A friend from seminary, Eric Hartman, the Pastor of Providence Church in Garland, Texas, has posted these great thoughts about how the family and church are increasingly at war with each other in believers' priorities on His blog SEMPER REFORMANDA (always reforming). I completely share his thoughts. It's a good read that I encourage you to checkout--especially you parents. Click here for the post. (By the way, before you dismiss him because of the picture, I will confess that I too wore bow ties in seminary and may have even led him into such folly).
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
16 March 2007
but don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again ... ever.
A friend from seminary, Eric Hartman, the Pastor of Providence Church in Garland, Texas, has posted these great thoughts about how the family and church are increasingly at war with each other in believers' priorities on His blog SEMPER REFORMANDA (always reforming). I completely share his thoughts. It's a good read that I encourage you to checkout--especially you parents. Click here for the post. (By the way, before you dismiss him because of the picture, I will confess that I too wore bow ties in seminary and may have even led him into such folly).
14 March 2007
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
My Dad just got back from six weeks in Florida. He was about an hour south of the big tornadoes that raked across central Florida in the dead of night at the beginning of February, killing at least 19 people. This photo was taken of one of these by a local resident . . .
kids talking theology
Why can't adults have good theological conversations like this one my nieces Baileigh and Mckenna had, compliments of my sister's blog ORGANIZED CHAOS...
I was asking the girls about their day at school on the drive home. Today's letter was "R" and Mckenna had made a rocket ship with construction paper. That led to the following conversation:
Mckenna: "Mommy, can Daddy build me a rocket ship someday so I can go up high, high, high, in the sky and see where the rain comes from?"
Baileigh: "Daddy can't build a rocket ship...you have to fly up in the sky in a plane...Daddy could fly you in the plane though because he is a pilot and that is what he does. He flies planes."
Mckenna: "Yah, and we could go on a rainy day and see rain. And maybe rainbows. And maybe heaven."
Baileigh: "No, you can't see heaven. That is even higher then the clouds. And we can't go there anyway Mckenna."
Mckenna: "Why?"
Baileigh: "Because we have sin and there is no sin in heaven...so someday when it is time to go to Heaven we can go because then we won't have sin. That is why Jesus died on the cross."
Mckenna: "Yep! But we won't have sin when we move to New Jersey!"
Baileigh: "Yes we will, Mckenna, we only won't have sin when we go to heaven."
Mckenna: "Maybe we can go to heaven after New Jersey."
13 March 2007
200,000 legos, 352 lbs., & +$10,000
I'm of today watching Aya & Arys while Cami serves on jury duty (a.k.a. jury "doody" for all the fun it entails. So, its the perfect time for this gratuitous post about a guy who spent over a year building a 16.5 foot model of the Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman (CVN-75). This thing is stunning, built to-scale even on the inside! It has electricity for lights and motorized catapults! The inner geeky boy in every man has to delight in this. I make only one request--don't ask me how I stumbled across this! An extensive gallery with more amazing photos is available here.
10 March 2007
Update: Pray for Ben Roberts
Ben was discharged Friday from Hurley Medical Center Friday afternoon. Tests not only confirmed no internal injuries, but no cervical damage either. So, Ben's at home loaded-up on Vicodin, Ibuprofen, and muscle relaxants. He has a full torso brace that he has to wear while moving around or vertical, but can take it off when laying down. His friend Cameron was over helping Ben keep the XBox 360 and PS3 humming. Cameron was, thankfully, behind Ben when the accident occured and watched him go off the road. He was able to stop, help Ben get out of the totaled car, and call 911. We gave him a hard time for having no video to post on YouTube. We also concluded that the problem here that led to the accident was that Ben did not have a fast enough car to complete a pass before oncoming traffic. Fred and Robin now understand why I'm not a youth pastor. Anyway, by God's grace, Ben will wear the brace for the next three months and be back to normal. If all he loses from this is the end of the hockey season at Lapeer East where he plays, sounds like a pretty good deal. Thanks for praying. 09 March 2007
Pray for Ben Roberts
Wednesday night after going to his youth group, my 17 year-old nephew Ben Roberts (son of Cami's oldest sister Robin and husband Fred) was involved in a near-fatal car accident. Ben lives in Metamora where the accident took place. He was transported to Hurley Medical Center in Flint where he is now stable and in the Pediatric unit. He suffered a compresion fracture of the L-2 vertebrae in his spine and is wearing a brace. They're still evaluating him for cervical damage. Thankfully, concerns about abdominal injuries and the need for surgery have been ruled-out. Already, the past 36 hours have brought better news than expected. We'd love to keep hearing more--that Ben will have no complications or impairment and make a speedy recovery. We'd appreciate your prayers to that end. Thanks.06 March 2007
changing the world, one cup at a time
Have you ever heard of Pura Vida coffee--a fair-trade gourmet coffee? They aim to "change the world, one cup at a time" by "create[ing] good by using capitalism to empower producers, motivate consumers, inspire business leaders, and ultimately serve the poor." The inspiring story of one of the co-founders, John Sage, tells of how his Pastor motivated him to wed capitalism, compassion, and coffee at the heart of a new kind of company. "I've landed at a great intesection," he says. "In the words of Frederick Buechner, the Presbyterian minister, that's 'the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.' " Checkout this month's US News and World Report article here.24 February 2007
Living in a Consumer Culture
Sometimes we hear about numbers that try to capture the size of our consumer culture, but they're so large that it's hard to really comprehend what they represent. To get a visual of it, check out photographer Chris Jordan’s art series “Running the Numbers” which depicts this stuff in a remarkable way.
20 February 2007
Ash Wednesday & Lent
February 21st is Ash Wednesday. Have you ever paid any attention to Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent leading up to Easter that it marks the beginning of? If not, you’re missing something full of power and meaning. Have trouble getting really excited about Easter? Maybe it’s because you’ve never really taken it as seriously as you should. Read on to be introduced to this helpful observance.
This practice dates back about a millennia, but the principle behind it is one spoken of throughout the Bible. People used threw or rubbed ashes on themselves as a sign of mourning and sorrow (e.g. 2 Samuel 15:32). It reminds us of our common mortality “…for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Gen. 3:19). With an eye toward Easter, and the death of Jesus on our behalf, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent (from Middle English meaning “spring”) which has become a way of seriously preparing oneself to mark the most important event in our life in a meaningful way. On Ash Wednesday, many faith traditions rub an ash cross on the forehead as a sign of this observance (the ashes typically coming from the burned remains of the palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday).
Lent refers to 40 days of devotion and discipline leading up to the day before Easter (a quick count of the calendar will total 46, but Sundays are not counted because they are always days of celebration and feasting). The purpose of this period of time is to examine yourself and seek a greater conformity to the mind and heart of Christ, as well as giving yourself over to more effective service to the world on His behalf. Typically, people will enter into some kind of fast, giving something up in recognition of this time of sober self-assessment. The point is to take Jesus’ Good Friday death and Easter Sunday resurrection seriously enough that we make it the central defining point of our year and character. We actively seek to alleviate the blockages in our lives that prevent God from acting freely in and through us.
The prophet Joel gives voice to the spirit behind Lent in this appeal:
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
Most of us know about Lent through stories of people temporarily giving up chocolate, desserts, or television for the 40 day period. Often, the underlying joke is that these are things not good for us anyway, so it actually benefits us to give them up. That’s not the point. The point is that we give them up to benefit God and others. The point is that we give something up, yes, but also that we add something to our life that makes us more like and useful to Jesus. The point is not doing this for a brief window of time, but to use that time to stop one habit and build a new one that will carry into the rest of the year.
I encourage you to observe Lent this year by eliminating something from your life that keeps you from being as close to God as you could or that holds you back from serving others for His sake. I encourage you to use this as an opportunity to really scrutinize your heart and actions. And, I challenge you to do this for the long-term, not just temporarily. Each Sunday, we’ll have a brief focus on Lent that will prompt you to remember and think. A list of questions for self-examination and an Ash Wednesday prayer will be posted on OUT OF MY MIND on Wednesday.
07 February 2007
NEWSFLASH: christian is not an adjective
One of the new musical artists that I discovered last year was Derek Webb. I’d long listened to him as the lead male vocalist of a group I’ve liked for years –Caedmon’s Call—but had never followed him as a solo artist. Now he’s left the band permanently, as I understand it. So I tried listening to his new album Mockingbird which has stirred-up a lot of conversation because of it’s lyrics that prophetically challenge the church and Christian culture in North America. The point of the whole album is that we are not supposed to be singing our own life-song, but rather imitating Jesus’s life.
One of the songs that really made me stop and think was a song entitled A New Law. The song has stuck with me throughout the year, so I wanted to mention it to you. Whether you like the music or not, his point is worth considering. Do Christians tend to shirk the complex critical thinking demanded by freedom in Christ for something easier—a label, a slogan, someone else’s opinion? In doing so, aren’t we just trading in an old law for a new one, rather than living life with the Spirit?
A New Law
[Click here to listen to the song. Use the control bar at the top.]
don’t teach me about politics and government
just tell me who to vote for
don’t teach me about truth and beauty
just label my music
don’t teach me how to live like a free man
just give me a new law
(pre-chorus)
i don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
so just bring it down from the mountain to me
(chorus)
i want a new law
i want a new law
gimme that new law
(vs. 2)
don’t teach me about moderation and liberty
i prefer a shot of grape juice
don’t teach me about loving my enemies
don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit
just give me a new law
(pre-chorus/chorus)
(bridge)
what’s the use in trading a law you can never keep
for one you can that cannot get you anything
do not be afraid
do not be afraid
do not be afraid
A New Law
[Click here to listen to the song. Use the control bar at the top.]
don’t teach me about politics and government
just tell me who to vote for
don’t teach me about truth and beauty
just label my music
don’t teach me how to live like a free man
just give me a new law
(pre-chorus)
i don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
so just bring it down from the mountain to me
(chorus)
i want a new law
i want a new law
gimme that new law
(vs. 2)
don’t teach me about moderation and liberty
i prefer a shot of grape juice
don’t teach me about loving my enemies
don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit
just give me a new law
(pre-chorus/chorus)
(bridge)
what’s the use in trading a law you can never keep
for one you can that cannot get you anything
do not be afraid
do not be afraid
do not be afraid
16 January 2007
The Notice My World Project
Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan
God is all around us. The evidence is there. We just don’t notice. We’ve learned to ignore them. That is until THOSE moments come ...
One of my favorite Psalms is song nineteen—especially the first section. It takes me back to sailing on Grand Traverse Bay off Old Mission Point . . . a night in the Texas Countryside watching the meteor showers . . . snorkeling off a small Bahamian Cay . . . looking down the 3,000 foot change of elevation at Snowbird Ski Resort from to summit of Hidden Peak . . . hiking through the Ouachita Mountains in Oklahoma—the list could go on. These are places and moments in which God’s presence and glory was so overwhelmingly clear and incredibly overpowering. They broke through my normal dullness and stunned me into realizing that God is not distant. This is the universal medium through which God makes Himself known, and yet I still typically ignore it.
The songwriter puts it like this,
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their measuring line goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
He goes on to point-out that God’s word (His law or instruction) makes what we know of God specific, with a clear moral content. But nature is not dismissed as irrelevant. The songwriter still notices and finds it beneficial to listen to what nature—the physical world around us—has to say about God. At the end of his song, as he asks that “the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O, Lord” this prayed desire refers back to both God’s word and God’s work. John Piper shares eleven practical steps by his former teacher Clyde Kilby to “stay alive to the beauty of God’s world.” One of these reads, “I shall open my eyes and ears. Once every day I shall simply stare at a tree, a flower, a cloud, or a person. I shall not then be concerned at all to ask what they are but simply be glad that they are. I shall joyfully allow them the mystery of what Lewis calls their ‘divine, magical, terrifying and ecstatic’ existence.”
I’ve been convicted of this not being true for me. I recognize the impact it has had when I have meditated on it in the past. So, as a spiritual discipline for 2007, I have commenced a project I’m calling “Notice My World.” I will be disciplining myself to see something around me, each day, that in some way points back to God and says something about Him. I’ll be taking a photo and posting these in the photo gallery of the same name in the right column a little way down. I don’t live in the most beautiful or exotic setting. Much of my daily scenery may be “routine.” You may not find them worth looking-at. The public nature of it, however, will hold me accountable.
I simply wish to tease-out what it says about God nonetheless. As I pay attention to the world around me that He has made possible, I pray that I will be more aware of who God is and how he is good to me. Feel free to look when you want to. Maybe it will prompt you to listen to all of His “voices” a little more closely too.
09 January 2007
Jonathon Edward's Resolutions (Hipster-Doofus Remix)
Recently, I’ve talked about Jonathan Edward’s personal resolutions. They are worth contemplating as a Christian. Since I’ve had numerous requests, here they are. This post features my “hipster-doofus remix” in modern English (only partial as I’m still working my way through them). The last post has the Old English version.
Being smart enough to know that I can’t do anything without help from God, I humbly plead Him to graciously help me keep my own resolutions, so far as they are in harmony with His will for my life lived to Christ. I’ll make it point to read these and remind myself each week.
I resolve…
1- that I will do whatever I can do to give God glory and contribute to my own true good, gain, and happiness, for as long as I live. Moreover, I will do what I think I can do as a servant of God to do the same for my fellow human beings. I commit to doing this regardless of how many or how severe the consequences.
2- to be continually looking for creative new ways to accomplish #1.
3- to renew my commitment to these once I come to my senses if I ever become lazy and uncommitted to these resolutions.
4- to do nothing that is not glory-giving to God, and more to even attempt things that seem to big and too impossible to happen for the same purpose.
5- to never waste time, but to make the most of every moment I get.
6- to live life to the full—giving it everything I’ve got.
7- to live all of life as I were to die in the next moment and I would be proud of what people said about me when gone.
8- to live with the sense that my sins put me on the same level as everyone else so that I don’t have a false sense of being different or better. If anything, I’ll assume that my sins are worse than anyone else’s, or that I’ve committed every sin or have every weakness that anyone else has. At worst, my habit will then be awareness of my own sin and a prompting to confess it to God.
9- to be aware that I will die for death is the common fate of the fallen.
10- to let pain warn me to steer clear of the ultimate painful consequences of sin and challenge me to willingly accept any pain to bear witness to God.
11- to give serious thought to any thought that I have about God, and try to understand Him as much as I’m able to.
12- to get rid of anything in my life that makes me proud or vain.
13- to seek people and opportunities to generously give my resources to.
14- to never seek revenge.
15- to not allow people to provoke me to be angry when it’s just not worth it.
16- to never speak poorly about someone unless for a legitimately appropriate and constructive purpose as a fellow believer treating others as God directs.
17- to live in a manner that would make me proud to hear what people said about me when I’m gone.
18- to live all of life as an expression of devoted worship and in a manner that clearly communicates the good news.
19- [See # 7]
20- to me self-controlled in what and how much I eat and drink and evaluate my behavior each night.
21- to never to something that, if I saw someone else doing it, I would think less of them for doing.
22- [See # 1]
23- [See # 4]
24- to evaluate why I do things that are obviously bad so that I can attack by prayer and preventive actions the things which led or enabled me to act that way.
25- to carefully consider what leads me to doubt God’s love for me and resist it.
26- to flee from things that take away my confidence that I belong to God.
27-
28- to know the Scriptures so well as a matter of lifestyle that those Scriptures know me as a matter of living.
29- to pray with serious conviction, with requests that actually anticipate God’s response and confessions that I know God will accept.
30- to weekly seek a more intense passion for God and more gracious interaction with others.
31- [See # 16]
32- to be a person that others can trust.
33- to be a person who seeks, makes, and preserves principled peace.
34- to be a truthful when I speak.
35- to be sensitive to times when I wonder whether I have really done all that I should as God’s servant, so that I can either let my qualms go or go back and live-up to my responsibility.
36- [See # 16]
37- to nightly, weekly, monthly, and yearly examine my life to see how I have sinned by omission and commission, and when I have denied my own will to serve His.
38- to treat Sabbath days as truly special, even in my speech.
39- to never do anything that I don’t think God would approve of, and to consider whether or not something that I did unthinkingly was or was not to God’s approval.
40- [See # 20]
Jonathon Edward's Resolutions (Old English)
Recently, I’ve talked about Jonathan Edward’s personal resolutions. They are worth contemplating as a Christian. Since I’ve had numerous requests, here they are. This post features the Old English version. The next post has my “hipster-doofus remix” in modern English (only partial as I’m still working my way through them).
Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.
Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.
1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don't hinder.
12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.
13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.
14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.
15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.
19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.
21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.
22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.
23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God's glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.
25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.
26. Resolved, to east away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.
27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.
28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.
30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.
31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is
perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.
32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. 20:6, "A faithful man who can find?" may not be partly fulfilled in me.
33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects.
34. Resolved, in narration's never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity.
35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved.
36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it.
37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year.
38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord's day.
39. Resolved, never to do anything that I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or no; except I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.
40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking.
41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better.
42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1723.
43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's, agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12th.
44. Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it.
45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion.
46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eve: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of our family.
47. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented, easy, compassionate, generous, humble, meek, modest, submissive, obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable, even, patient, moderate, forgiving, sincere temper; and to do at all times what such a temper would lead me to. Examine strictly every week, whether I have done so.
48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of.
49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.
50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world.
51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned.
52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age.
53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer.
54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it.
55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments.
56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether ~ have done my duty, and resolve to do it; and let it be just as providence orders it, I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty and my sin.
58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity.
59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times.
60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination.
61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc.
62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty; and then according to Eph. 6:6-8, do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man; "knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord."
63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time.
64. Resolved, when I find those "groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those "breakings of soul for the longing it hath," of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be wear', of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness.
65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton's 27th Sermon on Psalm 119.
66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.
67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.
68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help.
69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it.
70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.
30 August 2006
News from Iraq
Tonight's Iraq news was especially grim. By the end of the day, nearly 60 people had been killed. This week (keep in mind it is only Wednesday), 200 Iraqis have died. Two hundred people in three days. It's hard to comprehend living in the middle of that violence. It's hard to not be numb to a number too big to really make real.
On a similiar note, the week began with the sobering comparison that U.S. casualties in the war (2,639) are approaching the same number of people that were killed in the 9/11 attacks (2,752). In addition to the fatalities, 19,773 soldiers have been wounded.
If that's not hard enough, this will be. I started wondering about what the Iraqi body count is as a result of our invasion and the ensuing violence. Iraq Body Count is a organization that collects and maintains a database of incidents in which Iraqis are killed. Each incident has to be corroborated by three different news agencies. The low estimate of Iraqi casualties is 41,041; the high estimate is 45,613.
Do the math: 41,041+2,639=43,680 people have died in this war (at a very conservative minimum). Add another 20,000 U.S. wounded. And, if the proportion of wounded to killed was similar for the Iraqis (nearly 8 people wounded for each person killed), over 328,000 Iraqis would have been injured.
So what's the point of all this grim calculation?
While visiting Bagram Air Force Base (Afghanistan) in March 2002 in General Tommy Franks responded to media questions about U.S. military success by saying: "we don't do body counts." Vietnam taught us a hard lesson that counting the number of dead enemies is not a good measure of success. As a Christian, I think there is some value in "doing body counts." While not a measure of success, it certainly stands as a measure of cost. We value life. We value it consistently--regretting its loss whether by war, abortion, murder, suicide, or accident. Thinking about just how high the cost of this war has been has prompted me to wonder. If I think life is so valuable, what am I doing to protect it? If I think life is so vulnerable, will I be as quick to support a war in the future? If I think life is worth protecting, how many is too many to kill to protect it?
These are questions Christians should be asking and struggling to answer. I am. Are you?
29 August 2006
Welcome to my blog: "out of my mind"
IF YOU'RE NEW to blogs, a blog is a "web log." Some are like diaries left open for others to read. Others are running commentaries on daily activities. Still others focus more narrowly on particular issues.
Mine is going be a smattering of each of these. Sometimes I'll try to express something I'm thinking or feeling. Other times, I may want to comment on what's happening at WCC or in the Cote' family. Or, I may want to zero-in on some issue or topic that's in the crosshairs. Basically, this is where I'll dump whatever it is that I can get out of my mind.
Mine is going be a smattering of each of these. Sometimes I'll try to express something I'm thinking or feeling. Other times, I may want to comment on what's happening at WCC or in the Cote' family. Or, I may want to zero-in on some issue or topic that's in the crosshairs. Basically, this is where I'll dump whatever it is that I can get out of my mind.
Ayanna: our future hip-hopper
I assume that the majority of you will be from the WCC community. I'm thankful that we're together and grateful for this way to interact. Others present will be family, friends, and anyone else who's stumbled across this. Welcome! God has brought us together to walk some length of the journey together. I'm excited about the potential.
I aim to post regularly, but erratically. A new post will come every couple of days at the minimum. Likewise, the lengths will vary too. I'm the master of this blog, not the other way around!
Aryssa: never too young to start
Ultimately, I'm mindful that this blog isn't about me alone.
There's you. I'm really just a small part of "us." I look forward to the comments you'll make--the conversation that will flow in both directions. Yours may just be the more valuable portion!
There's God. In every aspect of this, I aim to glorify Him. For both you, and I, may our understanding, appreciation, and response of His movement in the world increase. Can you imagine a life gripped by His power and purpose? Do you long to live life so that Jesus is present now? I think I do. And to the extent that I don't, I hope He'll draw me to that desire with increasing intensity. In the end, beyond getting things out of my mind, this is about getting Him into my heart.
Buckle up. We're now transmitting...
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