hour away, and yet that is who it tells me I am when I pop in.
It's either a strange property of Feedjit or your ISP routes you through different places. My friend up north appears as at least 3 different towns regularly!
By the way, who on earth called a town French Lick?! And (please don't answer this if I'm going to regret it): why?
French Lick? Yes, that did take a little getting used to when I moved here. I don't know the history of the name, but it would be hard to keep a straight face when telling people where you are from!
Perhaps some early settler girl, trying to find her prince, kissed a frog a little too enthusiastically.
Still, it is better than having to admit that one is from Floyd's Knobs, Indiana. Beanblossom and Birdseye are bad enough, but who would admit to being from Gnawbone? And how much confidence would you put in anyone who grew up in Santa Claus?
All of these towns are within an hour or so of my home.
I get the feeling that those who originally claimed the right to name things in Indiana enjoyed outdoing each other for silliness. Thus, on my way to my daughter's school I drive down Lost Man's Lane, barely missing Lois Lane and Merry Way. Across the street from my driveway is a dead end named Rainbow. (Rainbow's End) Our old church was on That Road. Reminds me of the Who's On First skit.
And someone couldn't come up with a silly enough name for a river nearby, so it is now officially named Nameless River.
OK, Badger,
I went looking for an answer to your question, but I got bogged down with all of the goofy names that we Americans make up for our towns. Here are just a few.
Bobo,
Deadhorse,
Boneyard,
Goobertown,
Nothing,
Why,
Flippin,
Nuckles,
Okay,
Possum Grape,
Smackover,
Toad Suck (So, does that give some credence to my theory on how French Lick got named? One can legally change their name; can one legally change their birthplace so they don’t have to admit being born in Toad Suck Arkansas?)
Turkey Scratch,
Yellville,
Avocado,
Badger (Hey, how ‘bout that? They named a town in California after you!)
Badwater,
Bumblebee,
Bummerville (I’m not making this up! Bummerville California!)
Cabbage Patch,
Deadman Crossing,
Doghouse Junction,
Dunmovin (Someone really edjikated named that town!)
Fairplay,
Frying Pan,
Hallelujah Junction,
Hellhole Palms,
Hell’s Kitchen,
Igo,
Last Chance,
Mormon Bar, (What would they serve at a Mormon bar?)
Needles,
Ono,
Peanut,
Road’s End,
Rough and Ready, (Yep, that’s one name for one town.)
Scarface,
Secret Town,
Skidoo,
Squabbletown,
Sucker Flat,
Surprise,
Weedpatch,
Wimp,
You Bet,
Yreka Zzyzx,
No Name (Hi, I’m Noboday, from No Name, Colorado.)
Tincup,
Giant’s Neck,
Cocked Hat,
Frostproof,
Howey−In−The−Hills,
Kissimmee,
Red Head,
Two Egg,
Yeehaw Junction,
Between,
Hopeulikit,
Snapfinger,
Talking Rock,
Beer Bottle Crossing
Big Foot Prairie,
Fishhook,
Grand Detour,
Normal,
Paw Paw,
Fickle,
Gas City,
Surprise,
Toad Hop,
What Cheer,
Buttermilk,
Beaver Lick,
Bug,
Bugtussle,
Crummies,
Do Stop,
Eighty−eight,
Lick Fork,
Monkey’s Eyebrow,
Mud Lick,
Oddville,
Paint Lick, (Rather a lot of Licks, don’t you think?)
Typo,
Belcher,
Dry Prong,
Uncle Sam,
Beans Corner Bingo,
Boring,
Cow Yard,
Ware (Ware did you say you were from?)
Hell (There are actually a few states that have towns named Hell.)
Pine Stump Junction,
Podunk,
Slapneck,
Embarrass,
Hot Coffee,
Yazoo,
Frankenstein,
Humansville,
Licking,
Peculiar,
Roach,
Tightwad,
Big Arm,
Big Fork,
Checkerboard,
Hungry Horse,
Yaak,
Fort Crook,
Wahoo,
Worms,
Jackpot,
Lost Nation,
Sandwich Landing,
Cheesequake,
Truth Or Consequences,
Painted Post,
Yaphank Yonkers,
Duck,
Frog Pond,
Gum Neck,
Kill Devil Hills,
Lizard Lick,
Tick Bite,
Whynot,
Zap,
Hicksville,
Knockemstiff,
Cookietown,
Idiotville,
Zig Zag,
Fear Not,
King Of Prussia,
Panic,
Scalp Level,
Coward,
Due West,
Ninetimes,
Ninety Six,
Six Mile,
South of the Border,
Townville,
Bugscuffle,
Nameless,
Finger,
Smartt,
Sweetlips,
Ding Dong,
Cut−n−shoot,
Gun Barrel City,
Hoop and Holler,
Noodle,
Oatmeal,
Pointblank,
Uncertain,
Mexican Hat,
Bread Loaf,
Mosquitoville,
Satan’s Kingdom,
Notown,
Bumpass,
Butts,
Lick Skillet,
Needmore,
Big Ugly,
HooHoo,
Left Hand,
Odd,
War,
Footville,
Imalone,
Chugwater
There are actually quite a few that are far too sexually explicit for me to want to post them here, let alone have to put them on my resume!
But what I still don't understand is why the British still think we are bunch of back-water bumpkins over here. We just want your respect!
Well, I just read this post and comments sat in Starbucks (apologies to all who feel they need one) and could barely contain my laughter. Doug, you live in a whacky place! Boy oh boy, some of our ancestors must have been....well, of the same ilk as the Badger himself.....
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