Cerebration

My Blog is moving!

2011-01-30T17:11:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends and Family.

Well, it's time. Blogger has been a great way to start blogging. But I took a big step and moved my blog over to WordPress last night. It's user interface is cleaner and neater, plus it provides me with more of the tools I need in order to accomplish my goals with my blog.

In doing so, I have a new Blog address! You can find my blog now at http://www.shellyduffer.com

Check it out and let me know what you think!
Know that I love and appreciate each of you who stop by my little corner of the blogosphere to read what is on my mind!

S

The Purpose of Adoption

2011-01-29T21:17:00.000-05:00

I am reading Reclaiming Adoption Dan Cruver, John Piper, Scotty Smith, Richard D. Phillips.

Here's a great quote that explains clearly and succinctly the purpose of adoption:

As we will see later in this book, the ultimate purpose of adoption by Christians, therefore, is not to give orphans parents, as important as that is. It is to place them in a Christian home so that they might be positioned to receive the gospel so that within that family the world might witness a representation of God taking in and genuinely loving the helpless, the hopeless and the despised.

John PIper: The One Who Seeks God's Glory is True----Sermon streaming live at 7:10 EST

2011-01-29T19:05:00.002-05:00

John Piper will be preaching on John 7:1-4, streaming live at 7:10 tonight.

You can watch at this site: The One Who Seeks God's Glory is True
Or watch below:

In Nuclear Silos, Death Wears a Snuggie | Danger Room | Wired.com

2011-01-27T20:46:00.000-05:00

I found this article about the people who man the United State's nuclear missiles fascinating. It's a job of intense boredom. The author of this particular article explains what it is like 100 ft underground waiting for the launch command.

In Nuclear Silos, Death Wears a Snuggie | Danger Room | Wired.com

Kindle Lending Club - Borrow and Lend Kindle Books for Free - Kindle Lending Club - Borrow and Lend Kindle Books for Free.

2011-01-27T19:31:00.001-05:00

I have Kindle on my laptop and on my Iphone. I've often wished for a way to borrow books from other Kindle users, similar to Barnes and Noble's Nook. Tonight I read a blog post about the new Kindle Lending Club....take a look! I think it has potentiality...........

Kindle Lending Club - Borrow and Lend Kindle Books for Free - Kindle Lending Club - Borrow and Lend Kindle Books for Free.

I Read Dead People | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders

2011-01-27T19:03:00.001-05:00

Love this post by Skye Jethani. Particularly like the lines:

"But if they're not dead, I like them to be pretty close. I can usually trust that they're not going to waste what time they have left on this earth writing sappy Hallmark card sentimental Evangelical fluff."

I Read Dead People | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders

The Most Influential Books for Reformed Evangelicals – Kevin DeYoung

2011-01-27T18:47:00.001-05:00

Kevin DeYoung posts a list from his commenters to his blog, of the books that have influenced them the most. The list is interesting, his commentary on the list even more so.

The Most Influential Books for Reformed Evangelicals – Kevin DeYoung

Book Review: Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper

2011-01-27T18:27:00.000-05:00

Go to the best school you can. Get the job that makes the most money possible. Retire early. Spend the rest of your life "Doing what you want to do"-----collecting antiques, going on cruises, woodworking.

None of these things are bad in and of themselves. But is that all life is intended to be? Is that the way God designed living our life here on earth to look like?

John Piper, in the book Don't Waste Your Life, takes issue with the prevailing thoughts that life is primarily for our enjoyment. Instead, Piper pleads with his readers to "Make much of God"; that the joy that doing so creates, as well as the grace that we don't deserve, should lead the believer to be willing to risk all for Christ.

I was personally very taken by the story related in this book about Adinoram Judson, who, with his young bride, left the United States to serve God in Burma, only returning one time. That sort of risk of life and wealth and the Western definition of (pseudo)-"happiness" and satisfaction seems to carry with it the kind of lasting contentedness that acknowledges that we are but sojourners in this life on earth-that our home is not here but eternally with God our father.

In reading this book, I have been reminded of a verse that has come to have a great deal of meaning to me personally. Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 4:17-18:

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

But until that day when the eternal weight of glory is realized and attained, we are to live in this world. But will our time here be wasted in vain pursuits? In gaining all the "glory" we can gain here on this earth? All the money, the cars, the vacations? Piper urges his readers to evaluate their lives, to give thought to what really matters. To realize that we may be called to give everything--including our lives--in order to make much of God. And that to make much of God is the reason why we were created.

All the hell you will ever bear.........

2011-01-25T19:30:00.003-05:00

To manage a life of pain, as a believer in Jesus, remember: This is all the hell you will ever bear. (M'Cheyne)

Sent from my iPhone

Bookcrossing.com: A site like Geocaching--but for books!

2011-01-23T22:14:00.001-05:00

I just came upon what looks to be a very cool tracking site.
It operates much like Geocaching, except for instead of hunting for treasures, one can hunt for books. If I am correct, instead of throwing away books they no longer wish to keep, book owners can place their book somewhere to be "found" by another person. The cool part is the tracking---you can see where in the world your book goes! Very, very cool.

Bookcrossing.com

Sunday Sundries

2011-01-23T21:58:00.000-05:00

A short list of completely useless but interesting/amusing links:

1. Found this commercial for chocolates hysterical--a woman trying for the world record for not blinking, loses sight (pun intended) of her goal. Her downfall? A piece of chocolate. World Non-Blinking Record

2. Venn Diagram for where the Platypus came from

3. Here's video of 8 people who are "ridiculously good at ordinary jobs"

4. A fantastic list from Columbia University on how to be a more productive writer

5. My 11 year old has started a blog--it's fun to see life through her eyes. I particularly like the title of her blog: Life of a Smart 11 Year Old

Behind the Lens at the Ring Dance---my girl gets her class ring!

2011-01-22T22:00:00.003-05:00

This is a picture that my girl, Keli, just sent me via her phone. She is at her Junior "Ring Dance" tonight, a formal dance where the juniors receive their coveted Class Ring.

I can't even begin to tell you how good it did my heart to receive this picture from her tonight. First, there aren't many girls at that dance who are going to take a moment from their friends and their festivities to text a picture to their "uncool" mother who is sitting at home being a slug in her Owl Pajamas. But my girl did.

And it made my night.

You see, just a few weeks ago my girl was very, very sick with mono and secondary infections. She still is struggling to get back on her feet, fighting a nasty case of bronchitis now. But just a couple of weeks ago, she was terribly ill in the hospital.

No mom ever wants to see their child ill. But most moms are great nurses. This mom is not. I am a lousy nurse, a terrible nurse. Compassion and mercy are low on my list of virtues, spiritual gifts, whatever you want to call them. I just don't have them. And yet there was a transformation in my soul as I watched my girl struggle to breath and dealing with great pain. I realized in those hard moments, just how much I love my girl and how much of a privilege it was to stay up with her night after night, to nurse her both at home and in the hospital, to administer ice chips and popsicles and eventually solid food.

I am blessed. I am blessed by all four of my children. But tonight I am taken with my girl: She is courageous. She is strong. She is determined and focused. She has an amazing sense of humor. And she is a survivor. I am proud.

And I can't wait for her to get home and to tell me all about the dance and show me her new ring in person. ((By the way, she won that ring-----one junior each year wins a free class ring and this year she won it---a gift to us from God because purchasing one was not an option this year. We are grateful))

Abortion and the Narrow Way That Leads to Life

2011-01-22T19:50:00.000-05:00

John Piper's message tonight on Matthew 7:7-14: Not for the faint hearted. Whew.

Abortion and the Narrow Way That Leads to Life

Two Great Articles to Help You Celebrate "National Handwriting Day"--(Yes, there is such a thing)

2011-01-21T19:32:00.001-05:00

January 23rd is National Handwriting Day! I know I'm excited, and I bet you can't wait either!

Truthfully, there is something very cool about receiving a letter or manuscript that is written by hand--it is something to be treasured, and something that is becoming rarer with each passing year.

Below are two links to great stories centered on the handwritten:

1.The Cult of the Moleskine explores why those notebooks are so popular
2. How Twitter Made Handwriting Cool is a great article about all sorts of writing tools--from simple notebooks to the "World's Best Pencil"

Take time this Sunday to handwrite someone a note!

**Update:
A helpful article on listkeeping and Moleskine Here

What does it mean to be a Christian?--Our Identity in Christ

2011-01-20T21:31:00.001-05:00

Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ]]

In this book, author John Macarthur tackles the question: "What does it mean to be a Christian?" One could come up with dozens of different answers. But Macarthur lands on the concept of Christians as slaves for Christ. Through his research, he has come to the conclusion that this concept has been lost among those who claim to be Christians. MacArthur does not shy away from the difficult topics, specifically the heinous act of slavery that America perpetuated as well as the current slaveholding that still exists in the world today. Instead, he lays down a foundation by teaching what the word "slave" means and refers to both historically, presently and in the future.

His last few chapters address the act of adoption, focusing on the adoption of believers into God's "family", thus granting adoption that makes Christians the sons and daughters of God.

I appreciated the level and depth of study that Macarthur obviously did in order to be able to write this book. It's very readable, but does not water-down truth. No, instead the author, through his writing, seems to urge his reader to join with him in exploring the deeper things Christianity. My only critique would be that it seemed repetitive at times. But overall, I would highly recommend this book for a clearer understanding scripturally of the identity of a Christ follower.

How Not to Choose a Job

2011-01-20T13:40:00.001-05:00

Matt Perman, on his Blog "What's Best Next", has a great article today regarding the hunt for a job. Since I am currently up to my neck in the job hunt scene right now, I found it words to be both fascinating and encouraging. You can read his post here: Matt Perman: What's Best Next

When I Don't Know What to Do: 2nd Chronicles 2:12

2011-01-19T18:06:00.003-05:00

Several months ago I came across a verse on a blog that I follow, that I had never seen before. The author of the blog titled the verse "A Practical Prayer for Many Situations That I Find Myself In".

The verse is 2nd Chronicles 2:12. You'll want to look it up to read the entire verse, but the part that stands out is the cry "O our God.....we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."

How many times do I find myself in that exact same spot, where I am at a complete and utter loss as to what to do? Sadly, so often when I reach that point, that bewildering place, I do not pray these words here. No, instead I try to reason it out, I try to think it through, I try on my own to develop a plan. Shelly always has a plan. If I just think hard enough, if I just try long enough, if I can just do this or do that, I'll figure out what is next.

What must God think in those moments that I deliberately refuse to put my eyes on Him?

The last several months, if I were to be completely honest, place me right there: right on the edge, the precipice of knowing not what to do. Life is beyond me, all control of my life-what I have known life to be-has been wrested out of my hands, similarly to Job. And yet in my stubbornness and pride, I still find it difficult to turn to my God and say the words in John 6:68: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Or, as 2nd Chronicles 2:20 expresses it----I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on you God. Help me. Show me.

Tonight one of the songs being sung at worship is Tommy Walker's "When I Don't Know What to Do". I remember listening to that song over and over and over again in the days directly after my life as I knew it collapsed. I was fortunate enough to be in Hawaii at the time, and I would walk for hours, listening to this song over and over and over again on my Ipod, studying the sky, the ocean, because I didn't know what to do.

But I've gotten away from coming honestly before my God and pleading these words to him:

When I don't know what to do, I'll raise my hands
When I don't know what to say, I'll speak your praise
When I don't know where to go, I'll run----not walk----to your throne.

O, even now, even tonight, I don't know what to do, but to try to place my eyes on my God.

When I Don’t Know What To Do

By Tommy Walker

Lord I surrender all

To Your strong and faithful hand

In everything I will give thanks to You

I'll just trust Your perfect plan

Chorus

When I don't know what to do

I'll lift my hands

When I don't know what to say

I'll speak Your praise

When I don't know where to go

I'll run to Your throne

When I don't know what to think

I'll stand on Your truth

When I don't know what to do

Lord I surrender all

Though I'll never understand

All the mysteries around me

I'll just trust your perfect plan

Bridge

As I bow my knee

Send Your perfect peace

Send Your perfect peace Lord

As I lift my hands

Let Your healing come

Let Your healing come to me

Ending Vamp

Lord I love You

Lord I trust You

Lord I lift my hands to you

The Best Daily Deals in Hampton Roads Peninsula - $20 Amazon.com Gift Card

2011-01-19T14:35:00.000-05:00

Huge Deal today on Amazon!

The Best Daily Deals in Hampton Roads Peninsula - $20 Amazon.com Gift Card

NYC – Mindrelic Timelapse � f stoppers

2011-01-19T14:33:00.001-05:00

Beautiful Time Lapse video of NYC

NYC – Mindrelic Timelapse � f stoppers

Absolutely Stunning Trailer for the BBC Series "Human Planet"

2011-01-17T22:27:00.000-05:00

ABSOLUTELY HYSTERICAL

2011-01-17T22:04:00.002-05:00

I Have a Dream......In Honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

2011-01-17T16:10:00.000-05:00

Last year is the first year that I have ever listened to the entire famous speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I remember how it stirred my soul to hear the passion behind each and every word. Today I've provided you a link that has both a video recording as well as the text of the speech. I urge you to spend the 20 minutes it would take to either watch or read through the speech.

Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream Speech

The Sad Saga of Calvin and Hobbes, and his Doomed Snowmen

2011-01-15T20:23:00.002-05:00

1. Big Trees

2. Ready, aim…

3. Surgery

4. Snow Cone

5. Hard Work and Originality

6. Well-adjusted

7. Snow Sharks

8. Psychologist

9. Townsfolk

10. Bowling

If Reading Makes you Smart...... (Brian Regan)

2011-01-15T19:32:00.000-05:00

A Miles of Smiles Adventure...: Blessed to be a blessing

2011-01-15T19:17:00.000-05:00

Please read this post by my dear friend Amanda, who is making a difference at Tumaini school and orphanage in Kenya. Tumaini is where Keli and I spent 3 weeks during the summer of 2009, alongside Amanda. Amanda has returned to spend an entire year, ministering and loving these precious children.

A Miles of Smiles Adventure...: Blessed to be a blessing

Scripture and the Fight against Depression

2011-01-11T22:14:00.002-05:00

Earlier today I wrote a post about depression. What I neglected to do, is emphasize the role that scripture, study and prayer has in my fight against depression.

I don't have time right now to delve deeper into this subject, but I want to share a website that I am using in my early morning study time.

I have a regular discipline that I follow every morning---my time with God, where I try to approach Him honestly and openly, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing. I was introduced to this concept by a friend of mine and it has had a profound effect on my relationship with God, because during that hour I meet with the one who knows me and loves my soul, even when I don't know myself.

Following that time, I am trying once again, to daily read scripture. Yes, a daily reading plan, so that I can get a better overview of the Bible. I am so ignorant of so much that scripture says.

There are so many good plans out there. So many. Where does one even start to choose a plan that works best for them?

Justin Taylor has written an excellent post that thoroughly explores Bible Reading Plan Choices. You can find that post by clicking HERE. You may think you are "behind" for the year, since it is already January 11th. That is wrong thinking. The importance lies not in the date, but in the words that are entering your mind and your heart each and every day.

I personally am using the ESV Study Bible Reading Plan for this year, which has me reading out of four different areas of scripture daily. I find that it is giving me the wider scope of scripture that I hope will help me to gain a better overview of the Bible in its entirety.

My Fight with Depression

2011-01-11T15:14:00.004-05:00

I think I have tried to write this post dozens of times. I have sat down to write honestly about my fight with depression so many times. Writing comes easily to me, and yet this topic is one that I find difficult to address.

I can't say when depression started. It's not something, I think, that STARTS. Just one day it was there, it was palpable, it was real.

That's not to say that there aren't real circumstances, in my unique situation, that have exacerbated this depression. There are many types of depression. The one that plagues me is referred to as "Situational Depression". There are events that I can point to as triggers. That gives me hope, actually. My heart hurts for those who suffer from Chronic Depression, or depression with no known situational triggers. O, to experience the throes of depression with nothing to be able to pin it on, would be terrifying I do believe.

It's hard to even find the words to write, to describe depression. Words are so important to me. And yet there are not words that come easily to me as I try to write this afternoon. Elie Wiesel, in his book "Night" about the horrors of the concentration camp he was imprisoned in, wrote this about writing of these sacred things:

"....it would be necesssary to invent a new language.....I would pause at every sentence, and start over and over again....All the dictionary had to offer seemed meager, pale lifeless.....how was one to speak without trembling and a heart broken for all eternity....."

Of course, I know of no such indescribable horrors that Wiesel endured. And yet his words speak to my heart as I struggle to also find words to convey the darker things of my soul.

Depression requires fighting, and fighting requires energy, and energy is absent in depression. It is a vicious cycle. I find myself facing what is proving to be a very physical fight. Disruption of sleep, disruption of healthy eating patterns, and strange other symptoms: Chilled, the inability to get warm, tension and jaw clenching (which is a symptom of one of the anti-depressants I am electing to take), hair loss, strange food cravings, insatiable appetite.

The worst is the darkness, the desperation, the despair. It is like a weight, without the muscle integrity to lift the weight that is crushing the body. Have you ever tried to watercolor? Truly painting with watercolors is difficult to do--the colors notoriously bleed into the other colors. That is what depression is like, it is the color black bleeding into all the other wonderful colors of life. And even if the bleeding stops for awhile, there is a small amount of seepage that can't quite be detained.

Depression is cyclical. Meaning, there are times when it is pronounced much more than other times. This week is proving to be one of those times. Today is proving to be one of the more depression-oriented days. Days like this push hope further to the edges. And then there are days where hope is so close it can be grasped, and depression becomes something that seems distant, even "silly".

Good grief, this is hard to write honestly about. Why is that? There is much shame in depression in my mind. Up until Christ made me different, I have lived a very judgmental life----looking upon others without mercy, without compassion. Even my own children. And now one of the very things that I have spent my life being most judgmental and uncompassionate about, has a grip on me.

I don't know what I think about Satan, nor his role in depression. I will admit that depression mimics characteristics of attack---surprise, brutal, exhausting. Could it truly be attack? I don't know. I also don't know what part sin has in depression. I am not saying sin causes depression, but what part does sin play in battling depression? These are just a few of the questions my mind tumbles around. Either way, I am out of words for today, and close this writing with these words by John Piper in the book "Suffering and the Sovereignty of God"

"Let us Celebrate That God is Sovereign Over Satan's Spiritual Bondage"

"To be freed from this bondage we must repent. We must confess that God is good and trustworthy....But satan hates this repentance and does all he can to prevent it. That is his bondage. But when God chooses to overcome our rebellion and Satan's resistance, nothing can stop him. And when God overcomes him and us, we repent and Satan's power is broken. Here it is in 2 Timothy 2:24-26:

And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Satan is not sovereign over his captives. God is. When God grants repentance, we are set free from the snare of the devil, and we spend our days celebrating our liberation and spreading it to others."

2011 Sermons - Desiring God

2011-01-08T21:14:00.000-05:00

Very important sermon on the Lord's Prayer, by John Piper

2011 Sermons - Desiring God

The Photos We'll Remember: 2000-2010 - Timeline - LIFE

2010-12-30T20:21:00.000-05:00

The Photos We'll Remember: 2000-2010 - Timeline - LIFE

Psalm 147:16-20---Snowflakes Under an Electron Microscope | Wired Science | Wired.com

2010-12-30T20:19:00.001-05:00

Psalm 147:16-20

16 He gives snow like wool;

he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.

17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;

who can stand before his cold?

18 He sends out his word, and melts them;

he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.

19 He declares his word to Jacob,

his statutes and rules to Israel.

20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;

they do not know his rules.

Praise the Lord!

Below is a link to amazing pictures of snowflakes:

Snowflakes Under an Electron Microscope | Wired Science | Wired.com

TGC Staff: Recommended 2010 Books – The Gospel Coalition Blog

2010-12-28T19:36:00.000-05:00

The Gospel Coalition staff share their recommendations of books from 2010. I, also, would highly recommend Bonhoeffer and The God Who is There.

I am working on a list of my top 10 favorite books of 2010, and hope to post it before the end of the year.

TGC Staff: Recommended 2010 Books – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Partnering to Remember: The 2011 Philippians Memory Moleskine � Provocations & Pantings

2010-12-28T18:58:00.000-05:00

Join several others who will attempt to memorize all of Philippians by Easter.

Partnering to Remember: The 2011 Philippians Memory Moleskine � Provocations & Pantings

Learn to Love A.M. Exercise

2010-12-28T04:13:00.000-05:00

Hmmm. Trying to convince myself to exercise every morning. I am a morning person so that's not a problem, it's the exercise part that is a problem, :)

Learn to Love A.M. Exercise

Beautiful Snow the Day after Christmas

2010-12-26T13:51:00.002-05:00

After Holiday Sale - Discounted Books, Calendars, DVDs, Music - Barnes�&�Noble

2010-12-26T08:42:00.000-05:00

Barnes & Noble After Christmas sale, 50-75% off thousands of books!

After Holiday Sale - Discounted Books, Calendars, DVDs, Music - Barnes�&�Noble

Chicken Noodle Soup, Shelly Style

2010-12-22T17:49:00.000-05:00

My 17 year old is so sick with mono. I need her to eat something, so what's better than Chicken Noodle soup??

1. Look in pantry. Pull out everything that has to do with chicken soup. Tonight that consisted of:
Two cans Cream of Chicken
Two cans Chicken Noodle Soup (one Campbell's, one Store Brand)
Two cans of Chicken Breast Meat (Yes, chicken comes in cans like Tuna)
Two cans of Store Brand Chicken Broth

2. Dump all cans into large stewpot on front burner.

3. Turn on burner to High/Light

4. Remember that burner does not turn on automatically. Remove Stewpot. Search house for lighter. Find lighter and bravely light burner. Congratulate self on being brave.

5. Set stewpot on burner to boil.

6. Forget that you are cooking dinner.

7. Return to kitchen later to sound of soup boiling over.

8. Clean up mess.

9. Lower Heat

10. Add one bag of REAMES Frozen Egg Noodles.

11. Remember bullion cubes and bay leaves, given to me by a friend. Add those in.

12. Remember that someone said "Add Flour". Pour some flour into soup.

13. Stir. Stir. Stir. Stir. Stir.

14. Decide to add salt and pepper. Do not measure, real cooks do not measure.

15. Set timer for 30 minutes.

16. Become startled when timer goes off, because cook has forgotten once again she is cooking.

17. Taste noodle. Amazing.

18. Find bowls and mugs, add soup. Top off with more sodium so as to induce heart disease.

19. Enjoy with family, who says that soup is the "Best Thing You've Ever Cooked, Mom". Which isn't saying much, because I don't cook.

My Daughter has caught the Blogging fever.......

2010-12-22T17:37:00.000-05:00

Hmmmm. Bethany, my 11 year old, has found my blog. She now wants to blog, so I've set her up her own site. I let her decide her own title for her blog, and she finally settled on "Life of a Smart 11 Year Old". Yep, Yep, Yep, there is no pretentiousness or arrogance in our family..............

Check it out HERE

Solstice Lunar Eclipse - NASA Science

2010-12-19T23:40:00.000-05:00

Very Cool.....A lunar eclipse tonight!

Solstice Lunar Eclipse - NASA Science

Silent Night

2010-12-18T10:52:00.004-05:00

I've just had a couple of sleepless nights in a row, amounting to two hours of sleep since Thursday morning. I'm reaping the consequences of that now, in terms of a fuzzy mind, an achey body, and a bizarre adrenaline rush. So please forgive me if my ramblings here today are not easy to follow.

The mind is a crazy thing. I sometimes wonder the purposes behind God's design of the mind, of thinking, or rationality and irrationality. Of saneness and mental illness. Of Peace and of Turmoil.

Christmas is nearly here, and as I lay in bed last night wide awake, trying to sort out the upcoming year in my mind, trying to examine if there is anything that I am not doing in terms of finding a job and a future for my family and I, I recognized the silence of the house.

It was not a peaceful silence. It was a troubled silence, an uneasy silence, existing mostly in my own mind. My fan was on, I could hear my youngest snoring, the heater kicking on and off. And there was silence in my mind, but it was not peace. There is a difference.

I think that Silent Night must be the most-loved, most-sung Christmas carol. This morning I've wondered why, out of the dozens of carols there are, why is this the one that many people treasure in their souls?

My (very imperfect) conclusion? It is because we all desire just that....a silent night, a holy night. For all to be calm, all to be bright. A different silence though, then the disorienting silence of my sleepless night. A silence filled with peace. With assurance that all is well. A true ability to Be Still and Know that God is God.

The night Jesus was born is so often depicted as a serene, quite scene, full of peace and wonder. But was it really? Could it just as well been a terrifying night, full of uncertainty and anxiety as Mary labored to give birth to the Messiah?

I read recently somewhere, that the day my Jesus was born, is also the day my Jesus died. Not only did He die later in life on the cross for me, he also died the day he was born, becoming a man so that he could become the sacrifice to pay for my sins, so that he could become the Prince of Peace.

Peace and silence are seem to be elusive, fleeting as of late. Nonetheless, I pray that God will grant us all the gift of a Silent night, a Holy night, this coming Christmas.

Win an Advanced Copy of the ESV Study Bible, Personal Size! | Crossway

2010-12-17T20:39:00.000-05:00

I really, really am pleased with my ESV Study Bible. However, it's large and heavy enough to kill and elephant.

Crossway is coming out with the same Bible, only in compact size. Woot Woot! Check it out with the link below.

Win an Advanced Copy of the ESV Study Bible, Personal Size! | Crossway

Christmas in Fairfield, Iowa

2010-12-17T01:21:00.000-05:00

For so many reasons, Christmas time always makes me think back to growing up in Iowa. I think it's the paltry amount of snow we got today, lending itself to not one, but two canceled school days. Would have taken a foot of snow accompanied by an inch of ice for school to be canceled in Iowa.

One of the (tackiest) best parts of being in Fairfield, Iowa for Christmas was the all out (tacky) beautiful Christmas display in the town square. The day after Thanksgiving, Mrs. Mitcheltree (high school choir director) would ask the chamber singers to join her for a sleigh (tractor) ride through town behind Santa (in a truck) as he opened the Christmas season. Off we would go, freezing our (tails) noses off as we attempted to sing such classics as "Carol of the Bells" and "Winter Wonderland".

Below is a video taken from our lovely home square from a couple of years ago, pasted on YouTube for the world to enjoy. At least, unlike some small Kentuckian town's tree lighting ceremony, instead of dozens, we'd at least had a couple of hundred join together for the lighting of the square. And I only stole Rudolph's nose twice. Ok, maybe 3 times.

Who is Christmas Really For?

2010-12-16T21:07:00.001-05:00

Matt Redmond has these important words to say about Christmas:

Christmas Is for Those Who Hate It Most

We are by now accustomed to hearing about how Christmas is difficult for many people. The story of Scrooge and his—ehem—problems with this season is no longer anecdotal. It is now par for the course. Maybe it always has been. Maybe the joy of the season has always been a thorn in the side of those who can scarcely imagine joy.

Not too long ago, I heard from someone about how difficult Christmas would be because of some heartbreak in their family. There was utter hopelessness and devastation. Christmas would be impossible to enjoy because of the freshness of this pain. It’s been a story very hard to forget.

I get it. I mean, it makes sense on the level of Christmas being a time in which there is a lot of heavily concentrated family time. The holidays can be tense in even the best of circumstances. Maneuvering through the landmines of various personalities can be hard even if there is no cancer, divorce or empty seat at the table. What makes it the most wonderful time of the year is also what makes it the most brutal time of the year. My own family has not been immune to this phenomenon.

But allow me to push back against this idea a little. Gently. I think we have it all backwards. We have it sunk deep into our collective cultural consciousness that Christmas is for the happy people. You know, those with idyllic family situations enjoyed around stocking-strewn hearth dreams. Christmas is for healthy people who laugh easily and at all the right times, right? The successful and the beautiful, who live in suburban bliss, can easily enjoy the holidays. They have not gotten lost on the way because of the GPS they got last year. They are beaming after watching a Christmas classic curled up on the couch as a family in front of their ginormous flat-screen. We live and act as if this is who should be enjoying Christmas.

But this is backwards. Christmas—the great story of the incarnation of the Rescuer—is for everyone, especially those who need a rescue. Jesus was born as a baby to know the pain and sympathize with our weaknesses. Jesus was made to be like us so that in his resurrection we can be made like him; free from the fear of death and the pain of loss. Jesus’ first recorded worshipers were not of the beautiful class. They were poor, ugly shepherds, beat down by life and labor. They had been looked down on over many a nose.

Jesus came for those who look in the mirror and see ugliness. Jesus came for daughters whose fathers never told them they were beautiful. Christmas is for those who go to “wing night” alone. Christmas is for those whose lives have been wrecked by cancer, and the thought of another Christmas seems like an impossible dream. Christmas is for those who would be nothing but lonely if not for social media. Christmas is for those whose marriages have careened against the retaining wall and are threatening to flip over the edge. Christmas is for the son whose father keeps giving him hunting gear when he wants art materials. Christmas is for smokers who cannot quit even in the face of a death sentence. Christmas is for prostitutes, adulterers, and porn stars who long for love in every wrong place. Christmas is for college students who are sitting in the midst of the family and already cannot wait to get out for another drink. Christmas is for those who traffic in failed dreams. Christmas is for those who have squandered the family name and fortune—they want “home” but cannot imagine a gracious reception. Christmas is for parents watching their children’s marriage fall into disarray.

Christmas is really about the gospel of grace for sinners. Because of all that Christ has done on the cross, the manger becomes the most hopeful place in a universe darkened with hopelessness. In the irony of all ironies, Christmas is for those who will find it the hardest to enjoy. It really is for those who hate it most.

Matt B. Redmond is associate pastor for Branch Life Church in Birmingham, Alabama. A graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary, he blogs at Scribo Facio Noto.

In Honor of our Snow Day........

2010-12-16T19:31:00.000-05:00

My favorite furry blue monster weatherman predicts, or rather fails to predict, the weather. :)

Best of 2010: Books - Barnes�&�Noble

2010-12-15T22:37:00.000-05:00

Barnes and Noble's list of "Best of 2010" Books. I've only read two from their non-fiction list: Bonhoeffer, which was excellent, and I'm currently reading Unbroken, also an excellent read.

Best of 2010: Books - Barnes�&�Noble

The Music of Advent

2010-12-15T22:03:00.000-05:00

I've thought a lot this Christmas season about the music that comes with these Advent days. I seem to have a new appreciation for some of the song that I've sung since childhood. Scotty Smith, a blogger who shares his honest and heartfelt prayers based in scripture captured some of my same thinking with his prayer based on Mary's Song.

A Prayer About Breaking Out into Mary’s Song

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Luke 1:46-50

Jesus, I woke up today extremely thankful for the gift of music… especially the songs of Advent. I’m more likely to lose my inhibitions singing Christmas songs than any other genre, and it’s not rocket science to figure out why this is so.

Every Advent hymn, carol and chorus I know—the ones’ from your Word… in my hymnal… or my iPod—every one of them propel me into hope and gratitude. Hope and gratitude, hope and gratitude, more hope and more gratitude. And when my heart is fueled by these twin graces, I’m much freer, much more full of faith, and much more inclined to sing and make music in my heart to you.

Jesus, I praise you for igniting my heart to sing your praise. I praise you for giving me a reason to sing. I praise you for songwriters who capture what I feel and give me the vehicle for expressing what I long to say to you.

Though Mary’s story is different from mine, yet I join her Advent refrain today. I can sing her song. I must sing her song, for you’ve been mindful of my humble, broken, sinful state. I have nothing to boast in but you, Jesus. You came to me when I wasn’t seeking you. You’re being formed in me just as surely as you entered the world through Mary’s womb.

I’m a blessed man only because you’ve done great things for me, and you continue to do great things for me. Holy is your name, Lord Jesus! I have no concern for what any generation may say about me. It’s enough to know what you say about me… that I’m yours… that I’m forgiven… that I’m righteous in you… that nothing can separate me from your love.

Your mercy has been extended my generation, and to me, personally. Therefore, my soul glorifies you, Jesus, and my spirit rejoices in you, my God and my Savior. As the gospel goes deeper into my heart, free me from all fears except the fear of the Lord. I want to be filled and freed with an affectionate reverence for you alone, Jesus. So very Amen, I sing and pray, in your most glorious and gracious name… with more hope and gratitude than ever.

Amazon.com Bestsellers: The most popular items in Kindle Store

2010-11-30T22:36:00.000-05:00

Amazon provides a list of Kindle Bestsellers. The list on the right-hand side is a list of the top 100 free Kindle Books.

Amazon.com Bestsellers: The most popular items in Kindle Store

Drawn to Jesus in “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” | Crossway

2010-11-30T14:37:00.001-05:00

Crossway--a fantastic publishing company--is holding a contest where the winner will receive a copy of A Family Guide to Narnia by Christin Ditchfield.

The book looks interesting and helpful, and it is easy to enter the contest. Click the link below, read the article, and then post a brief message sharing who you plan to take to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and why.

Drawn to Jesus in “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” | Crossway

Microwavable Booties!

2010-11-27T20:08:00.000-05:00

Each year, when the temperature drops, I look forward to breaking out my Microwavable Herbal Booties. :)

I found my pair for sale somewhere a couple of years ago. I love these booties. Have you ever gotten cold, and just couldn't get warm again? These booties help my feet finally get toasty. All I have to do is pop them in the microwave for a couple of minutes. The herbal beads in the bottom of the booties warms up, and as they do, they release an herbal scent. Warm, comfortable and aromatherapy, all wrapped up in my favorite booties.

I highly recommend them. :)

Advent: HOPE

2010-11-27T18:25:00.001-05:00

Advent season is here. It's hard to believe that Christmas is only a month away.

This year for the first time, our family will be celebrating Advent together in our home. In preparation for that, I've written out this brief guide that we will use tomorrow, when we light the first (Hope) candle on our Advent Wreath.

Youngest Child lights the first (Purple) candle.

Oldest Child Reads Luke 1:26-38

Third Child reads Psalm 62:5

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him."

Question: What is "Hope"?

After a few answers are shared, ask someone to look up "Hope" in the dictionary.

Question: What are some things you are hoping for? What if they don't happen? What if they do happen?

Questions: In Psalm 62:5, who does the Psalmist say we are to hope for? And how are we to do this?

The verse says that our hope is from God. How is this hope different from the hopes we shared tonight?

What do you think it means to "wait in silence"?

Activity: Before the ending prayer, explain to the children that we are going to practice silence, and that after the prayer everyone is to get ready for bed silently. If it is too early for bedtime, then institute the "game" of being silent for one hour by choosing quiet activities such as reading or drawing.

Third Child Reads Prayer

God, we are thankful that you give us hope through the birth of Jesus.

While there are many things that we hope for, please help us know that our real hope is both in and from you God.

Teach us what "waiting in silence" for God means.

Amen

Thoughts on the Madness of Black Friday

2010-11-25T21:14:00.001-05:00

I think I have just watched one of the most disturbing video clips surrounding this year's hyped-up Black Friday Sales. You can watch it below at the end of this post.

To top it off, I also saw an ad today claiming that the one who shops Black Friday early (by shopping on Thanksgiving Day, no less) will be a "Hero to their kids".

What?? Really?

I'll be the first to admit that I am a novice---a true novice---at being the mother that my children need me to be, let alone a hero. But I do know that something is wrong, when a parent becomes a "hero" for focusing on shopping for the children on Black Friday, to the exclusion of Thanksgiving.

A hero, by definition, is a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. (Dictionary.com)

A parent is a hero when they love a child who is wayward, who is struggling, who is rebellious.

A parent is a hero when they are trying to be courageous, doing what has to be done, in order to provide for their family.

A parent is a hero when they are willing to listen to a child tell the same joke or story 101 times.

A parent is a hero when, however imperfectly, they strive to make Thanksgiving Day just that---a Day of being thankful for each other and for God's gracious provision over the past year.

Materialism is so rampant in today's world. If you get the newspaper tomorrow, I imagine what you will find is that it is chock full of the latest, the greatest, the best, the newest, the must-haves for the season.

Don't get me wrong, I long to give good things, fun things, to my children. I so easily fall into the materialism trap. I am the farthest, the FARTHEST thing from a hero.

But I think the video posted below and the seemingly excessive bombardment this year of Black Friday and Cyber Monday ads is a wake-up call.

Hebrews 10:34b states:

"you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one."

I JOYFULLY accepted the plundering of my property---does that mean that I desire for my property to be plundered? No, I don't think so. But I do think that the last part of this verse puts my property, the Christmas gifts I desire to buy for my children, and life here on earth into perspective: I have, and I hope--I pray--my children will have, a better possession and an abiding one, but not here. I long to go home.

May you have a beautiful Thanksgiving with your family. I'm a lousy cook, but I am grateful for a day of thankfulness and time with my children--even if the turkey is dry and the pies get burned. :)

Colossians 2:6-7
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Giving Thanks This Thanksgiving - Logos Bible Software Blog

2010-11-25T20:08:00.001-05:00

I have spent some time this Thanksgiving, looking at scripture that uses the word "Thanksgiving". Tonight I found this article about Giving Thanks and it's use in scripture. I particularly liked this section:

Last week I asked the Logos Facebook fans what they thought Thanksgiving's theme verse should be. What struck me was the answers didn't come from just one section of Scripture. They came from throughout the Bible—the Pentateuch, the Poetical books, the Gospels, and the Epistles. Even the Prophets give us reasons to be thankful:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. (Lam. 3:22-23 ESV )

Our fans helped me realize something amazing: the entire Bible gives us reasons to thank God. He made everything. He offered us salvation. He gives us gifts. He cares about every detail of our lives. He corrects us so we can learn. He established the Church so we can fellowship, grow, and serve. And He left us countless stories and examples of His works throughout history so we can confidently trust Him to bring all things to a just conclusion that glorifies Him!

Giving Thanks This Thanksgiving - Logos Bible Software Blog

Get Ready to Laugh......

2010-11-24T19:36:00.000-05:00

Try this:

Go to Google Maps

Click on Get Directions

Set start address as Japan

Set end address as China

Check out #43

HYSTERICAL!!!

This Article written by Allen McHugh is not to be missed!

2010-11-22T22:39:00.000-05:00

RELEVANT Magazine - Meals that Change Your Life

700 Billion Minutes | Challies Dot Com

2010-11-22T22:30:00.000-05:00

Tim Challies has written a fascinating yet disturbing article about Facebook.

700 Billion Minutes | Challies Dot Com

The Day C.S. Lewis Died

2010-11-22T22:17:00.000-05:00

Compiled by Justin Taylor

C. S. Lewis—one week shy of his 65th birthday—collapsed and died at 5:30 PM (GMT) at his residence at The Kilns, outside Oxford, England.

Two hours later, U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX, pronounced dead at 1:21 PM (CST). He was only 46 years old.

Exactly six hours later, Aldous Huxley, the English writer and author of Brave New World, died at 5:21 PM (PST) in Los Angeles. He was 69

Amazing Photography

2010-11-19T17:57:00.000-05:00

I love to travel. If I could, I would travel all over the world, calling no place "home".

These photos from the National Geographic 2010 Photo Contest have reminded me of a few things: First, my love of traveling, and Second, my contentment in introversion.

National Geographic 2010 Photo Contest

D.A. Carson's Words About Teaching

2010-11-19T16:14:00.000-05:00

As I carefully weigh the decision as to whether I should teach or not, I found D.A. Carson's words below regarding people learning not what he teaches, but what he is excited about, very interesting and motivating.

------If I have learned anything in 35 or 40 years of teaching, it is that students don’t learn everything I teach them. What they learn is what I am excited about, the kinds of things I emphasize again and again and again and again. That had better be the gospel.

If the gospel—even when you are orthodox—becomes something which you primarily assume, but what you are excited about is what you are doing in some sort of social reconstruction, you will be teaching the people that you influence that the gospel really isn’t all that important. You won’t be saying that—you won’t even mean that—but that’s what you will be teaching. And then you are only half a generation away from losing the gospel.

Make sure that in your own practice and excitement, what you talk about, what you think about, what you pray over, what you exude confidence over, joy over, what you are enthusiastic about is Jesus, the gospel, the cross. And out of that framework, by all means, let the transformed life flow.

Sesame Street Saturday----Smell Like a Monster!

2010-11-13T19:01:00.000-05:00

Oh, I love Sesame street, and I love Grover! Here's his take on Old Spice:

A Theology of Workflow | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

2010-11-11T22:24:00.000-05:00

Matt Perman shaes some very important thoughts regarding work and productivy...A must read for everyone.

A Theology of Workflow | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Want a cookie?

2010-11-07T18:52:00.001-05:00

So Funny. I love cookies. Very much so.

I love this flowchart (Click on this link) that helps me decide whether or not to eat the cookie, although as everyone knows, the ultimate answer is "Eat the Cookie".

The Night Bethany was Born

2010-11-05T21:19:00.003-04:00

Hard to believe that my youngest, Bethany, is 11 today. It only seems like yesterday that I had just finished the largest burrito on earth, only to have my water break. Three weeks early.

My wonderful friends Cindy and Regina, jumped into action, washing baby clothes and setting up a Pack and Play bassinet. For months, Mark slept in the crib while Bethany slept in the Bassinet side by side.

I'll never forget that night, what a comedy those two days were. Mark, who turned 1 that year two days after Bethany was born, had to accompany me to the hospital because Bethany's dad was out of town. So funny, walking into the ER with a baby in the stroller, to tell the nurses that my water had broken. The looks on their faces....still cracks me up.

I then proceeded to wreak havoc on the OB ward. First I had a whole slew of visitors, for hours into the night. Once I had successfully sent everyone home to sleep (even Bethany's Dad), I knew I had to get out of my room or else I would go crazy. You see, I don't use epidural's with my deliveries, therefore it takes a huge amount of concentration to keep under control--the key to dealing with pain is to relax as much as possible through the pain. With so much visitor and nurse traffic, I was starting to panic a bit in the pain. So, immediately after the nurse had done her rounds, I completely unhooked all the monitors, grabbed my IV pole and snuck out, slipping around the corner when the nurse entered another mom's room.

I think started to explore the hospital to find somewhere where I could labor alone. I found an empty room, stepped in and shut the door. I sat on the chair in that room, working on breathing and calming the panic down.

Well, appaaarrrraaantly, a patient is not supposed to do that, so I set off a minor panic and a search party of nurses, who hunted me down and then lectured me. I didn't hear much of the lecture, I was too busy breathing my way through rolling contractions.

Only I would rebel sneakily in a hospital, in the midst of labor. :)

Unfortunately the contractions were night enough, and so they added Pitocin. Wow. That did he trick---the contractions were so hard and fast that I was reduced to only being able to whisper, and the nurse kept having to put her ear up to my face in order to get the answers to her questions.

But oh, all of the pain was, as it always is, so worth it. God gave me a beautiful baby, who is now growing into a beautiful young lady.

I am so proud of my girl, and the young lady she is becoming. She has a huge heart, and is intelligent and works hard at everything she does. I am so thankful and humbled that I'm allowed the gift of raising her, though it seems that I am often inadequate for the task.

Please God, teach me how to best parent her, and her siblings. Like Moses in Exodus 33, I don't want to take another step forward in parenting without your help. I can not do this alone.

Events | Keepsake Ornaments | Hallmark

2010-11-04T16:01:00.000-04:00

This Weekend is Hallmark's Christmas Open House. My friend, Sarah, who is an illustrator for Hallmark, shared with me that at the link below there is a $10 off coupon for this year's Recordable Story Books.

Also, while there you can check out her latest book collaboration "Thank You God for Everything".

I'm hugely proud of my friend, she is incredibly talented!

Events | Keepsake Ornaments | Hallmark

The New Crossway.org and ESV.org

2010-11-04T14:53:00.000-04:00

Crossway, the non-profit group that publishes the ESV Bible, has recently updated both of their websites. I was so pleased with the results, I wanted to share them here on my blog. Both sites are simple, clean, and easy to use. There is a wealth of information there, I highly recommend taking a few minutes and exploring both sites. To do so, click on the link below.

The New Crossway.org and ESV.org

My Responsibility

2010-11-03T22:36:00.003-04:00

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

(Scripture used: Acts 16:31, Isaiah 54:13, III John 4, Joshua 24:15)

Seeing

2010-11-03T21:07:00.001-04:00

Well, here I am, at least 4 years since my last eye examination. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of a local eye doctor, I will soon be going for my first exam in forever.

I don't take very good care of my eyes.

I'm wearing long-ago-expired contacts. I don't change them out like I should. In the last few months, I've experienced vision issues that need to be corrected.

So off I go, expecting and deserving a lecture. What I hope, though, is that my neglect will not mean having to change to wearing glasses for awhile.

I despise eye-glasses. I've been in contacts since 4th grader, put in them at that time in hopes of arresting rapidly changing vision decline. I'll never forget the wonder of putting in that first pair of contacts. All of a sudden, I could see EVERYTHING, not just the things that were right in front of my Coke-Bottle lenses! It was truly amazing, I was astonished that I could look up, down, side to side and see everything.

Thinking about that, in relationship to this upcoming eye exam, has caused me to consider the following:

1. I. Do. Not. Want. Glasses.

2. I have this insatiable need to be able to see all things. I'm not talking just about the things of this world. I work hard at seeing everything, at arranging my thoughts as tangible note cards on a whiteboard, at observing all.

3. When I have glasses, I can only see that which is RIGHT IN FRONT of me. I find this to be disturbing, disconcerting, disorienting.

The word "See" is found 826 times in the ESV Bible. Sight is a beautiful gift from God, who is author of the senses, who created sight. Psalm 94:9b says "He who formed the eye, does he not see?" Job proclaims "Does not he see my ways and number all my steps?" (Job 31:4) And we also read in Job 28:24 that God "looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens."

I think one of the reasons I am uncomfortable with glasses, is precisely this: I am uncomfortable not being able to see not just the tangible, but the intangible as well. "What comes next for me, for my family?" "What if I'm not able to be quiet and observant, to discern and see what lies beneath the surface?" "What if I can only see what is right in front of me this day, this hour, this minute?"

Most of the time I want God to wear contacts, to see and know me, my soul and my mind. Other times I wish he had coke bottle glasses on, not seeing what is just behind the surface, and only seeing what is right in front of him--the veneer of my being.

In a different vein, Jesus says "Whoever sees me, sees Him who sent Me." (John 12:45)
Oh God, that I would be not only able to, but also willing to see, to truly see you. To not look sideways out of sides of my glasses so as to view you as a fuzzy concept, but rather may I see you with "contact lens" eyes, with clarity, rationality and truth. And may I see the world as well, through eyes that see.

Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Free Audio Download of John Piper's book "Don't Waste Your Life"

2010-11-02T22:34:00.000-04:00

ChristianAudio is a great site which makes available all sorts of great audio downloads...For Free!

For the month of October, they are offering John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life.....For Free!

To explore ChristianAudio and to find these dowloads and more (C.J. Mahaney, Alistair Begg, John Piper), Click Here!

5 Great Books on Prayer | Challies Dot Com

2010-11-01T23:14:00.000-04:00

Great List of books on prayer. I recently finished reading one of the books on the list: The Praying Life by Paul Miller. An excellent read that I highly recommend!

5 Great Books on Prayer | Challies Dot Com

What Good is God? by Philip Yancey

2010-10-31T19:03:00.000-04:00

I am a fan of Philip precisely because he is willing to ask the hard questions; he asks the questions that I so often find running through my own mind. In his latest work, Yancey poses the question "What Good is God?" He then seeks the answer through reviewing a wide sample of trips he has taken in the past few years. His eclectic gathering of stories from such a wide variety of places lends credo to the answer to the question. From prostitutes to college students, to South Africans, addicts and other populations, his interview style and his openness about his own doubts and assurances about God give the reader much to think about. Thank you, Mr. Yancey, for once again being transparent with your own soul, so that your readers are more apt to be transparent with their souls before God.

Neglect.....

2010-10-29T23:19:00.005-04:00

It's been quite awhile since I've turned to my blog in order to sort out my thoughts on any subject.

I'm not sure why, but I've entered a realm where I am tired of thinking. My mind is not sharp, it is quite dull. But I'll post a story here from recent weeks:

I have been receiving several documents in the mail as of late, in preparation for an upcoming court hearing. I'm being sued by a lawyer for the legal fees incurred by my husband. Since he is incarcerated (I think that is the first time I've shared that on this blog) and will remain there for another 13 years or so, his guardian ad litem (court appointed attorney in the civil case, not his criminal case) is seeking payment of the legal fees. My lawyer is pretty confident that the judge will rule that the state will pay the fees as opposed to me paying them.

All that to say, as a result, my mailbox has been receiving a renewed onslaught of legal documents.

The latest was a notification from my lawyer to the other lawyer, acknowledging the date set for the hearing. Pretty standard stuff, except for this time the wording caught my eye:

"And the defendant will ever pray, etc"

That was the closing line of this newest document. The defendant will ever pray. Now, I understand that this is legal terminology, that history has dictated in the formal respect driven world of law. But those words made me pause and think:

Defendant refers to "the party against which an action is brought", acccording to the American Heritage Dictionary. An action has been brought against me. It reminds me of Psalms, so many of them, where the author of the Psalms pleas with God to protect him from those who would bring an action against the author. I am a defendant. But not just in this civil case, I am a defendant in this world. This is not home, this existence on earth. How I long for home.

"And the defendant will ever pray, etc."
Legal jargon yes. However, it caused me to examine my mind and soul and to reconsider prayer, real prayer. This sentence does not say that I might pray. It does not say that I should pray. It says that I, the defendant, will EVER pray. Difficult English to understand, maybe. But I take it to mean that the defendant will continually pray. What other choice is there? There is none. Unceasing prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

Do I continually pray? No, far from it. Do I need to be continually praying--O yes, because where else do I have to go? What other options lead to sanity, to peace, to direction, except through prayer, the catalyst for relationship to God. It's the stuff John 6:68 is made of--To whom shall I go except to Jesus? Because He has the words of eternal life. I do not. I do not.

I mostly am writing this story, so as to preach it to myself. Tonight I do not feel well. Tomorrow is another long day away from my kids, working all day. I, the defendant, need to ever pray, etc. And that etc.? My personal et cetera must incorporate scripture work, must incorporate quiet time alone to pray, to write, to think, to study, and to pray again. I have neglected these things as of late, out of fatigue. But they must take priority, if this defendant, by the grace of God, is going to survive.

FEARS

2010-10-29T22:57:00.000-04:00

I found this list of fears to be fascinating!

Coulrophobia

Fear of clowns. And not just "evil clowns" either. Most common in children, but adults can sometime suffer from it too. In 2006, the Isle of Wight Bestival had to cancel their previous request that people show up as clowns due to the unusually high numbers of Coulrophobics in the audience.
Ergasiophobia
Characterised by excessive procrastination, psychiatrists say the procrastination helps to avoid the anxiety associated with starting a task, or with making a decision.
Gephyrophobia
Fear of bridges. Drivers crossing the Tappan Zee bridge can call ahead to the New York Thruway Authority and have someone else drive the car over the bridge for them.
Neophobia
Fear of newness. This is far more common in the elderly and in children, although in the majority of cases it simply manifests as an unwillingness to break from routine.
Nomophobia
Fear of being out of mobile phone contact. Not as strange as it might sound, and a survey carried out in the UK showed that 53% of all mobile phone users feel anxious when their phone is no longer usable. Imagine if there was an accident and you had no way to contact help.
Oneirophobia
Fear of dreams. While not officially accepted by the scientific community, Oneirophobia is non the less quite real. It is not, as you would imagine, a fear of nightmares (which is understandable), it is rather a fear of facing the intimate parts of a persons life they can represent.
Osmophobia
Fear of smells. Most common in people who can suffer from smell triggered migraines. Can also refer to a psychological hypersensitivity to smell, as well as a fear of them.
Panphobia
Fear of everything. Alternatively, being constantly scared and not knowing why. Unfortunately for sufferers, Panphobia is usually a symptom of schizophrenia.
Somniphobia/Hypnophobia
Fear of sleep. This one is surprisingly common, with thousands of documented cases each year. While most sufferers realise that it is completely unnecessary to be afraid of sleep, this does not help them at all. It could be caused by an experience of nightmares as a child, which the subconsciously try to avoid.
Technophobia
Fear of technology. The Amish are sometimes called technophobic, though they maintain that their avoidance of modern technology is for religious reasons and not a fear of it

Top 5 Things Every Extrovert Should Know About Introverts & The... - StumbleUpon

2010-10-23T22:18:00.000-04:00

I am an introvert. Very much so.

I came across this helpful article about introverts (and extroverts).

:0)

Top 5 Things Every Extrovert Should Know About Introverts & The... - StumbleUpon

A New York Public Library Branch That's a Commuter's Secret - NYTimes.com

2010-10-23T18:39:00.000-04:00

Love the idea of this public library branch! Would love to work there........

A New York Public Library Branch That's a Commuter's Secret - NYTimes.com

Anything can be fixed......

2010-10-21T05:56:00.000-04:00

Click Here for creative (and hysterical) ways to fix just about anything!!! Nothing like a little duck tape and a warped "Can-Do" attitude!

Spirit Week

2010-10-20T14:17:00.002-04:00

Mark for Crazy Hair Day at School!

Sunday Sabbath---John Piper

2010-10-17T21:55:00.000-04:00

Today is Sunday. Though I longed to observe a sabbath, my day filled up, ended with a shift of working at Macy's in Patrick Henry Mall tonight.

But what is Sabbath? Even had I had the entire day off, even if I had safeguarded the day, would I truly be at rest? Would my heart and soul be able to be still and know that God is God? Why is that so difficult to do?

I appreciated what John Piper had to say about "Rest" and the "Sabbath".

The reason given in both Genesis 2:3 and Exodus 20:11 why God blessed and hallowed the seventh day is that "on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation." What does it mean that God rested? It means at least that he was satisfied that his work of creation was complete and was "very good." His rest means that he wanted to now stand back as it were in leisure and savor the beauty and completeness of his creative work.

This is the real basis of his hallowing and blessing the day of rest. He is saying in effect, "Let my highest creature, the one in my image, stop every seven days and commemorate with me the fact that I am the creator who has done all this. Let him stop working and focus on me, that I am the source of all that he has. I am the fountain of blessing. I have made the very hands and mind with which he works. Let one day out of seven demonstrate that all land and all animals and all raw materials and all breath and strength and thought and emotion and everything come from me. Let man look to me in leisure one day out of seven for the blessing that is so elusive in the affairs of this world."

The beautiful thing about the sabbath is that God instituted it as a weekly reminder of two things. One is that all true blessing comes from his grace, not our labor. The other is that we hallow him and honor him and keep the day holy if we seek the fullness of his blessing by giving our special attention to him on that day.

Serious Saturday--A Praying Life by Paul Miller

2010-10-16T22:56:00.000-04:00

I recently started reading Miller's "A Praying Life". I had been warned that it would mess with me, push me around a bit. The warning is substantiated. I can only read the book in small sections at a time. The author forces the reader to look to a very personal God, a personal Jesus, as opposed to the unreal manifestations we create God to be--big, standoffish, much too important to deal with my broken heart.
Instead, Miller shows us a completely different picture of God and of Jesus. Here are some quotes that strike hard at the core of my being:

"That's why He came--there aren't supposed to be mute children, abandoned wives or thoughtless bosses."

"Jesus is, without question, the most dependent human being who ever lived. Because He can't do life on his own, he prays. And he prays. And he prays.

"Mature Christians are keenly aware that they can't raise their kids. It's no-brainer. Even if they were perfect parents, they still can't get inside their kids hearts.

Paul tells us "We don not know what to pray for as we ought, ut the 'spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26)

/Anxiety is unable to relax in the face of chaos continuous prayer clings to the Father in the face of chao.

Romans 8

2010-10-15T23:26:00.001-04:00

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Free Friday--a Photobook from Smilebooks ($27 value)

2010-10-15T06:52:00.000-04:00

Smilebooks is offering a coupon for a free photo book. It requires sending them an email, upon which you will receive via email a coupon for the free book that you can use immediately. I've not used Smilebook before, but you can check it out for yourself (and enter your information for the coupon) HERE

Enjoy!

Thoughtful Thursdays: On Loving God

2010-10-14T09:08:00.000-04:00

From The Life of God in the Soul of Man, by Henry Scougal:

But oh how happy are those who have placed their love on him who can never be absent from them! They need but open their eyes, and they shall everywhere behold the traces of his presence and glory, and converse with him whom their soul loveth. And this makes the darkest prison, or the wildest desert, not only supportable, but delightful to them.

I highly recommend this short work of Scougal's. Thought provoking and engaging, I found that it encouraged me to take a deeper look at my soul and it's commitment to my God.

Why we Sing, and why I miss it when I can not sing

2010-10-13T22:15:00.000-04:00

I had to miss choir practice tonight due to extenuating circumstances. I had looked forward to singing tonight, so was somewhat discouraged that I was unable to. But as a result, the night brought to my mind a recent quote I read by Bob Kauflin on the reason why we sing. Kauflin recently spoke these words at a Worship Conference:

At one point I quoted Harold Best: “All our musical offerings are at once humbled and exalted by the strong saving work of Christ.” We touched on how our singing is not something we originate, but flows from the relationships of the triune God who sings (Zeph. 3:17; Heb. 2:12; Eph. 5:18-19). We sing because God sings and we’ve been made in his image. I never got to mention it on the panel, but a very helpful book on the Trinity is The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything by Fred Sanders.

The idea that God sings never fails to stir me up. And Zephaniah 3:17---whew:

17 The Lord your God is in your midst,

a mighty one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness;

he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.

Tonight I came across words from David Ward on why we sing, in relation to the congregation: Also very true and important insights on this subject:

As we sing to one another, encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ with the precious truths of God’s works and ways, we bring glory to God. He has designed singing as a wonderful way for those who are strong in the gospel to encourage those who are weak as they give witness with their lips and body to the reality and power of what they are singing about. Even as a song leader, I have had many mornings where I was inwardly struggling to believe and appropriate the gospel. God often uses the sound and the posture of the congregation to help get my attention off of myself and my individual spiritual walk and be encouraged at His work amongst our entire congregation

Singing is very important to me, it is core stuff, it is prayer.

Weird Wednesday: Chocolate Covered Bacon | Uncrate

2010-10-13T07:46:00.000-04:00

I came across a company that sells Chocolate Covered Bacon. I would SOOO Eat This! Sounds delicious to me!

Chocolate Covered Bacon | Uncrate

My Girl's Amazing Photography Skills--Behind the Lens

2010-10-10T21:54:00.000-04:00

My daughter loves photography. Here are three examples of her most recent work. Obviously I'm hugely proud of her--she puts a lot of time into her pictures.

The Strange Act of Writing, or, in other words, Erasing my Previous Writing

2010-10-05T14:54:00.004-04:00

I love to write.

I could spend hours writing. I do spend hours writing.

It's when I am writing that I best express my thoughts. Sometimes that is a good thing. Sometimes it is a great thing. And sometimes, not so much.

This morning was one of those times. I wrote a piece comparing working at a Christian Bookstore with working at Baskin Robins. While I received all positive feedback from it, I kicked myself all day for writing it. Why? Because I wrote it when I was experiencing much un-gratitude for something that I should feel and do feel, generally, much gratitude for. A job. A job where I get the chance to have interesting conversations with people. Like the Catholic customer who asked me questions last night, affording me the opportunity to look up in Logos on my phone, the answers to her questions. And the couple who, for the first time in their lives, were searching for Bibles to purchase and read. I am grateful.

I am also grateful for my sense of humor. I agree with Bill Cosby that "You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it." There is much to laugh about in life. There is much to laugh about me---I produce enough fodder for jokes and the ridiculous to keep any stand-up comic in business.

However, sometimes my sense of humor takes on the edge of circumstances. This morning was one of those mornings, that after a short night, my sense of humor "got the best of me". And thus, born out of that, was a writing that was both, at once, humorous (to me anyway) and ungrateful.

Being the overthinker that I am, I have stewed about my writing the entire day while substitute teaching. Thus here I am, writing once again. But this time I'm writing my way through my "stewedupness", trying to make heads or tails out of my love of writing and the way it presents at times.

Of course, I realize none of this may make sense to anyone except for myself. But then, what really is a blog for? It's pretty self-indulgent actually. Thus I think I'll be able to go off to work in the next hour now to the Christian Bookstore somewhat assuaged and relieved.

What an odd duck I am.

The Birds

2010-10-02T10:00:00.000-04:00

It being a cool night----is fall here?----I opted to open all the windows last night to let the fresh, crisp air in. I didn't count on, (cue scary music) The Birds.

Early this morning before the sun had even begun to rise, I heard the strangest noise outside. I did my best to ignore it, though it was quite distracting. It sounded as if someone were on my roof, throwing pennies from my roof onto my air conditioning unit. Ping, Ping, Ping. And much rustling of leaves. I briefly wondered if my 80 some-odd year landlord had taken it upon himself to clean out the gutters at 5:30 AM.

As the sun started to rise and I could see better, I ventured a look out my window. There, in my backyard, were hundreds and hundreds of black birds. They were every where--on my roof, on my deck (pooping) and in my yard. On my shed and in the trees. And they were feasting on acorns, then proceeding to throw the shells down. It was raining acorns. I'm sure if someone had been standing under the tree, they would have received an acorn concussion.

So, in tribute to my not-so-fine feathered friends, I turn to a mash-up of Hitchcock's The Birds. Still one of the scariest movies I've ever seen.

Old Books and Jesus and Prayer

2010-09-27T21:04:00.000-04:00

I'm currently reading The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal. This book, first published in 1868, is a balm to the soul. The rich use of language, the careful yet uninhibited phrasings cause my mind to want more of the same----a breath of fresh air in a volume that in it's original form is quite possible falling apart, yellowed with age and dust.

Just read this paragraph on my Jesus and prayer:

"Another instance of his {Jesus'} love to God, was, his delight in conversing with him; which made him frequently retire from the world, and with the greatest devotion and pleasure spend whole nights in that heavenly exercise, though he had no sins to confess, and but few secular interests to pray for; which alas! are almost the only things that are wont to drive us to our devotions. Nay, we may say his whoe life was a kind of prayer, a constant course of communion with God; if the sacrifice was not always offering, yet was the fire still kept alife: nor was ever the blessed Jesus surprised with that dullness or tepidity of spirit which we must many times wrestle with before we can be fit for the exercise of devotion"

It's true that it is more challenging to read the use of English language in the past, however it is not quite as daunting as one might think. In fact, the experience of reading such can become more rather than less fulfilling, because in order to make our 21st century minds process such sentences and paragraphs, we must slow down our reading and savor the words.

A friend pointed out recently the forward of another "old book" that is also a balm, a salve to the soul. The title is The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes. Below is an excerpt from the publisher's forward to that volume:

“Our books may come to be seen where ourselves shall never be heard. These may preach where the author cannot, and (which is more) when he is not.” This prediction by one of the great Puritans has had many fulfillments....As Luther said, “Satan hates the use of pens,”.......Although the orginal volumes are worn with age, the truths found in them are as fresh as the new formats in which they are now appearing.”

Luke 12:21-34

2010-09-23T22:09:00.000-04:00

22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.

23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!

25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?

27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!

29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.

30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

"Lofty" Experiences

2010-09-14T06:13:00.001-04:00

What a strange morning this has been. It's moving day in the Duffer household---so many details to attend to, things to finish up, phone calls to make. And it's already been a very, very strange night.

After driving to the local gas station at 3 AM and picking up a 60 year old lady hitchhiker (that's another story for another time) I proceeded to make my way back home in order to complete my packing tasks.

It was time to tackle the loft.

See, we have a fantastic loft in this garage. It has held Christmas and Winter clothes, photo albums and baseball cards. But in the middle of the night, I decided it was finally time to take inventory and make sure things were labeled for the move.

Now, I am not one that is afraid of heights. I love heights, the higher the better. However I am one that God has not seen fit to dole out balance nor physical grace to. I am a clydesdale living in a thoroughbred's world.

I easily climbed our very tall, very shaky A-Frame ladder and maneuvered my way onto the loft. YES! It held me! (Up until now, I've only sent children up there to do my bidding). I labeled and sorted, labeled and sorted, until the contents of the loft were move ready.

I made my way back to the ladder. Slowly I inched myself over the edge, searching for the first rung of the ladder. (For further information, see my post on falling off of a horse. I was not going to make THAT mistake this time).

But alas, my foot did not find purchase. I was unable to get my body to bend at the angle necessary in order to descend the ladder. What now, Reepicheep??

My children were all in the house, sound asleep. But in a futile attempt to save myself, I pounded on the wall of the garage. I hoped that one would hear and come to their mother's rescue. Nope. No one was stirring, not even a mouse. (I saw plenty of spiders stirring though)

What was I to do? I knew men's Tuesday Morning breakfast at the church would begin at 6, but I also knew that I could yell and yell "Help!" and the likelihood of one of them hearing and coming to my aid was slim to none. There was no way to jump. And the ladder stood there and mocked me, with it's bent rungs and unstable legs.

But, least you think that I'm not the sharpest crayon in the box, I had an epiphany. If I turned the dang ladder around, I'd probably be able to step out to it and climb down safely. I am nothing if not brilliant.

So, I mustered my strength, picked up the ladder and spun it around. Success. Now would the shaky thing hold me as I stepped WAY out to it?

I know, the anticipation is killing you.

Well, silly obviously I made it down and lived to write this tale.
I promise you, these things only happen to me.

Library information desk | Recyclart - StumbleUpon

2010-09-14T02:50:00.000-04:00

Library information desk | Recyclart - StumbleUpon

Above is a link to a beautiful desk made out of recycled books---such a better idea than throwing books away!

Tim in Uniform

2010-09-13T19:48:00.001-04:00

Precision Walking by Japanese Group

2010-09-12T00:22:00.001-04:00

This video is amazing!!

Japanese Precision Walking Performance

JROTC

2010-09-12T00:12:00.001-04:00

I suppose that every parent has this wish for their child: That he or she would find something to be passionate about, something to excel at, something to be motivated for.

I have just spent the last 30 minutes listening to my 15 year old son Timothy, as he extolled the features and benefits of his new pair of Navy Issue dress shoes.

You see, my son has joined JROTC. And I have never, ever seen a reaction out of him like this has caused. To say that he is excited would be an understatement. He is in awe that he has received these "cool" uniforms from his school--at no cost to any of the "cadets". Even when his sister called them geeky, he replied "I don't care, I think they are awesome." (and then he went into his soliloquy on shoes).

I am in awe. And more than being in awe, I am grateful. He is proud, so proud that he is a cadet. He is channeling excess energy into this new thing in his life. I am encouraged as I hear him go on and on about orienteering and parade marching. I am grateful for the discipline this is placing in his life. This is not nothing.

If you are interested in learning more about JROTC, then you can explore the official website HERE.

C.S. Lewis on Writing

2010-09-11T22:24:00.001-04:00

Justin Taylor had a fantastic post today full of great quotes from C.S. Lewis on the subject of writing. You can read his post HERE

or if you don't have time to read what is there, then here is my all-time favorite quote from Lewis on writing (I have lots of favorite quotes from my "Uncle Lewis" on several different subjects):

Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say “infinitely” when you mean “very”; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

I happen to LOVE big words, so it is a reminder to me to choose my words wisely when writing. :)

10 Amazing Homes You Won't Find In Your Neighborhood - Yahoo! Real Estate

2010-09-10T18:06:00.001-04:00

Yep, Yep, Yep---Number 6 on this interesting list is the Geodesic Home in Batavia, Iowa. And yes, I have seen it. Go Iowa!

10 Amazing Homes You Won't Find In Your Neighborhood - Yahoo! Real Estate

Quotes by Writers about Writing

2010-09-09T20:10:00.003-04:00

Robert Frost: Poets need not go to Niagara to write about the force of falling water.

Flannery O'Connor: Everywhere I go I'm asked if I think the university stifles writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them.

Robert Benchley: It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous.

George Orwell: In certain kinds of writing, particularly in art criticism and literary criticism, it is normal to come across long passages which are almost completely lacking in meaning.

Steven Wright: I'm writing an unauthorized autobiography.

William S. Burroughs: In my writing I am acting as a map maker, an explorer of psychic areas, a cosmonaut of inner space, and I see no point in exploring areas that have already been thoroughly surveyed.

Gustave Flaubert: The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.

Stephen King: I am the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and fries.

Ernest Hemingway: Write drunk, edit sober.

Hunter S. Thompson: The only thing to be said this time about Fear & Loathing is that it was fun to write and that's fair, for me at least because I've always considered writing the most hateful kind of work.

Elmore Leonard: I try to leave out the parts that people skip.

Isaac Asimov: If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster.

Greatest Baseball Catch EVER

2010-09-06T20:37:00.000-04:00

Yes I throw like a girl, I was a benchwarmer of girl's softball, and I don't know much about baseball. But I do know that the clip below is pretty dang cool!

Love of God

2010-09-03T12:42:00.001-04:00

Funny. I am at a loss of words. And I am never at a loss of words.

I have been thinking a lot about grace this morning. And whether or not I love God like He would have me to love Him.

I received confirmation of housing for my family this morning. We will be moving into a house that is just perfect for the 5 of us. 3 bedrooms. Huge garage. Peaceful. Quiet. The same school district.

I wish I had more time to write, because I think I could and would write and write for hours. But I must go to work. However I wanted to get this thought out of my mind and onto this virtual paper:

Psalm 116:1 says "I love the Lord because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy."

He is the God who hears. I have plead for mercy. I have plead for mercy. I love the Lord because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.

But, do I love Him even when I can't see His hand? Do I love Him when my marriage is destroyed? Do I love Him when my children are hurting? Do I love Him when I don't know where I am going to live, how I am going to make it? Did I love Him this past year in the midst of the nightmare and the chaos? I would that I could say 'Yes, yes I loved Him with all my Soul, my Mind and my Strength'. But I am afraid that would not be truth.

I have not loved Him like I should. How dare I love Him today, when I have an answer to my prayers, when I see that He has and is providing for my family's needs, and yet how foolish I am, how pathetic. It's easy to love Him today. Will I love Him tonight when I come home tired, missing my children? Will I love Him when I start taking the next steps up Mount Everest and I find the going slow, painful, difficult? Will I love Him Sunday, when it is time to corporately worship Him? Will I love Him as I seek for courage to keep pushing forward?

Oh God, in the same way I often cry out to you to help my unbelief, please help me to love you, because left to my own, I am the ultimate failure in the realm of love.

Weary: Part II

2010-09-03T05:28:00.001-04:00

Once again I am awake. So very tired but stirred up enough to fight a return to peace, a return to sleep.

Exodus 33:14-15

14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.

1 King's 8:56

56 “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.

Job 3:11, 13

11 “Why did I not die at birth,

come out from the womb and expire?

13 For then I would have lain down and been quiet;

I would have slept; then I would have been at rest!

Psalm 55:6-7

6 And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest;

7 yes, I would wander far away;

I would lodge in the wilderness;.

Psalm 118:7-9

Return, O my soul, to your rest;

for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For you have delivered my soul from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling;

9 I will walk before the Lord

in the land of the living.

Tim Challies on the use of Facebook in Ministry

2010-08-31T22:04:00.002-04:00

How (And How Not) To Use Facebook for Ministry

Tim Challies
08/31/10
30

acebook. In so many areas of life it’s no longer an if, no longer an option. With 500 million users it is quickly becoming a near-essential tool for families, for businesses and yes, even for churches.

The good news is that Facebook has a lot to commend it; there many things it does very well and thus there are many ways in which Facebook can assist pastors and other ministry leaders. The bad news is that there are also (and inevitably) ways in which it can hinder ministry if not used well. Today I want to look at Facebook as a ministry tool and suggest a few ways in which it can help and hinder. Because of practical limitations I cannot tell you how to go about setting up an account, but at least I can give some suggestions on what to do once you’ve already joined and started to be active.

One of Facebook’s great benefits for you, as a ministry leader, is that it lets you be where your people are. If you are like most pastors, you will find that your church members are not only members of Facebook, but that they are active members. This is where people socialize, where they entertain themselves and where (occassionally) they discuss serious issues. This is not to say that you needto be on Facebook in order to effectively minister to your people, but it does give you one more way of interacting with them, and one that can be very effective. Facebook is at its heart a social media, one used to coordinate communication and this is where you will find that it assists ministry. However, there are a few areas in which you will need to be cautious.

Use Facebook to Supplement Real-World Ministry

As you consider using Facebook in your ministry, or as you consider how you are already using it, spend a few minutes thinking about what Facebook hasreplaced. It is generally true of new technologies that they do not just add something to life, but that they also replace something that is already there. In the case of Facebook, it may well be that it is replacing real-world face to face ministry. Facebook builds social connections and in some ways enhances them; but it can just as easily diminish them as it replaces offline life with online. There is always the temptation to take the easy route (Post “Happy Birthday” on someone’s wall instead of calling him; Send an email instead of meeting him for lunch). Be sure that you are not allowing Facebook to be an easy way of getting around difficult ministry. And make sure you are not using it to disincarnate yourself, to remove your physical presence from people’s lives.

So as you use Facebook, be careful to use it in a supplementary way, a way that supplements your real flesh and blood contact with the people you are seeking to serve. Use it to share event information, to get people remembering last week’s sermons and thinking toward next week’s, to get people singing the songs you sing and praying for what needs to be prayed for. Use it to share photographs of great events and to encourage people to make contact with one another. The ways it can supplement ministry are nearly endless. But all the while use it to push yourself toward, not away from, face to face contact.

Learn, But Don’t Be a Stalker

There are parts of the shepherding ministry that are active and parts that are passive. This is to say that in many cases you will inadvertently encounter information relevant to your ministry—things you need to act on. You may be told by a mutual contact that there is an important date coming up in another person’s life or that someone has committed a grevious sin. You did not go looking for the information; rather, it came to you. There are other times that you will be more proactive in seeking out information. You may approach a person and ask how he has been doing recovering from a surgery or you may ask him how he has done in the battle against a particular sin.

Facebook can help with both of those components of ministry, with both the active and the passive. But you will need to guard against the temptation to be constantly trolling for information (negative information in particular), to go looking at vacation photographs to see if something is amiss (“She shouldn’t be wearing that on the beach!”), to read walls to find errant messages and responses (“Whoa! That sounded a bit snarky!”). There are times you can use the information you encounter in a way that will bless and encourage and there are times you can use that information in a way that will seem downright creepy. The societal rules about what we may do with information we encounter on Facebook are still being written; until they are, be careful. It may be that you will offend people even as you seek to help them.

Use it to learn about the lives of the people you love, to encourage them, and just generally to be aware of what they are doing in life. But do not use it to stalk them; and be careful how you introduce information you’ve learned from Facebook into real-world conversation.

Be Aware

Be aware that much of what happens on Facebook is public and be aware that what is public and what is private seems to be in constant flux as Facebook matures. Posting “Had a great time last night!” on a friend’s wall may just be a little confusing (especially if that friend is a woman). Also, be careful as well that you do not assume too much from information you encounter about others on Facebook. Because much of what you will encounter will be torn from context, you will need to use that information very carefully. Believe the best whenever it makes sense to do so.

As much as Facebook can grow community within the church, it can also hinder it. When you post photos of an event that only ten or twelve families were invited to, understand that all of the families in the church will see them and all those who were not there will wonder why they were not invited. Be aware of those aspects of Facebook that will alienate people and convince them that they are outsiders. I’ve said it before: I didn’t know how much fun my friends have without me (and how often they have it!) until Facebook came along!

Be Present but not Always Present

Though Facebook can be a valuable tool for the pastor, it is a tool that is far more often used to waste time than to redeem time. Your congregation will be glad to see that you have a presence on Facebook, but they will be dismayed if they see that you have a constant presence. if they see that you are continually commenting, chatting, posting notes, interacting and racking up high scores on Bejeweled Blitz, they will come to believe that you are spending your entire day there. Even if that is not the case, you will want to be very cautious to give them no reason to think that you are wasting your study time or sermon preparation time stalking them on Facebook. So use it, but use it carefully and sparingly.

Don’t Play Farmville

Just don’t. It’s stupid and it will make you stupid.

Christianity and Words: Part 2 – Justin Taylor

2010-08-31T20:31:00.000-04:00

A great exposition on the importance of words in scriptue. Engaging read

Christianity and Words: Part 2 – Justin Taylor

New Design, New Direction – The Gospel Coalition Blog

2010-08-30T19:30:00.000-04:00

Be sure to spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with the Gospel Coalition's Blog's new design and plan. Refreshed and steamlined.

New Design, New Direction – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Cerebration

My Blog is moving!

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