Made Alive With Christ

Homemade Vanilla Extract

2012-01-28T07:01:00.000-05:00

We always look forward to receiving our Christmas package from Joel's brother and sister-in-law. Harlan and Barbara surprise us with something they have made, usually food-related. This Christmas, they treated us to a jar of their homemade vanilla extract, made with just two ingredients, vodka and Madagascar vanilla beans. To be honest, I had never given any consideration to how vanilla extract is made, or the ingredients involved. I looked at my bottle of Tone's "pure" vanilla extract, and it is only 35 percent alcohol, because water has also been added. The process of making your own vanilla extract is not complicated, but it does take time, so plan ahead. Here is a picture tutorial from The Thrifty Mama.

Creamy Stir Fry Shrimp - New Recipe of the Week

2012-01-26T20:10:00.000-05:00

This week's recipe comes from a Love to Cook Club friend. Dolly has won or placed in several cooking contests in our area. While this is not one of her winning recipes, but it is still very tasty. . .and easy! Joel and I made this together the other night, and I thought I might be missing a liquid ingredient because it wasn't a sauce as we expected. To make it creamier, we added more white wine, about 1/2 cup. The next day I called Dolly to ask her about the recipe, and she said it's not a sauce, just a coating on the shrimp. But she also said adding more wine, chicken broth, or cream (or combination of these) is a good idea if we want it as a sauce.

Here's the recipe:

1 lb. raw, peeled, and deveined shrimp
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T. butter
3 oz. cream cheese
1 T. chopped parsley
1/2 t. onion powder
2 T. white wine
salt and pepper to taste
noodles or rice for serving

Saute the shrimp and garlic in sizzling butter until it is opaque. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook and stir until the cream cheese is melted and smooth. Serve over noodles or rice.

Poem of Perspective

2012-01-25T06:47:00.000-05:00

God is so good in that he often uses our friends to minister grace to us. Last night I was in a gathering of women, and four of us at my table had recently lost a loved one. It was a time of reflective mourning for us all. Then when I arrived home, I had a sweet card and note from a friend. She also included a copy of this poem by Norman Macleod, that I hope will be an encouragement to others:

We picture death as coming to destroy;
let us rather picture Christ as coming to save.
We think of death as ending; let us rather think
of life as beginning, and that more abundantly.
We think of losing; let us think of gaining.
We think of parting; let us think of meeting.
We think of going away; let us think of arriving.
And as the voice of death whispers,
"You must go from earth,"
Let us hear the voice of Christ saying,
"You are but coming to me."

Handling Money as Heaven's Citizens

2012-01-21T06:49:00.000-05:00

Suppose you had the opportunity to visit Heaven for a while; how do you think that experience would affect how you live here on earth? And how do you think that visit would change the way you handle your money? Charles Spurgeon pondered these questions and wrote these thoughts in a sermon entitled, "A Heavenly Pattern for Our Earthly Life" - April 30, 1884:

I do not think this man coming fresh from Heaven would say, "I must have this luxury; I must have this nice outfit; I must have this grand house." But he would say, "How much can I save for the God of Heaven? How much can I invest in the country I came from?"

I am sure he would be pinching pennies to save money to serve God with. And as he went about the streets and mingled with ungodly men and women, he would be sure to find ways of getting at their consciences and hearts; he would always be trying to bring others to the bliss he enjoyed.

Think that over, and live so -- so as he did who really did come down from Heaven. For after all, the best rule of life is, What would Jesus do if he were here today and the world were lying in the grip of the wicked one? If Jesus were in your businesses, if he had your money, how would he spend it? For that is how you ought to spend it.

Now think, my brother, you will be in Heaven very soon. . .Sitting up in those celestial seats, how shall we wish that we had lived below? It would not give any man in Heaven even a moment's joy to think that he gratified himself while here. It will give him no reflections suitable to the place to remember how much he amassed, how much he left behind to be quarreled over after was gone. He will say to himself, "I wish I had saved more of my capital by sending it on before me, for what I saved on Earth was lost, but what I spent for God was really laid up where thieves do not break through and steal."

Oh, brothers, let us live as we shall wish we had lived when life is over; let us fashion a life which will bear the light eternal. Is it life to live otherwise?

Piggy Pudding - New Recipe of the Week

2012-01-20T07:04:00.000-05:00

As I was looking through my new Paula Deen cookbook the other night, this recipe grabbed my attention, Piggy Pudding. With a name like that, I had to read more! Paula describes it as "a great no-fuss recipe -- wonderful for a brunch or Sunday night supper." There are two important words in her description - "no fuss" - just what I want after coming home from work. Joel and I both really liked the interesting flavor combination of sausage, apples, and cornbread. . .with syrup on top, of course. It's a comfort food sure to make an encore appearance at our table.

Piggy Pudding:

16 link pork sausages
4 to 5 tart apples peeled, cored, and sliced
One 7 1/2 oz. package corn bread mix (prepare batter according to directions)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook sausages until done, piercing with fork to let out fat. Drain, then arrange in a 9 inch square baking dish. Layer sliced apples on top. Pour corn bread batter over all and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until corn bread is done. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Demonstrating Compassion

2012-01-18T19:38:00.001-05:00

I love Ashlea. . .and not just because she's my daughter. I would love her regardless. There are many reasons for the affection, but today I'm reflecting on how much I love her as a sister in Christ and a very good friend. I especially appreciate her biblical perspective and discernment in life situations. As much as I tease Ashlea about being "way out there" (because she often seems to be thinking on a different plane), she really does have a pretty good head on her shoulders.

Recently we were discussing how we often tell people that we're praying for them, which is good if indeed we are, but our commitment stops there. We are not really interested in getting involved to the point of offering physical, emotional, spiritual, or grammatical (just seeing if you're paying attention) support. I have been guilty of that many times. Instead of giving of myself or my resources, I've often just uttered the words "I'll be praying for you" before moving on. Ashlea commented that this response to a known need might be interpreted as "Go in peace, be warmed and filled" as spoken of in James 2:16, the appearance of compassion without the works of love to prove the compassion.

I realize that there are times when praying is all we are able to do. I am not disparaging prayer, because faithful prayer for others is important. But I have been challenged to also pray about other ways I can demonstrate love when friends and family are in need. Sometimes it's even the little things that make a difference.

Quotable

2012-01-16T17:20:00.001-05:00

I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same. ~ C. S. Lewis

Sweet Potato Chips - New Recipe of the Week

2012-01-14T06:54:00.000-05:00

Okay, I might be one of the few remaining people on the planet who hadn't ever prepared sweet potato chips, but this Paula Deen recipe provides a new twist. And this will come as a surprise to those of you who know me as a "stick to the script" type of person. . . I actually deviated from Paula's recipe by sprinkling half the chips with cinnamon sugar. Then I sprinkled them with a little more cinnamon for good measure. Both versions were delicious! I honestly couldn't decide which I preferred.

If you have a different way of preparing sweet potato chips, please share in the comments section. We will definitely be making these again!

Note: I have copied Paula's recipe verbatim below, but from my experience with her recipes, I cut the butter in half, and that was more than enough. I also used the dry-roasted peanuts we had on hand and skipped the salt.

Paula Deen's Recipe:

2 large sweet potatoes
8 tablespoons (1 stick butter), melted
1 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with foil; lightly grease. Slice potatoes to 1/4 inch thick. Dip potatoes in melted butter and arrange on baking sheet so that chips do not overlap. Sprinkle with peanuts. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with salt.

Storing Up Treasures

2012-01-12T06:22:00.000-05:00

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and were thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).

Now that the crazy Christmas consumer season is over, I think it's safe to do this blog post. I certainly didn't want to rain on someone's "joy of giving" parade. We Christians know we are suppose to lay up treasures in Heaven as good stewards of the money and resources entrusted to us by our Heavenly Father. If you're like me, the concept of laying up treasures in Heaven might seem rather nebulous. Sure, we give to our church and a few other select charities, but do we understand that our gifts to the eternal purposes of God are transformed into eternal rewards for obedience and faithfulness? Jesus taught us that "no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (Matthew 6:24).

I appreciate what Randy Alcorn has to say about these verses:

"There is truth in the old maxim 'You can't take it with you.' But when Jesus tells us to store up treasures in Heaven, he adds a new corollary. Essentially he is saying, 'You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead.' Material things on this fallen Earth just won't stand the test of time. Even if they escape moths and vermin and thieves, they cannot escape the coming fire of God that will consume the material world (2 Peter 3:7). Christ's primary argument against amassing material wealth isn't that it's morally wrong. It's that in light of the short time we spend here and the eternity we will spend in Heaven, storing up treasure here instead of there is simply a poor investment.

Every day is one day closer to the day we will die. Therefore, those who store up treasures on Earth spend every day moving away from their treasures; they have reason to despair. Those who store up treasures in Heaven spend every day moving toward their treasures; they have every reason to rejoice." (taken from We Shall See God, p. 136)

Thoughts Heavenward

2012-01-08T07:27:00.000-05:00

We are homesick for Eden. We're nostalgic for what is implanted in our hearts. It's built into us, perhaps at a genetic level. We long for what the first man and woman once enjoyed -- a perfect and beautiful Earth and free and unstained relationships with God, one another, animals, and the environment. Every attempt at human progress has been an attempt to overcome what was lost in the Fall. If God's plan were merely to take mankind to the present Heaven or to a Heaven that is the dwelling place of spirit beings, there would be no need for new heavens and a New Earth. . .[God] isn't going to abandon his creation; he's going to restore it. We won't go to Heaven and leave Earth behind. Rather, God will bring Heaven and Earth together into the same dimension, with no wall of separation, no armed angels to guard Heaven's perfection from sinful mankind (Genesis 3:24). God's perfect plan is "to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ" (Ephesians 1:10, NIV). . .If the present Earth, so diminished by the Curse, is at times so beautiful and wonderful and if our bodies, so diminished by the Curse, are at times overcome with a sense of the Earth's beauty and wonder, then how magnificent will the New Earth be? Spurgeon speaks eloquently of what awaits this Earth: 'Her curse shall be removed, her stains taken away, and this world shall be as fair as when God first formed her from his mind.' Earth cannot be delivered from the Curse by being destroyed. It can be delivered only by being resurrected. Christ's resurrection is the forerunner of our own, and our resurrection will be the forerunner of the Earth's.

~Randy Alcorn, We Shall See God, pp. 180 - 181

The Kids Come Through!

2012-01-07T07:47:00.001-05:00

I am always pleasantly surprised at the thoughtful gifts my children give me. They seem to find the perfect items, without any prompting from me. . .usually. I've been known to drop a few hints here and there, and being the bright kids that they are, they are quick to catch them. But these gifts were of their own doing, and I love them!

I should have had these dinner napkins twenty years ago! Instead of verbal reminders of good manners,
let the napkins say it all! I can't wait to use these on dinner guests. . .all in good fun, of course. Thanks, Ashlea!

Bring on the butter! Knowing I've been a huge Paula Deen fan since our visit to The Lady & Sons (click to link to blog post), what better way to renew my interest in cooking than with a new Paula Deen cookbook? And throw in a cheese biscuit mix for good measure! I've already selected a few "must try" recipes.
Thank you, Tyler and Baillie!

Verse for the Year

2012-01-06T07:19:00.001-05:00

I have a Bible verse that I've claimed as my life verse for longer than I can remember, but I've never before claimed a Bible verse as the "verse for the year" as do some Christians. While attending church with Ashlea last Sunday, Pastor Ryan used Psalm 105:4 to challenge us for the new year:

"Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually."

Short and sweet, but packed with huge implications! I've been thinking about this verse throughout the week, reflecting on what it means to seek the Lord and then do that continually. How strong is my desire to spend time with my Heavenly Father in prayer and in his Word, knowing he desires to commune with me, his child? How willing am I to humble myself to rely on his wisdom and strength rather than on my own? How often do I acknowledge his sovereignty and goodness in all of life's hills and valleys? How should continually seeking the Lord's presence affect my interaction with others, remembering that each one has been created in the image of God? How can I better serve and minister to them with Jesus as my example?

As I continue to ponder this verse this year, my prayer is that the Lord would grow my faith, love, and dependence on him. I would appreciate any thoughts or encouragement from you on seeking the Lord and his strength continually.

New Year - New Food

2012-01-04T21:11:00.001-05:00

For the last several years, primarily since Tyler left home, I've been touting the line that I've retired from cooking. Nobody is buying it. And I think my family is conspiring against me to make sure that doesn't happen. More on that later. As I was mulling over resolutions for the new year, I decided that if I am going to continue cooking, I might as well make it interesting. Therefore, I want to be purposeful this coming year to cook or bake one new recipe each week. I also intend to share the selected recipe on my blog. But don't get too excited. I will not be attempting to channel Julia Childs. In my kitchen, simplicity is the ticket. . .as well as being flavorful, of course. I look for recipes that I can make fairly quickly, without needing to buy a bunch of unusual ingredients.

Tonight's recipe was Hoppin' John, a recipe I picked up from the Tasty Kitchen blog. Since it consisted of beans and rice, the meal was just about perfect in my book. I'd get along great in South America.

Click here for the recipe. (I took the short-cut and used canned black-eyed peas, and it was still wonderful!)

Two Quotes to Stir Your Love for Others

2011-12-28T00:17:00.000-05:00

From Justin Taylor's blog:

Two Quotes to Stir Your Love for Others

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:42:00.000-05:00

Our daughter Ashlea pulled off another Christmas surprise visit by showing up around 8:00 a.m. yesterday morning. Since we're getting together next weekend with Tyler and Baillie, I really didn't think she would be home this weekend. Sometimes I'm amazed by my denseness! When I heard a car door in the driveway, I looked out the window and saw the back part of a vehicle, but didn't recognize it as hers. Then I heard the garage door opening, and I wondered, "Who is coming into MY house. . . and not very quietly at that?!!" Just as I was about to open the door leading into the garage, I saw her dog Walsh running in the back yard. I opened the door to "SURPRISE!!" My heart was exceedingly glad. We were also able to pull off the surprise on Joel, and his heart was exceedingly glad. It was great to spend Christmas eve together, talking, cooking, and worshiping with friends at a Christmas eve service. Today we'll worship in our church and have homemade Mexican dinner with friends.

Wishing you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. . .for he has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation." Luke 1:46-50

Sharing in the Sorrow

2011-12-23T07:19:00.000-05:00

As some of you might know, R. C. Sproul, Jr.'s wife, Denise, passed away earlier this week. She had been on our hearts and minds since we learned of her battle with cancer at the Ligonier National Conference back in March. R. C., Jr. used this family challenge to encourage others to remember that God is Almighty over all. . .even in the midst of pain and suffering. (Click here to read my blog post on his poignant comments.) Yesterday, Joel directed me to the memorial meditation that R. C. Sproul gave at his daugher-in-law's service, knowing it would be an encouragement to me. R. C. Sproul has a gift for ministering to hearts with biblical truths.

As we are also still grieving, I appreciated Dr. Sproul's comments on practical theology in the midst of bereavement:

"In the years that I spent teaching in seminary, we would prepare students for ministry with academic disciplines in theology, biblical studies, church history, apologetics, philosophy, that sort of thing. But in addition to those disciplines, we would provide courses in what we called “practical theology” to help the students understand how to administer the sacraments and how to visit people in the hospital. But a question I was frequently asked by seminarians was this: “What do you say when you visit people who are bereaved at a funeral service or during visiting hours at a funeral home—what do you say?” And I would answer that question two ways. First thing I would say to them is that there is no script that has been given to us from heaven on what you’re supposed to say to people who are in the midst of grieving. There’s no rehearsed speech that you can take with you into the funeral home. And the second thing I said was that it really doesn’t matter what you say. In fact, you don’t have to say anything. Just be there. Put your arm around those who are in pain."

This is a lesson well-learned. We may be praying for others in sorrow, but are we willing to help carry their burden by just being there? A phone call, visit, providing a meal or an invitation to dinner are ways to express Christ's love to those grieving the loss of a loved one. I'm learning that the grieving process necessitates communicating with others. . .telling the story, so to speak. And that process takes time, so it's good to continue to express concern after their loved one has passed.

You can read Denise Sproul's memorial meditation in it's entirety here.

Odd Thomas - The Incarnation (Spoken Word)

2011-12-22T18:36:00.000-05:00

A Song For All Times: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

2011-12-21T18:15:00.000-05:00

A Song For All Times: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day: This poem, written by Henry W. Longfellow in 1864, addresses the despair felt by many during the Civil War. It seemed there could be no peac...

A Song For All Times: Who Is This So Weak and Helpless

2011-12-20T00:43:00.000-05:00

A Song For All Times: Who Is This So Weak and Helpless: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and tru...

The Real Reason for the Season

2011-12-19T20:25:00.000-05:00

Please bear with me as I share once more about the events surrounding my brother's passing; it seems to be helpful in the grieving process. Doug's funeral was held in the church in which we all were raised. Even though none of us now lives in that community, and the new pastor did not know us, he was gracious enough to minister to our family and conduct the service.

Doug loved and enjoyed the Christmas season probably more than anyone else in our family, so we were all in agreement that we wanted Christmas carols for the funeral; the only dilemma was deciding which ones to use. We have vivid memories of Doug breaking out in various Christmas carols, but "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" seemed to be his favorite. We sang this song corporately to begin the service. "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" was also selected because that was the song Ashlea was singing to him at the time of his passing. And finally, mom requested "Silent Night" be sung to close the service, because it is her favorite. Ashlea and our niece Angie sang these two songs as duets. . .beautifully done, I might add. :)

Pastor Nielsen's message began with a take-off on the familiar cliche "Jesus is the reason for the season." He challenged us, though, to take that thought further to the realization that the real reason for the Christmas season is death. Because of Adam and Eve's sin (Genesis 3), they were subject to physical and spiritual death. All of mankind since then likewise has been born spiritually dead, separated from God's holiness, and destined for God's judgment and eternal death in hell. But because of God's great love, even before time began, the Holy Trinity ordained the plan of redemption, the saving of souls from eternal punishment. The redemption plan required that Jesus humble himself and take on the the form of man, being born as the Babe in the manger that first Christmas. The redemption plan also required that sinless Jesus lay down his life on the cross as the only acceptable sacrifice to cover the sins of man. And in rising from the dead on the third day, Jesus overcame the power of death and promises that same victory to those who trust in him as Lord and Savior. As many have said before, Christmas is really about Jesus' ultimate death on the cross to save us from eternal spiritual death. Doxology!

"I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 15:50 - 57

A Song For All Times: Nations That Long in Darkness Walked

2011-12-19T05:52:00.000-05:00

A Song For All Times: Nations That Long in Darkness Walked: I must confess that I did not know about this carol until this year, but now that I do, it is quickly becoming one of my favorites. The lyri...

The Economy of Grace: Who have you encouraged today?

2011-12-16T21:30:00.000-05:00

Good thoughts from my friend, Ben. I have to agree that a hand-written note (or card) is usually the best way to encourage someone, for they are often tucked away, or prominently displayed, for ongoing encouragement. I'm afraid this is becoming a lost art in the age of emails and Facebook messages.

The Economy of Grace: Who have you encouraged today?: Typically, my answer to this question would be "no one", with maybe some self-justification added on the end. 6 months ago was a very dar...

Air Force Commissioning Ceremony

2011-12-16T21:10:00.000-05:00

As of last Friday, we are now the proud parents of Air Force 2nd Lieutenant Tyler Davenport. The ceremony was impressive, but included a little pre-ceremony drama, courtesy of moi. . .which was not impressive to Tyler or Joel. There's nothing like inadvertently throwing one of Ty's uniform rank bars in the trash to arouse some excitement. At least I realized what I had done and was able to retrieve the bar. Joel cleaned it off and wouldn't let me have it again until the ceremony was ready to begin. My excuse - I was operating on three hours of sleep after the passing of my brother. Here are a few photos of the ceremony:

Tyler taking his oath

The pinning of the rank bars: Joel and I pinned bars on his epaulets, while Baillie pinned his cap.
I love the look on Ty's face. . .he's so proud and happy!

His commanding officer instructed Ty to bend his knees to help me with the pinning.

Checking out the bars. . . still there. ;)

We were so happy that Joel's parents were able to attend.
Missed having my mom and her husband, but we know they were with us in spirit.

A Song For All Times: Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Measure

2011-12-16T04:27:00.000-05:00

A Song For All Times: Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Measure: Today's song may be unfamiliar and certainly doesn't fit into the classic repertoire of Christmas carols, but it is one of my favorite hymns...

A Song For All Times: What Child Is This?

2011-12-15T20:23:00.000-05:00

A Song For All Times: What Child Is This?: Written by William C. Dix in 1865, "What Child Is This?" is not a cute lullaby. Rather it is a call to worship to you and me to humbly bow...

Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord

2011-12-14T19:36:00.000-05:00

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. I Thessalonians 4:13-14

It's true that we do not grieve as others who have no hope. . .but we still grieve the loss of my brother Doug, who passed from this life into the presence of our Lord Jesus on Friday, December 9th. What a comfort to know that, because our Lord triumphed over death when he rose from the dead, one day the dead in Christ will also be raised unto eternal life in Heaven. Doug will be among them.

Though we know that all of life is lived by the grace of God, there are times when His gifts of grace are so much more "real" in the sense that you see those gifts unfold before your eyes. Such was the case over the last week in relation to Doug's home-going. Other family members, I'm sure, could compile their own list, but I count the following as gracious gifts from God:

Doug took a turn for the worse on the same day that we were already headed to Kansas for Tyler's Air Force commissioning ceremony. Another trip to Kansas later on was not required of us.
We didn't have to pay for an unused motel reservation when our plans changed last Thursday night, because Joel mistakenly made the reservation for the following night.
The Lord prolonged Doug's life just long enough so we could see him one more time and express our love. We arrived at the hospice care facility at 1:15 a.m. on December 9th, and Doug passed forty-five minutes later.
Joel and I had the privilege of reading scripture to Doug from John 14, Revelation 21, and I Corinthians 15. Although Doug could not speak to us, there was slight acknowledgement of our presence.
Having the company of Mom, Jayne, Bruce, Ashlea, and Joel, as we all said our goodbyes to Doug.
At 2:00 a.m. hearing Ashlea sing "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" to Doug as he passed into the arms of his Savior.
Tyler was able to change the date of his final exam, so he could attend the funeral service.
The expressions of love and sympathy to the family from near and far.
The funeral service in our "home church", about which I plan to write as a separate blog post. I couldn't be more pleased.
The peaceful calm that was present at the cemetery after a cold blustery morning.

A Song For All Times: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

2011-12-14T05:30:00.000-05:00

A Song For All Times: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence: When it comes to old songs, you really don't find many that are older than "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence." It was written in Greek in t...

A Song For All Times: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

2011-12-12T23:14:00.000-05:00

A Song For All Times: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing: Today's Christmas carol was written by Charles Wesley in 1739. The version we now know consists of Wesley's original lyrics and alterations ...

A Song For All Times: Christmas Carols Are for Mourners

2011-12-11T08:12:00.000-05:00

From my daughter Ashlea:A Song For All Times: Christmas Carols Are for Mourners: “White Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” These are the songs that echo throughout the malls as people prepare ...

On Evangelism

2011-12-06T20:21:00.001-05:00

What is the best or most effective way to communicate the gospel to unbelievers? Is it through personal testimony of faith, or are we to just stick to the facts of doctrinal tenets. . .or are we to do both? This was a topic of discussion in our Christian education on Sunday, a rather lively discussion, at that. I guess some people view the "what Jesus means to me" approach to evangelism as being purely pragmatic. While I firmly believe the truths of the gospel message must be preeminent in evangelism, I also believe that the inclusion of a personal testimony of faith is beneficial.

I've always enjoyed hearing other people's stories of coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Even if it isn't sensational or dramatic, it's still their story of how the Holy Spirit convicted them of their sinfulness and need for the Savior. It's their story of conversion from being spiritually dead to being made alive in Christ. God created us as relational beings, so in addition to giving mental assent to gospel orthodoxy, we should also be prepared to give testimony of our relationship with Jesus Christ. As Christians have opportunity to share with unbelievers how their lives have changed because of Jesus, we bring glory and honor to the Lord. Those testimonies are also oftentimes ways of relating to real life situations of unbelievers with whom we interact and open doors for further conversation and ministry, as the Spirit leads.

Please feel free to share your testimony of coming to faith in Jesus Christ by using the comments box. I'd like to hear your story.

Road Trip!

2011-11-30T19:37:00.001-05:00

As mentioned in my last post, my sister and I traveled from Virginia Beach to Kansas City together last week, via Asheville and Louisville. Jayne says she still hasn't forgiven me for moving to Michigan sixteen years ago, so we were both thankful we had this time together. Given the nature of the trip, I can't think of anyone better to have along for the ride. We laughed together, cried together, prayed together, did our yoga exercises together (cause for more laughter), and tried to keep each other on the right roads. The only complaint I had was that Jayne was reluctant to participate in snack time, but that didn't stop me from indulging. . .with moderation, of course. ;)

While driving through Virginia, we were captivated by the beauty around us. The trees seemed to be in peak fall color, and we saw numerous cotton fields in full bloom. Nothing like cotton fields to give you a real down south awareness. . .that, and sweet tea. Our first destination was Asheville, North Carolina, home of the famous Biltmore Estate. Jayne and I had both toured Biltmore before, but this time we scheduled our tour for their evening Christmas Candlelight Tour. The mansion was decked out in Victorian Christmas decor - dozens of Christmas trees (including one 34 ft. Frasier Fir in the dining room), mantle arrangements, and Victorian accent pieces. Since indoor photography is prohibited, I could only capture the front of the house as we saw it that night.

Our next destination was Louisville, Kentucky. Ashlea arranged her work schedule, so we were able to spend most of Monday together. She took us to Locust Grove Plantation, established over 200 years ago by the the Croghan family, relatives of George Rogers Clark, founder of Louisville. Though the home is not lavish by today's standards, it was quite remarkable for its time and was visited by quite a number of dignitaries, including three U. S. Presidents. The details of the home's restoration are quite fascinating.

Jayne, Ashlea, me

The Story of Christmas - An Animation

2011-11-29T18:33:00.000-05:00

Family Matters

2011-11-27T13:20:00.001-05:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that my brother Doug has cancer. Once we learned that his cancer had metastasized in the liver, my mom expressed her desire to have Doug move back to Kansas to be near her. Since Doug was not strong enough to travel by himself, my oldest brother Bruce, my sister Jayne, and I flew to Virginia Beach last weekend to accomplish the move. We spent Friday afternoon packing up his clothes and belongings, being limited by what would go in a couple suitcases and the trunk of his car. Not an easy task for sure, but consistent with the rest of the family, his selections consisted mainly of favorite books and photographs albums. After seeing Doug and Bruce off at the airport on Saturday morning, Jayne and I began our adventure across country in Doug's car. I thoroughly enjoyed the time with my sister (more on that later). The greatest blessing of the trip was being able to spend Thanksgiving with my extended family, the first time all six of us "children" were able to be together in over two years. Doug is declining rapidly; prayers are much appreciated.

Doug with Bruce in Virginia Beach

Doug with Jayne in Virginia Beach

Doug with me in Virginia Beach

Our family on Thanksgiving Day: front - Jayne, Doug, me; back - Rick, Bruce, Mom, Patrick

Home again!

2011-11-26T18:13:00.001-05:00

I just returned from traveling over the last nine days, and I am one frustrated blogger! I sure have missed being part of the blogosphere. As much as I love my new iPhone4s, I was "crippled" without my Macbook. Now that we're are re-united, I'm anxious to catch up on blog posts. . .but not tonight. This travel weary person is going to enjoy a relaxing evening with my husband. : )

Note to Self

2011-11-17T05:07:00.001-05:00

In recent years, I've heard several Bible teachers encourage us to preach the gospel to ourselves daily. Very good advice indeed. . .but what does that look like in practical terms? Does that involve more than a daily reminder of our need for a Savior and Christ's atonement for our sins on the cross? How do we take the gospel and apply it to the daily grind? In writing Note to Self, Joe Thorn purposed to "help others develop a theological understanding and real-life practice of the discipline of preaching to ourselves," noting the difference between law and gospel but emphasizing the need for both. The book consists of forty-eight short daily devotional reads (addressed to Self) divided into the categories of The Gospel and God, The Gospel and Others, the Gospel and You.

This morning I read the chapter entitled "Give Thanks." Psalm 100: 4 - 5 encourages us to: Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Joe Thorn writes about the psalmist's call to approach God with gratitude:

"[The psalmist] points to three realities: because God is good, because God is loving, and because God is faithful. A good theologian is thankful, and until you know these truths you are likely to feel entitled and deserving. How do you know God to be good, loving, and faithful? These attributes were put on display most beautifully in the gospel. God is good, loving, and faithful by not giving you what you deserve (judgment) and by lavishing on you grace unmeasured. He is good and loving in saving us from sin and judgment, giving us hope and life, and adopting us as his own. He is faithful to his Word and his promise to us, that he will not count our sins against us and will continue the work he began in us to completion. On top of this, every good thing you have in this life is a gift from your Heavenly Father, and as one who has been justified by the grace of Christ you should see everything in your life as grace that accompanies your salvation. For such things do not come from a Judge, but your Dad."

Praying today that my faith will not be merely lip service but experiential knowledge of the goodness, love, and faithfulness of God through the means of thanksgiving.

Calvinistic Cartoons: Spurgeon Toothpaste Ad

2011-11-13T20:53:00.000-05:00

More funny stuff from Eddie Eddings:

Calvinistic Cartoons: Spurgeon Toothpaste Ad: It reads a lot easier if you just click the pic.

Why I Am a Credobaptist

2011-11-12T07:19:00.000-05:00

From The Gospel Coalition: "Stephen Wellum is professor of Christian Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY). His essay “Baptism and the Relationship between the Covenants” (available in PDF online for free) is, in my mind, one of the most helpful pieces showing what the differences between the old and new covenants demonstrate the necessity of credobaptism over and against paeodobaptism."

Click to read: Why I Am a Credobaptist

Letting Our Light Shine

2011-11-10T18:41:00.001-05:00

As Christians, we just never know when the world is watching. We're not always aware of when we are light in the darkness. A group of us ladies from the rescue mission went out to our favorite Mexican restaurant today, and we apparently made an impression on a gentleman sitting at the next table. Before he left the restaurant, the man came over and said that he couldn't help but overhear our conversation, and he picked up on our "positive energy." He wanted to know where a group with this type of "positive energy" worked. Sharmin, our outspoken "evangelist" told him that the "positive energy" was the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives and that we work at the rescue mission. She then asked him if he had a church home. The man responded that he has visited many churches and he sees value in all religions. Regrettably, we didn't get to share the gospel, but we pray that a spiritual seed was planted in this man's life, so that he will one day come to know that "there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name [than Jesus] under heaven, given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Heaven: Tears Replaced with Laughter

2011-11-07T20:59:00.000-05:00

During my reading times, I have been bouncing back and forth between Randy Alcorn's two books on Heaven - what a spiritual feast! A friend who has read Heaven told me that by the time I'm done with the book, I'll be longing to go!

The other night I read the devotion from We Shall See God entitled "God Dries Our Tears." Everyone is familiar with the verse in Revelation that says, "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes (Rev. 7:17)." What a beautiful promise! No more tears over sin, pain, injustice, or mourning. But will there be tears of joy in Heaven? From pages 68 -69, "Spurgeon speaks of life under the Curse: 'We may forget to laugh, but we will always know how to weep.' But when God stops the weeping, surely he will replace it with laughter. Jesus said, 'Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. . .Rejoice in that day and weep for joy, because great is your reward in Heaven (Luke 6:21-23). God, the Creator of all good things, created laughter and created us to love laughter. It's good medicine for the soul.

Randy Alcorn ended that devotional with this paragraph on page 70:

"One of Satan's great lies is that God -- and everything good -- is joyless and humorless, while Satan -- and evil -- brings pleasure and satisfaction. In fact, it's Satan who is humorless. Sin didn't bring him joy; it forever stripped him of joy. in contrast, envision Jesus with his disciples. If we cannot picture him teasing them and laughing with them, we need to reevaluate our understanding of the Incarnation. We need a biblical theology of humor that prepares us for an eternity of celebration and spontaneous laughter. As Spurgeon says, we may sometimes forget to laugh here, but there will be no end to the laughter when we find our fulfillment in the presence and the promises of our God. Cling to that blood-bought promise concerning our future in Heaven: we will laugh."

He Has Sent Redemption

2011-11-06T07:01:00.000-05:00

The "C" Word

2011-11-02T19:39:00.000-05:00

Cancer has infiltrated our family. . .a very serious cancer. One of my older brothers received the sobering news about one month ago, and all of a sudden life changed. As with many who have walked this path before us, emotions are running the gamut as we pull together to support our beloved son/brother/uncle during the days ahead. Naturally, we are all praying for divine healing, but we are also trusting in God's perfect will for Doug's life. We know that our Heavenly Father is always good and faithful to his children, and he will supply the grace needed to meet each day as it comes.

Several years ago, when John Piper was diagnosed with cancer, he wrote down ten ways a Christian can waste his cancer. We do not have to respond to this life-threatening illness in the same manner as does the world, because we are not without hope. I so appreciate Dr. Piper's encouraging perspective that I thought others would also benefit from reading "Don't Waste Your Cancer." (Click for link.) This booklet will be helpful for any life-threatening illness.

Heaven is Not the Default Destination

2011-10-29T12:21:00.003-05:00

Have you ever noticed when attending a funeral that Heaven seems to be the default destination, whether or not the deceased was one of the redeemed in Christ? It would be, I suppose, awkward to boldly proclaim that the one who just passed on is sentenced to an eternity in Hell because he, for example:

despised and/or scoffed at God.
thought that when God "balanced" his good and bad deeds, he'd be a shoe-in for Heaven.
trusted in his baptism, church membership, family heritage, or charitable giving as a ticket to Heaven.
believed that all "roads" lead to eternal bliss.

But what should the message be in those situations? A warning to those with ears to hear. Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). It is Hell, not Heaven, that is the eternal default destination for all mankind, because we have all sinned against a holy God (Romans 3:23). C. S. Lewis described it this way in The Screwtape Letters, "The safest road to hell is the gradual one -- the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." If we don't purpose to enter through the narrow gate, we will ease on down the road right into hell.

In his book Heaven, Randy Alcorn reminds his readers that just as God and Satan are not equal opposites, "Hell is not Heaven's equal opposite. Just as God has no equal as a person, Heaven has no equal as a place. Hell will be agonizingly dull, small, and insignificant, without company, purpose, or accomplishment. It will not have its own stories; it will merely be a footnote on history, a crack in the pavement. As the new universe moves gloriously onward, Hell and its occupants will exist in utter inactivity and insignificance, an eternal non-life of regret and -- perhaps -- diminishing personhood (pp. 27 - 28)." Furthermore, Jesus said of Hell's inhabitants, "They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out form the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power" (2 Thess. 1:9). Hell will be devoid of anything good; there will be no community or friendship, no beauty, no pleasure.

The good news is that the narrow gate does exist; there is a way that leads to Heaven. Christ bore the punishment for our sins on the cross, so those who trust in Christ wouldn't have to. The most important part of this life is making sure we enter through the narrow gate. Jesus said, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul (Mark 8:36)?" The price for our redemption has been paid, but we must trust alone in the finished work of Christ to receive the gift of eternal life in Heaven.

The Quiet Revival

2011-10-24T19:03:00.002-05:00

From this interesting article by Tim Tennant on the Quiet Revival in the United States:

"While we are witnessing the dramatic decline in Christianity among Caucasians, the Western world is, at the same time, witnessing the dramatic growth of newly emerging ethnic congregations. The Chinese, Hispanic, African and Korean congregations, in particular, are experiencing unprecedented growth.

This weekend, for example, I had the privilege of speaking at the Rutgers Christian Community Church. It was planted only thirty years ago by a handful of Chinese students from Rutgers University. Today, it is a thriving Christian community with several thousand members. They have English, Mandarin, and Cantonese congregations and are in the middle of a major building program to build a new sanctuary.

Prior to my coming to Asbury I lived in the Boston area. Boston is the home of a major spiritual awakening. More people have come to Christ in Boston in the last three decades than during the Great Awakening, but it has largely gone unnoticed, because it is occurring primarily among African, Chinese, Korean, and Hispanic peoples. There are over 50 different African congregations in Boston and, indeed, on any given Sunday in Cambridge, Massachusetts, more people worship Christ in a language other than English than in English. It has been called the “quiet revival.”

Read the entire article here. Good reason to re-examine our evangelistic efforts.

Heaven: Not Lost in Space

2011-10-22T19:47:00.000-05:00

From Randy Alcorn:

"Spurgeon thinks of Heaven as a tangible place where our Savior desires to be with us. . .He refers to the present Heaven, where the spirits of God's people go upon dying, and to the future Heaven, where our bodies will be raised in eternal reunion with our spirits, so we will be whole and perfect people, united in giving God praise. Spurgeon says, 'Only the poor body descends, and that descent is for a very little while. They rise to be forever with the Lord.'

Many people can't resist spiritualizing what the Bible teaches about Heaven. Some people assume that Heaven is not so much an actual place as a state of being or spiritual condition. But that's not what Jesus said about it. He spoke of a house with many rooms in which he would prepare a place for us (John 14:2). Jesus told the disciples, 'I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am' (John 14:3). He used tangible, earthly, spatial terms to describe heaven. The phrase, 'come back and take you' indicates movement and a physical destination.

If we reduce Heaven to something less than or other than a place, we strip Christ's words of their meaning.

The Bible promises us that one day, after the Resurrection, Heaven will be centered on the New Earth -- the place where God's people will live forever. What are the implications of living forever on a transformed Earth? It means we don't need to look up to the clouds to imagine Heaven; we simply need to look around us and imagine what all we see would be like without sin and death and suffering and corruption."

~ We Shall See God, pp. 10 -11.

We Shall See God

2011-10-21T07:02:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week, I was discussing my new book Heaven by Randy Alcorn with a co-worker, and he also gave it rave review. Then he told me about Alcorn's recent release We Shall See God, devotional thoughts on Heaven based on the sermons of Charles Spurgeon. Well, I knew I would have to get that book as well! You know, you just never know what you'll find at Sam's Club. I wasn't even looking for this particular book last night, but I sure was pleasantly surprised to find it there among the diversity of other Christian books (and for some I use the term loosely).

Why Spurgeon? In the book's introduction, Alcorn explains that while Spurgeon never wrote a book on Heaven, he preached dozens of sermons on the Christian's eternal home. Alcorn believes Spurgeon's writings on Heaven to be "some of the most poignant, moving, and biblically insightful [he] has ever read on the subject" (and he's read over 150 books on Heaven). His goal is to provide Spurgeon's words in a form that people will be more likely to read.

One editorial liberty Alcorn uses is small yet significant in my opinion; he always capitalizes the word Heaven. I noticed that he also does that in his book Heaven. And why not? He chooses to do so "because it is the proper name of a real place, just as Saturn, Portland, or New England. We need this reminder because Heaven has become so vague and ethereal in the modern mind that many don't think of it as a real place at all."

I'm excited about having this book as a devotional companion to Heaven, and I'll be sharing Spurgeon's pearls of wisdom as I read along, desiring to direct our thoughts heavenward.

Just Because. . .

2011-10-19T19:04:00.000-05:00

I love this photo. Here we are with our newly married son, in the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas with a gorgeous sky at our backs. These are the moments of which memories are made. *happy sigh*

Thoughts Heavenward

2011-10-17T18:17:00.000-05:00

I haven't been so excited about a new book in quite some time! A couple years ago, I heard that American theologian Jonathan Edwards meditated on heaven twenty minutes every day, and since then I've been convicted that I should become more heavenly-minded myself. Not that I can compete with the superior mind of Jonathan Edwards, but maybe I can pull off a few minutes each day. Recently, friends of ours highly recommended Heaven by Randy Alcorn as a life-changing read. I've decided that, over the next few months, I'm going to blog about Heaven as I read and meditate on each chapter and related scriptures. Please feel free to comment as we go along; I would enjoy the feedback and dialogue.

What are your thoughts about heaven? Do you envision disembodied spirits playing harps while sitting on clouds? Or do you think heaven will be one long sing-along in the sky (that's where I used to be in my thinking)? Yesterday, a friend said she had always thought of heaven as being one continuous banquet where she could eat anything and everything she wanted. (I like that! I'm much better suited for continual eating rather than continual singing!) Or do you see heaven as a boring place? I once had someone tell me that he wasn't interested in going to heaven, because it didn't sound exciting to him. If we are honest, we might have to confess to having similar sentiments. But that shouldn't be so! Randy Alcorn says of his book, "we'll see from Scripture an exciting yet strangely neglected truth -- that God never gave up on his original plan for human beings to dwell on Earth. In fact, the climax of history will be the creation of new heavens and a new Earth, a resurrected universe inhabited by resurrected people living with the resurrected Jesus (Revelation 21:1-4)." That sounds pretty exciting to me!

Where do we get our misconceptions about heaven? Besides the lack of solid teaching on Heaven, Dr. Alcorn suggests that some of Satan's favorite lies are about the Christian's eternal home. "Satan need not convince us that Heaven doesn't exist. He need only convince us that Heaven is a place of boring, unearthly existence. If we believe that lie, we'll be robbed of our joy and anticipation, we'll set our minds on this life and not the next, and we won't be motivated to share our faith. (p. 11) Though Satan wants to rob us of the joy we have about the magnificent place God is preparing for us, discovering what the Bible says about heaven will cause us to glory in God's eternal Kingdom. I'll end with this quote from J. C. Ryle:

The man who is about to sail for Australia or New Zealand as a settler, is naturally anxious to know something about his future home, its climate, its employments, its inhabitants, its ways, its customs. All these are subjects of deep interest to him. You are leaving the land of your nativity, you are going to spend the rest of your life in a new hemisphere. It would be strange indeed if you did not desire information about your new abode. Now surely, if we hope to dwell for ever in that "better country, even a heavenly one," we ought to seek all the knowledge we can get about it. Before we go to our eternal home we should try to become acquainted with it.

Calvinistic Cartoons: Secret of the High Five

2011-10-16T20:39:00.000-05:00

Who would've thought? :D

Calvinistic Cartoons: Secret of the High Five

The Ampersand. . .More Than Just a Pretty Face

2011-10-15T05:56:00.003-05:00

This post might only appeal to you grammarians. . . or other slightly unusual people. Have you ever thought about the origination, history, and usage of the ampersand? Me either. But you can check out this visual guide to the ampersand to be enlightened! : )

The Prayer That Changes Me - Part 2

2011-10-13T19:14:00.002-05:00

In the first post on "The Prayer That Changes Me," I shared that the life goal of Christians should be pleasing God in everything we do. Dr. John Barnett, our conference speaker, systematically took us through the Lord's prayer as a pathway to pleasing the Lord. Our prayer life is a reflection of how much we think we need him and desire to please him.

Matthew 6:9: Jesus said, "In this manner, therefore, pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." Ask God to focus us on who he is. Take time to prayerfully acknowledge him as the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, our Creator, the only one who is all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, completely just, holy, righteous, loving, and the list goes on. Spend time dwelling on his character.

Matthew 6:10a: "Your kingdom come." Ask the Lord to control us because he has a plan for our lives. He is on his throne as Ruler over His kingdom. Picture the throne room described in the book of Revelation where all creatures are oriented to the throne. Acknowledge that we are not on the throne.

Mathew 6:10b: "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Request that God lead us to do his will in our lives, as we are surrender our own wills and demands.

Matthew 6:11: "Give us this day our daily bread." Ask the Lord to supply our needs, so that we can see his hand of provision for our physical needs on a daily basis.

Matthew 6:12: "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Pray that the Lord will cleanse us, so we can keep his blessing on our lives. We cannot claim God's blessing of forgiveness if we do not forgive others.

Matthew 6:13a: "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Ask the Lord to protect us, so that we do not lose sight of his power in our lives. In the midst of trials and the temptations of the evil one, we have confidence that the Lord will see us through.

Matthew 13:b: "For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." Pray that God will empty us so he receive all the glory and credit for our lives. He alone is worthy to receive the praise.

Where Your Treasure Is...

2011-10-08T19:39:00.001-05:00

Nothing is more precious than hearing God say to us personally: No condemnation. Or hearing him pronounce the words over our guilty heads, Justified! If you cherish this verdict and this standing with God, then cherish your union with Christ. Make it part of what you value most in the world. ~ Dr. John Piper

The Prayer That Changes Me

2011-10-06T18:51:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty much a homebody at heart. I wasn't excited about leaving for a work-related conference just two days after returning from the ladies' retreat at Camp Barakel. But between the two events, I've been treated to some excellent Bible teaching, so the time away has been worth it!

Dr. John Barnett, senior pastor at Calvary Bible Church in Kalamazoo has been leading the conference attendees through a study of the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, as "the prayer that changes me" to live in a manner that is consumed with pleasing God. The Christian life is simple, but it's not easy. We are always presented with two choices in everything we do. . .pleasing God or pleasing self. Jesus said in John 8:29, "And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him." Jesus always chose to do what was pleasing to the Heavenly Father.

To follow in Jesus' example, we looked at the following verses as a foundation to praying the Lord's Prayer:

Romans 8:8-9a - Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. (Reference Galatians 5 for the contrast of the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.)

Philippians 2:13 - For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

Colossians 1:10 - So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. It's not enough to read and understand the truths of God's Word; we must seek to do his will.

I Thessalonians 4:1 - Finally, then brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more."

II Timothy 2:4 - No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. God called (enlisted) us, so all our life should be directed to pleasing our Commander.

I John 3:22 - And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. When we love the Lord and are living a life of submission to God, we will be blessed with answered prayers.

In the next post, I'll cover Dr. Barnett's seven aspects of prayers that are prayed in the manner of the Lord's Prayer, not in vain repetition, but from hearts that desire to please the Lord.

On Ray Comforts Film "180" on Hitler and Abortion

2011-10-05T20:39:00.005-05:00

From Justin Taylor on the Gospel Coalition blog:

"Ray Comfort’s “180″ film can be seen at the end of this post.

It’s nicely produced, its conclusion is definitely worth advocating, and some of its methods may be worth emulating. I pray that the Lord will use this film in some way to stop the holocaust of abortion in America and around the world.

I agree with pro-life apologist Scott Klusendorf, who evaluated the film from an apologetics-content standpoint, and concludes with this accolade:

Despite these concerns, the film is worth seeing and Comfort gets huge accolades for his courage in confronting abortion head-on. Say what you want, at least he’s doing something about it and for that I am immensely grateful. Before ripping him, his evangelical critics need to ask themselves what they are doing to stop the bloodshed. Are they taking this holocaust as seriously as Comfort does? I can only pray that one day they will."

You can read the rest of the article and watch the film here.

Now This is Good!

2011-09-27T18:59:00.001-05:00

So funny and so true: a look at the way different denominations view each other.

http://subtledesigner.blogspot.com/2011/09/ways-different-christian-denominations.html

Tough Choice!

2011-09-27T17:41:00.001-05:00

I asked Ashlea to send me a photo of Tyler and Baillie that would be suitable for the newspaper, and she sent these two:

I'm leaning toward using the top one. . .what do you think?

Actually, I like Tyler better in the top photo and Baillie better in the bottom photo, so do you think I could do some cut and paste? ;)

The Wedding

2011-09-23T05:43:00.000-05:00

Ashlea sent me a small sample of the hundreds of photos she took for Tyler and Baillie's wedding (click on the photos to enlarge):

Beautiful smiles!

I love Baillie's expression and the rolling Flint Hills in the background.

A Worship Disorder

2011-09-21T20:54:00.004-05:00

The Biblical Counseling Coalition website has posted an article by Bob Kellemen explaining that sexual sin is in reality a worship disorder. In speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14). The author explains that Jesus' response to the woman was a reference to Jeremiah 2:13:

“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

From the article:

"In Jeremiah’s day, a cistern trapped run-off water that had traveled down camel-dung-filled muddy “streets.” It then lay in clay cisterns, stagnant. Hardly worth drinking, worse yet, these cisterns frequently cracked leaving the thirsty soul parched.

Your other option, in Jeremiah’s day, was to drink from clear, cool, fresh, pure bubbling spring water…flowing, thirst-quenching water from deep in the earth—water that never runs dry.

Sexual sin is our choice to drink from a septic tank instead of from spring water. Sexual sin is our false, sinful belief that we can quench our God-shaped and God-sized thirst with man-shaped and man-sized alternatives. It is false worship. It is false hope. Trying to quench our spiritual thirst for Christ with sexual encounters with one another is futile and impure.

'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him' (John 7:37-38). Come and drink.

You may read the rest of the article here.

Tender Moment

2011-09-21T05:16:00.001-05:00

Joel captured this tender moment of Tyler and Baillie right after the wedding ceremony. Each time I look at it, I can't help but say, "Ahhhh."

They're Coming!

2011-09-19T19:26:00.001-05:00

I've had a few inquiries as to when I'll be posting wedding pictures. The answer is as soon as the official photographer (aka Ashlea) sends me a few to post! I'm trying to be patient, knowing that she took around 1800 photos, and it does take time to mull them over and edit the keepers. But I did manage to snag this one photo Ashlea took of Tyler and his groomsmen that's. . .uh. . .very special. : )

Captions, anyone?

Quotable

2011-09-19T06:19:00.000-05:00

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” C. S. Lewis

Think: On Scholarship

2011-09-18T06:07:00.000-05:00

"He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him." Colossians 1:15-16

I'm continuing to make my way through John Piper's book Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God, as he makes his case that all thinking ultimately exists for the love of God and the love of our fellow man. In chapter 13, Dr. Piper directs the reader's attention to the truth that all scholarship should be for the love of God and mankind; that God not only reveals himself through the person of Jesus Christ, as recorded in Scripture, but he also reveals himself through the created world, nature and human life. He writes:

"All the natural world was created through and for Jesus. This is a spectacular statement. Every scholar who devotes himself to observing the world should think long and hard about the words 'All things were created. . .for Christ.' Surely, the least we can say is that this means all thinking - all scholarship - of every kind exists ultimately to discover and display the glory of God, that is, the glory of Jesus Christ, in his Word and in his world. . .Therefore, the task of all Christian scholarship - not just biblical studies - is to study reality as a manifestation of God's glory, to speak and write about it with accuracy, and to savor the beauty of God in it, and to make it serve the good of man. It is an abdication of scholarship when Christians do academic work with little reference to God. If all the universe and everything in it exist by the design of an infinite, personal God, to make his manifold glory known and loved, then to treat any subject without reference to God's glory is not scholarship but insurrection."

Wedding Rehearsal

2011-09-15T19:57:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday, our son Tyler married Baillie in a lovely outdoor ceremony in Manhattan, Kansas. Being the mother of the groom was a great way to ease into parental wedding responsibilities. Other than shop for wedding clothes, all I really had to do was organize the rehearsal dinner and be available to help out as needed. We held the rehearsal dinner at the wedding venue - Prairiewood Retreat Center. For a few short hours, I got to work in my dream kitchen, complete with a professional grade 3-minute cycle dishwasher, which was a huge blessing to my other dishwasher - Joel. Don't worry; he had fun running the multiple cycles (kinda like a new toy).

See my happy face! I'm not usually that happy in my own kitchen.
Okay, I know I should be thankful I don't have to haul water and cook over a campfire. ; )

We ordered purple and white centerpieces and I made the place cards.

After dinner, Joel shared some words of wisdom with Tyler and Baillie.


We're a hugging kind of family.

What's missing? Pictures of the food! We had Coco Bolos cater the meal: salad, herb-crusted pork loin, Baton Rouge chicken (the sauce contained shrimp and lobster), roasted red potatoes, grilled mixed vegetables, and rolls. All I had to make was the dessert - a blueberry angel food cake. It was all very delicious!

"And Then?" A Parable from Octavius Winslow (1808-1878)

2011-09-13T18:33:00.000-05:00

A young man, whom he had known as a boy, came to an aged professor of a distinguished continental university, with a face beaming with delight, and informed him that the long and fondly-cherished desire of his heart was at length fulfilled - his parents having given their consent to his studying the profession of the law. As the university presided over by his friend was a distinguished one, he had repaired to its law school, and was resolved to spare no labor or expense in getting through his studies as quickly and ably as possible. In this strain he continued for some time; and when he paused, the old man, who had been listening to him with great patience and kindness, gently said, "Well! and when you have finished your career of study, what do you mean to do then?" "Then I shall take my degree," answered the young man. "And then?" asked his venerable friend. "And then," continued the youth, "I shall have a number of difficult and knotty cases to manage: shall attract notice by my eloquence, and wit, and acuteness, and win a great reputation." "And then?" repeated the holy man. "And then!" replied the youth, "why then there cannot be a question- I shall be promoted to some high office in the state, and I shall become rich." "And then?" "And then," pursued the young lawyer, "then I shall live comfortably and honorably in wealth and respect, and look forward to a quiet and happy old age." "And then?" repeated the old man. "And then," said the youth, "and then- and then- and then I shall die." Here his venerable listener lifted up his voice, and again asked, with solemnity and emphasis– "And then?" Whereupon the aspiring student made no answer, but cast down his head, and in silence and thoughtfulness retired. This last "And then?" had pierced his heart like a sword- had darted like a flash of lightning into his soul, and he could not dislodge the impression. The result was, the entire change of his mind and course of his life. Abandoning the study of the law, he entered upon that of divinity, and expended the remainder of his days in the labors of a minister of Christ.

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." Romans 8:5 - 6

Kansas Day Trip

2011-09-08T11:35:00.000-05:00

It's been great to spend some time with my mom and sister this week! Just the three of us. Yesterday, we took a day trip to Cottonwood Falls, a small community primarily known as the home of the historic landmark Chase County Courthouse, but also the subject area of New York Times bestseller PrairyErth, a book my brother highly recommends that I read. The courthouse, built from 1871 to 1873, was constructed with native limestone, some stones weighing from five to seven tons. It is the oldest courthouse in Kansas and the Midwest still in daily use.

Built in the French Renaissance Chateau style of the Louis XII period. The clock is 6 feet tall.


On the spiral staircase. The bannister was hand-cut from native walnut trees.

A view of the three-story staircase with no center support.


The courtroom - trying to look judicial. ; )

The old jail is situated directly behind the courtroom. The ceiling and floor were constructed with two by eight inch oak planks covered in sheet metal. This door opened to two small austere prisoner cells. This jail was used until the mid-1970s.

Gnome Sightings

2011-09-06T13:26:00.001-05:00

I picked up a new "friend" on the way to the Kansas State football game on Saturday...and no, it's not EcoKat. He's my K-State Gnome. Gnome will eventually be at home in one of my flower beds back in Michigan, but until then, he's enjoying a very relaxing time at my sister and brother-in-law's lake home in Kansas.

Meeting the neighbor Jayhawk...Gnome is reminding Hawk that we went 16-1 against them last year. : )

Since the lake water level in the cove is currently too low for the speed boat, the row boat will have to do.

Catching some rays on the deck.

Showing off the lovely wildflowers gathered on a walk.


Solving a jigsaw puzzle for more relaxation.

A Peanuts Medley - by Jon Schmidt featuring Steven Sharp Nelson The Pian...

2011-09-01T05:26:00.000-05:00

This will put a smile on your face!

Snagged

2011-08-28T05:53:00.000-05:00

(Snagged from the Calvinistic Cartoon Blog)

It's Here!

2011-08-25T18:14:00.001-05:00

The long-awaited day has arrived! The City Rescue Mission of Saginaw received the new Toyota Sienna that we won through the 100 Cars for Good program. The mission vied for the new van on June 7th, against 4 other non-profits. The voting was all Facebook generated. We never did learn how many votes we received, but we ended up with about 38% of the vote, I think, and we know of people who voted for us in over twenty states. The mission has been serving about 100 people each night this year, so this new van will be such a blessing!

Quotable - Think

2011-08-24T19:57:00.001-05:00

"To all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).

Faith that receives Jesus is saving faith. But what does it mean to "receive Jesus"? Many people say they have received Jesus, but they give little evidence of being a new creature in Christ, and they have little interest in pursuing the excellencies and beauty of Christ as their all in all. If this is the case, have they really received Jesus?

John Piper comments:

"One way to describe this problem is to say that when these people 'receive Christ,' they do not receive him as supremely valuable. They receive him simply as sin forgiver (because they love being guilt-free), and as a rescuer-from-hell (because they love being pain-free), and as healer (because they love being disease-free), and as protector (because they love being safe), and as prosperity-giver (because they love being wealthy), and as creator (because they want a personal universe), and as Lord of history (because they want order and purpose). But they don't receive him as supremely and personally valuable for who he is. They don't receive him the way Paul did when he spoke of 'the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.' They don't receive him as he really is -- more glorious, more beautiful, more wonderful, more satisfying, than everything else in the universe. They don't prize him or treasure him or cherish him or delight in him.

Such a 'receiving' of Christ is the kind of receiving an unregenerate, 'natural' person can do. This is a 'receiving' of Christ that requires no change in human nature. You don't have to be born again to love being guilt-free and pain-free and disease-free and safe and wealthy. All natural men without any spiritual life love these things. But to embrace Jesus as your supreme treasure requires a new nature. No one does this naturally. You must be born again (John 3:3)."

~taken from Think by John Piper, pp. 71-72.

Think

2011-08-22T05:20:00.001-05:00

I just began reading John Piper's book Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God. I hope to share some nuggets with you as I read through the book. In the first chapter, John discusses his lifelong tension between thinking and feeling and doing. Here is today's quote on the importance of thinking:

"Thinking is indispensable on the path to passion for God. Thinking is not an end in itself. Nothing but God himself is finally an end in itself. Thinking is not the goal of life. Thinking, like non-thinking, can be the ground for boasting. Thinking, without prayer, without the Holy Spirit, without obedience, without love, will puff up and destroy (1 Cor. 8:1). But thinking under the might hand of God, thinking soaked in prayer, thinking carried by the Holy Spirit, thinking tethered to the Bible, thinking in pursuit of more reasons to praise and proclaim the glories of God, thinking in the service of love -- such thinking is indispensable in a life of fullest praise to God." (p. 27)

Fat Man's Ice Cream

2011-08-21T12:53:00.003-05:00

Joel hasn't made homemade ice cream for quite a few years, but we decided it would be great to make some for a picnic we're attending later this afternoon. We pulled out our family's favorite recipe. . .they don't call it Fat Man's for nuttin'.

1 lb. Milky Way candy bars, cut up
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1 quart whipping cream
1 quart half & half

In a 4 quart Dutch oven, cook candy bars, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate syrup over low heart, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in creams. Poor into storage container, cover, and chill completely. Pour into a 4 or 5 quart ice cream freezer can and freeze. Ripen about four hours, repacking ice once or twice. Makes 12 cups ice cream. . .you don't even want to know the nutritional content. Just enjoy!!

Singing to Build Up

2011-08-20T10:48:00.001-05:00

As we prepare for worship tomorrow, here are some great thoughts from the 9 Marks blog about corporate singing. From the post:

"It fills my heart with joy (no kidding!) that the success or failure of our music on Sunday mornings depends on whether our congregation shows up ready to sing. It's amazing, really. When we as a church show up prepared to engage in the service, excited to worship Christ and hear from his Word, our music succeeds in a big way---the voices fill up our sanctuary like a flood, and it's beautiful to hear. When we as a church don't show up, though, when we're distracted, down, and thinking about anything and everything but the worship of God, our music is really bad. It's quiet, empty, and completely without energy."

Read the entire article here: Singing to Build Up

Birthday Celebration

2011-08-17T17:32:00.003-05:00

Joel was so thankful to have Ashlea, Tyler, and Baillie home for his birthday. . .a rarity during our empty-nest stage of life. The five of us spent the whole day together, which included several cut-throat games of croquet. We extended no mercy to the birthday boy, and the birthday boy dished it right back at us - all in good fun! Tyler and Baillie came to Michigan prepared to cook a special meal for us, and I was amused by Tyler's newly-found "love" of cooking. They served us bruschetta, grilled steak and corn on the cob, their specialty potatoes, and fruit pizza for dessert. And the kids even did the dishes! I've decided there's hope for them yet! ;)

Tyler preparing the steaks

Piling on the fruit

Yukon Gold potatoes sliced nearly through, covered in olive oil and salt, and baked until crisp.

Dinner on the patio

Engagement Party

2011-08-15T20:20:00.002-05:00

Even though Tyler has been away from home for over two years now, our church family still wanted to honor him and his bride-to-be with an engagement party. Our friends Mike and Roxie hosted the event at their lovely home. After desserts were served, Mike shared some words of wisdom on marriage with Tyler and Baillie. What's an engagement party without a trivia game focused on the prospective bride and groom? And what did we learn? Baillie talks a lot, and Tyler listens (by their own admission). The party was such fun, and I know Tyler and Baillie were overwhelmed by our church's outpouring of love and support.

The centerpiece made from towels

The dessert table: petit fours, cherry cheesecake, brownie bites, and chocolate stout cake

The happy couple

Mike speaking to Tyler and Baillie

Rhonda conducting the trivia game (props included)

Opening cards and gifts

Family Golf

2011-08-14T16:23:00.007-05:00

After a wonderful week with our children, the nest is empty again. And that means more time for blogging! I have a lot of pictures of our time with Ashlea, Tyler, and Baillie to share over the next several days, one event at a time. As I've mentioned before, I treasure these times together, since they are way too infrequent for my liking.

After church last Sunday, five happy people, four sets of golf clubs, three trusty bikes (it's beginning to sound like a song), and a number of bags headed north to Mackinac Island, one of our family's favorite places. On Monday morning, we made our way to Wawashkamo Golf Course, which dates back to 1898 and is one of the few remaining links courses in the United States. Its uneven and heather-edged fairways made the game a real challenge! Some of us spent too much time retrieving balls. . .or attempting to retrieve balls. . .but we had a great time! Ashlea joined us as our "official photographer" for the first five or six holes, then decided to venture off on her own. Here are a few of the shots she captured:

Craig, the Scottish Golfer

Heading toward the ladies' tee box

Baillie ready to hit the ball

Joel in the rough

Tyler said this shot is "just scary." I love it!!

Tyler had the best game of us all. It's no wonder. : )

A Prayer for Gospel Snobs and Scribes, Like Me

2011-08-04T05:19:00.001-05:00

Excellent post/prayer from Scotty Smith - Father, forgive us and change us!

A Prayer for Gospel Snobs and Scribes, Like Me

Decisions, Decisions!

2011-08-02T18:52:00.005-05:00

Lately, I've been faced with a difficult decision. . .should I read The Confessions of Saint Augustine OR Black Heels to Tractor Wheels - the confessions of Pioneer Woman? Since I borrowed Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. . .AND since I don't have to complete The Confessions of Saint Augustine until September, I think it is only logical that I finish Pioneer Woman's love story first. Wouldn't you agree? ;)

Tim Challies on His New Book, The Next Story

2011-08-01T19:25:00.001-05:00

Parts is Parts!

2011-07-29T10:00:00.003-05:00

I've always spouted, "I don't do organs!" Well, since I became an adult, that is, and could make my own decisions about what meat is put on the table. Thankfully, as I recall, Mom limited her organ meat preparation to an occasional liver and onions meal, which I obediently ate. . .but in very small portions. I don't remember slipping any to our dog under the table, but my memory isn't as good as it used to be. ;)

Last night, our Love to Cook Club met at Berger's Family Restaurant, a fourth generation family restaurant in Bay City. They specialize in home-cooked meals, and they have a faithful clientele, especially for their fish and seafood dishes. The owners shared information about a few generational favorites on the menu. . .one of which is pickled beef tongue.

A number of club members had tasted the pickled tongue and raved about it, saying, "It tastes just like chicken!" No, actually they encouraged me to try it by insisting it tastes like any other beef. We were treated to a sample platter, so I decided I could muster up enough courage to try one of the tiniest slivers on the platter.

While I had to give them a thumbs up for presentation, one bite was enough for me. I will admit that the flavor was tolerable, but it was impossible to get beyond the organ meat thing. . .so I ordered smothered steak! And it went down very well! :)

Particularly Blessed by God

2011-07-25T11:53:00.001-05:00

Quotable Red Like Blood

2011-07-24T18:27:00.002-05:00

As the giver of all good things, God has given us many things that are intended for our enjoyment, but we can easily get caught up in pursuing them at the expense of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. If we're not careful, even though we may say we love God, what we might really mean is that we love all the good stuff. We don't truly love God until we love him for who he is, rather than just as a provider of all the blessings.

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke chapter 15, Jesus teaches about two sons: one who demanded his inheritance so he could run off to a far country and live an anonymous life of wanton sin, and the older hypocritical, self-righteous son.
"In the story. . .both brothers made the same mistake. They went after the Father's stuff but not the Father. The younger son thought the secret to pleasure was pursuing the stuff that gave him pleasure. He ended up in the pig sty feeding the pigs and humming, 'I can't get no satisfaction.' The pursuit of pleasure is always a losing battle especially if you catch it. The older brother wanted to experience what the younger brother experienced. But he didn't get to and ended up sulking outside the party. The key for both of them was right there inside the house. It was the father himself. God has made you for himself. Pleasure was only created as a gift of love from God. The experience of pleasure was designed to communicate the love of God. When we split pleasure off from the love of God, it is cut off from the life source and thrashes around for a while before it lies there motionless and dead. . .God made you to experience exquisite pleasure for all of eternity. Heaven is full of all the Father's stuff, but the thing that makes it heaven is the presence of the Father. A place that would have all the Father's stuff without the Father would soon become hell." (Joe Coffey, Red Like Blood, p. 145).

Poverty in the United States: Air Conditioning, Cable TV and an Xbox | The Heritage Foundation

2011-07-19T18:11:00.000-05:00

What does "poverty" really look like in the United States today?

Poverty in the United States: Air Conditioning, Cable TV and an Xbox | The Heritage Foundation

Score Card

2011-07-16T06:12:00.003-05:00

I love the summers in Michigan! And I love it when Joel takes a Friday off to spend with me, which now usually includes a round of golf. We enjoyed walking nine holes yesterday morning, a beautiful morning for golf! As we got started, I told Joel that I wanted him to record my score. . .usually I'd rather not know; it's that bad. Though I am definitely making progress with my long game, my short game still needs a lot of work.

Since I'll be playing with our son Tyler for the first time next month, who happens to be getting pretty adept at golf, I like to compare game notes, so I sent him this text message:

"I had a 57 on nine this morning. Three 8s killed me, but I did have 3 bogeys. Dad had a 51 - has yet to break 50."

For some reason I thought I'd get some words of encouragement in response. Instead, he replied with:

"So what you're saying is there won't be competition for me."

Sometimes, he's such a brat. ;)

Anticipation

2011-07-11T19:11:00.001-05:00

Consider a bride anticipating her wedding day, the happiest day of her life. Her friends would think it very odd if, as the day approaches, her eagerness is only expressed with comments such as, "I can't wait to see the beautiful flowers!". . .and "It will be great to see all my friends and family there!". . .and "I just know all the guests will be so happy!" Then when asked about her bridegroom, she responds nonchalantly, "Oh yeah. . .he'll be there, too." Odd indeed.

But that's how many Christians describe their anticipation for heaven. We look forward to seeing the beautiful streets of gold, being reunited with loved ones, and enjoying an existence free from pain and suffering, but our precious Savior and Lord is relegated to an afterthought. Very odd indeed.

(The credit for this analogy goes to Alistair Begg.)

Quotable Screwtape

2011-07-09T09:48:00.005-05:00

I've been rereading C. S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters in preparation for a book club. For those of you unfamiliar with the book, the demon Screwtape writes a series of letters to the novice Wormwood, coaching him in the use of sinful temptations to undermine their "patients" - mankind. The following quote is a sample of the wisdom about the "road" to hell, albeit from the perspective of the evil Screwtape:

"You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy [God]. It does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one -- the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts. Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape"

A Parable

2011-07-06T20:12:00.000-05:00

The Candy Shop is a fairy tale or parable about the child sex trafficking epidemic. Though the film is dark and atmospheric, it contains no overtly sexual material. In its own way it is very powerful. I would suggest that it is equally applicable when it comes to issues related to pornography in which every woman involved was once a little girl and is still somebody’s daughter. ~ Tim Challies

The Candy Shop from Whitestone Motion Pictures on Vimeo.

Meanwhile back in Kansas...

2011-07-05T18:49:00.001-05:00

Just after Joel and I checked in to the Boyne Highlands Resort on Saturday, Tyler called with some distressing news. He and Baillie had just been in a four-car accident on I-70 west of Kansas City. He assured me that they were both okay, just shaken. Apparently, the driver of one car was going too fast as he was trying to merge to one lane in a construction zone, nicked one car which sent him airborne. His car flipped over and landed on top of Baillie's car (and the car behind), breaking the rear window and crushing the back end, as you can see in the photo. Most likely, a few feet would have resulted in physical damage to Tyler and Baillie. As far as they know, the driver survived the crash.

So many emotions erupted. . .the initial shock of hearing the words, "Baillie and I have just been in an accident," the easing of the shock provided by the following words, "we're okay," the helplessness of being over one thousand miles away, the uncertainty of sketchy information, and the thankfulness for cell phones to bridge the distance between our loved ones and us. But the one thing that was over-riding all these emotions was the knowledge that our Lord God was in control of the circumstance at hand. Though we don't understand all the reasons why, we are certain that this accident passed through God's hands for their good and His glory. I'm thankful for the opportunity we had to pray with Tyler to that end across the miles. I'm thankful that our Heavenly Father's protective hand was upon them. And I'm thankful that in situations such as these, He is glorified through the praises of His children.

P. S. And as a mom, I'm thankful that Baillie's mom was able to be there for them. I'm still human, after all. ;)

Golf Getaway

2011-07-03T20:15:00.006-05:00

Normally, I'm still a mediocre putter...slightly off on judging direction, mostly unskilled in reading the green, and I don't often have the right touch. But at the golf challenge last month, I somehow put it all together and won the putting contest with a fifteen foot putt against one other finalist (testifying to the fact that we were mostly casual golfers). No one was more surprised than I was, and one of my teammates shouted out, "We could have used one of those on the course!" My prize was a $200 gift card to one of the Boyne resorts in northern Michigan, so Joel and I loaded up our golf clubs and went to beautiful Boyne Highlands on Saturday. The lady at the reservation desk assigned us a round of golf on the Ross Memorial Course, in honor of golf course architect Donald Ross. Each hole is a replica of a hole on one of his golf courses. Little did we know that this course has 110 sand traps, mostly nicely situated around the greens...just to keep us humble.

The Boyne Highlands Resort

Quotable

2011-07-01T19:54:00.000-05:00

"The world is broken and you and I are broken for the same reason: sin. Our sins fly under the banner of a Declaration of Independence from God. They are acts of treason in which we disregard God and put other gods in his place. . .Ultimately, our displays of sin reveal the fact that although we say we love God, we love ourselves more. We fail to uphold his glory because we want it for ourselves. Our default mode is self-centeredness, not God-centeredness. Our sins throw us out of tune, out of touch, and eventually out of joy and out of hope because we are not doing what we were created to do. We're sad and disappointed, and our relationships are messy. Our happiness, pleasure, and contentment are either artificial or short-lived or both. And collectively we account for the brokenness of the world."

"Jesus hung on the cross where his body was broken so that our souls could be made whole. Not only was his body broken for us, his relationship with the Father was broken as well. Why? So that our relationship with a holy God could be restored forever. We are accepted, approved, and blessed by God on behalf of another - Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man. He's my Savior. He's my hope."

~Bob Bevington, Red Like Blood, p. 39

Out-Takes

2011-06-28T20:46:00.006-05:00

Rumor has it that Ashlea took over one thousand pictures of Tyler and Baillie during the engagement photo shoot last month. Thankfully, she whittled the number down to a reasonable few hundred photos. Tyler doth protest too much, me thinks, about having his picture taken, because the camera sure seems to bring out the "ham." Okay, maybe it's because he's in love. Anyway, here are a few of the out-takes...the ones that most assuredly will not be used for engagement announcements. But they might just find their way into a scrapbook! :)

Notice the Kansas scenery in the background - far from barren and flat!

Fervent Love

2011-06-27T19:32:00.004-05:00

"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." I Peter 4:8

We've all experienced it, and we've all done it. We've all been the recipient of nitpicking, and we've also dished it out. Sometimes we even actively look for "material" - those irritating or annoying faults and failures of another person. Left unchecked, these sinful attitudes/actions can destroy relationships in the family, church, or workplace. That's why the Apostle Peter stressed the importance of loving one another earnestly by stating we should make love a priority above all other stewardship of grace. The note in my study Bible says that the word for earnestly means "to be stretched or strained." Rather than just tolerating others, our love for each other should be fervent, putting the spiritual good of others ahead of ourselves. It is our calling as Christians to "cover" the sins of others, always ready to forgive insults and mistreatment, and not seek to expose our brothers' and sisters' petty weaknesses.

The theme of "covering" is found throughout scripture. In Genesis, God found Adam and Eve cowering in their guilt for disobedience, but, as an act of divine love, he made clothing to cover their shame. On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest sprinkled the sacrificial blood of the bulls and goats on the altar as a sign of covering of Israel's sins. And in the New Testament, those redeemed by the sacrificial blood of Christ are clothed with his righteousness. Because of his love for us, Christ "covered" our sins. We must continually look to him as our example.

An Unexpected Journey - Part 5

2011-06-22T20:24:00.219-05:00

The last in my series on the doctrines of grace:

I find it interesting that the doctrine of man's radical corruption (aka total depravity), the doctrine that is foundational to the other doctrines of grace, was the last piece of the puzzle for me. Because I didn't initially have systematic teaching on the doctrines, there was a time between my understanding of the Holy Spirit's effectual call (choosing) of some to salvation and why it must be so. Once one understands man's total depravity, the remainder of the doctrines of grace logically fall into place.

Man's total depravity doesn't mean that man is as wicked as he possibly could be, as in utterly depraved. Even quintessential bad guy Adolf Hitler was not as evil as he could have been. Total depravity means that sin penetrates to the very core of our being; every part of us is tainted by sin...not just our body and soul, but also our mind, emotions, and will. Ever since the first transgression of Adam and Eve, man commits sin because he is born a sinner; that is our nature. Scripture teaches that "There is none righteous, no, not one. (Romans 3:10)" R. C. Sproul explains, "We are not considered unrighteous because the dross of sin is mixed together with our goodness. The indictment against us is more radical: in our corrupt humanity we never do a single good thing...Fallen sinners can refrain from stealing and perform acts of charity, but these deeds are not deemed good in an ultimate sense. When God evaluates the actions of people, he considers not only the outward deeds in and of themselves, but also the motives behind these acts. The supreme motive required of everything we do is the love of God. A deed that outwardly conforms to God's law but proceeds from a heart alienated from God is not deemed by God a good deed. The whole action, including the inclinations of the doer's heart, is brought under the scrutiny of God and found wanting."

Apart from being regenerated by the Holy Spirit, every man is spiritually dead in his trespasses and sins and is by nature a child of God's wrath (from Ephesians 2). From R. C. Sproul: "To be dead in sin is to be in a state of moral and spiritual bondage. By nature we are slaves to sin. This does not mean that the fall has destroyed or eradicated the human will. Fallen man still has all the faculties to make choices. We still have a mind and a will. The problem is not that we cannot make choices. Natural men make choices all the time. The problem is that, in our fallen condition, we make sinful choices. We make these choices freely. We sin precisely because we want to sin, and we are capable of choosing exactly what we want to choose." But we do not want to choose, nor can we choose, to convert ourselves to become followers of Christ, because, as spiritually dead men, we have absolutely no desire for the righteousness of God. Our salvation must be of the Lord!

Quotes by R. C. Sproul taken from Grace Unknown, Chapter 6

The Cello Song - Beautiful!

2011-06-21T06:08:00.001-05:00

I have loved this piece since I first heard it in Master and Commander.

For Father's Day

2011-06-19T18:26:00.004-05:00

Oh, that the world would have many more fathers as depicted in this excerpt from Scottish missionary John Paton's autobiography, posted on Tim Challies' blog today...Christian fathers willing to walk the journey with their children, offering godly counsel, enveloping their children in loving embraces, and casting sustained, prayerful gazes as they part. I'm so blessed and thankful to be married to a man who exemplifies this type of fatherly love. Happy Father's Day, Joel!

Love, True Love

2011-06-15T20:28:00.001-05:00

Tyler and Baillie asked Ashlea to be the photographer for their wedding, and Ashlea offered to do their engagement photos as well. Here are a few blog-approved pictures...the not-so-mushy ones. ; ) Great job, Ashlea!

If I Were John MacArthur

2011-06-14T17:18:00.003-05:00

I've mentioned before how influential John MacArthur's teaching has been in our lives over the years. He literally wrote the book on expository preaching and is renowned worldwide for his teaching ministry. I came across this article that celebrates his completion of teaching through the New Testament...usually one or two verses at a time.

"Last Sunday night, to the sound of thunderous ovation, Dr. MacArthur completed the expository preacher’s equivalent of landing on the moon. They say the space shuttle carrying Armstrong employed less technology than a modern coffee machine. By finishing the Gospel of Mark, MacArthur has preached on every verse of the New Testament, using less technology than a typewriter (a rollerball was his instrument of choice to handwrite every one of his thousands of sermons).
For 43 years John tunneled his way with a worm’s-eye-view of the Greek grammar and syntax each week in his tiny home study, so that he could share the mined wealth of insight with a hungry congregation of 6000 members, and a waiting planet of innumerable Grace To You listeners. He set out to achieve this goal early in his ministry. It must have been the confidence of youth, bolstered by pro football and baseball scouts desperately wooing him, which fueled his “dream big” mentality."

Click link to read the complete article.

If I were John MacArthur…

And here is another article from The Gospel Coalition.

Calvinistic Cartoons: Listen to Jesus

2011-06-11T18:08:00.001-05:00

Touche'!

Calvinistic Cartoons: Listen to Jesus

We Won!!

2011-06-08T19:09:00.001-05:00

The City Rescue Mission of Saginaw won a new Toyota mini-van in yesterday's 100 Cars for Good contest! It was a lot of fun monitoring the Facebook voting yesterday until late into the evening. And it was great to see so much chatter on Facebook in support of the mission! If any of you happened to follow the link from my blog to vote, I thank you!

Carson, Keller, and Piper discuss the Importance of Marriage Covenant

2011-06-06T18:11:00.000-05:00

Piper, Carson, and Keller on Sustaining the Covenant of Marital Love from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

Special Request

2011-06-05T18:22:00.011-05:00

I have a special request from all you who have Facebook accounts. On Tuesday, June 7th, the City Rescue Mission of Saginaw (my employer and a great ministry) is on the ballot to win a new mini-van through the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program! We are up against four other non-profit organizations on that day, so we would be very appreciate of your vote! All you have to do is go to this website, and click:

http://apps.facebook.com/carsforgood

After you vote, please tell your Facebook friends to vote also! We'd love for this to go viral! Thanks so much for helping the City Rescue Mission of Saginaw. If you would like to see how we could use a new van (one with attached bumpers), click here.

Muchas gracias!!