Because He Is Good

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Audio: Matt Chandler

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Good News

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HT: Justin Taylor

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Does God Exist?

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I LOVE how Don Carson loves God with all his MIND, as well as his heart, soul and strength.

Keep up the good work, brother.
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The Universe Lottery

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Read the fine print. Are you buying a ticket, by chance?

Click here to see a bigger version:

A fake ad found in Salvo Magazine

Fine print: Odds of winning: 1 in 1 plus 241 zeros.

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Plastic Jesus

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Do not marvel

that I said to you,

'You must be born again, from above.'

~ Jesus

John 3:7

Plastic Jesus from Igniter Media on Vimeo.

But be doers of the word,

and not hearers only,

deceiving yourselves.

~ James 1:22

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The Dance of Grace

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Inspiration and logo from holy experience

The first Sabbath of the new year! As I reflect on 2009 just passed, human eyes would see much over which to worry and fret, disappointments and fears realized. But with the Spirit of God opening the eyes of my eyes to His vision, I see overflowing gratitude and miracles.

Once again this day, I worship by offering thankfulness for a life overflowing with blessing as my God redeems everything for good for those that fear Him.

On my way to counting a 1000 gifts of grace... (longer list today than usual since I haven't done a gratitude post in about a month)

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A wilderness oven for cooking food,

dug into the earth, covered with moss and soil for insulation, a safety trench made in front, and a "chimney" hole in the back to let out smoke.

The beginnings of a lean-to,

with pocket knife whittled ends to stake into the earth

My nature girl in our "wilderness" back yard

Living "out of the box" of modern life

Inspired by a The Complete Wilderness Training Manual,

my three children embark upon their own back yard adventures

and I join the fun of learning preparedness skills

and simple fellowship as we work together to learn new things.

("Much better than computer games!" says the youngest.)

Yes. Much.

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Celebration and hope

Seeing teary joy in my mother's eyes

as she opens the perfect Christmas gift,

a picture collage of scenes from the community theatre play she was in.

(Keep embracing life, Mom.)

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Treasuring treasuring Jesus first

The first Christmas present we "open" each year.

Joyful fun at seeing three children don sage crowns and read clues to search for their three treasure boxes (mason jars) hid around the house. Then, they choose gifts they will give to Jesus next year from these pages and the saving begins.

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Ornaments on our tree and hung in our hearts

Our Christmas tree begins to fill with our "Happy birthday, Jesus" gifts from over the years.

Once again, He is born anew in us

and into the world which so desperately needs a Saviour.

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Bold and extravagant love

For date night, I surprised my husband.

I set a table at our favorite fast food restaurant, Chick-Fil-A, with white lace tablecloth, china, silverware... the works, including soda poured into wine glasses, lit candles, and romantic violin music playing on a portable MP3 player I borrowed. Add chicken and fries. Bring in husband with eyes closed (who was told to wear his suit and tie tonight for a formal evening). And a giggly happy, "Surprise! ...I love you!" to the applause of patrons nearby as he opens his eyes.

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Yummies for the tummies!

Christmas cookies baked by chef children.

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Name retouched out of photo

Deep soul joy

During a Cub Scout Pack meeting, the Scouts in my seven year old's den shared who their favorite hero was and why. Each read from an index card. His little light shined.

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Encouragement

Seeing my newly teen daughter choose the good, the true, and the beautiful.

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Hearts and bunny rabbits

The little girl I remember inside my teenage daughter

still comes out to play.

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Firelight fellowship

As a family, we enjoy this read-a-loud treasure

gathered near the fireplace during our Christmas week together.

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Daring to witness

Sharing our New Year's tradition of watching Indescribable with a Muslim friend and her two children. (Please pray for the Gospel seeds to find fertile soil in their hearts.)

How can a single life hold such treasure? How can The Treasure of All shine so sweetly in and through a humble little cracked vessel of a life like mine? It is the wonder of His grace, the gift of faith, and His sovereign glory that will shine for all eternity. What a JOY to see what His hands have done. What a WONDER to ponder enjoying Him for eternity in Heaven ~ these gifts are but foretastes of what is yet to come. I am speechless in awe. Humbled.

And dancing with Life.

Hallelujah!

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2009 Books I Read

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To quote a friend, reading is the dessert of my day. I have feasted on some wonderful books this year. And here they are in the order that I read them:

Created To Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl

It took me years to have the courage to order this book and read it. It has had the greatest impact on me as a wife of anything I've read. I will be reading it again with a friend starting next week. We will meet weekly to talk and pray about what we have read and experienced. In desperation last January, I began the journey through this book and will forever be grateful.

Standing By Words by Wendell Berry

This book is filled with highlighting and many notes scribbled in the margins. This was a book that one ponders and probes and enjoys, even though one may not agree with all of his conclusions (as was the case with me). Truly a book about... well, everything, but especially about language and meaning in life. It is truly food for thought.

John Dewey & The Decline of American Education by Henry T. Edmondson

If you have even a passing interest in education, you simply must read this book. It is a relatively quick read and will open your eyes to the evolution of American public education in the 20th century. As you read it, you will say out loud, "Ah, I see now. That is why..." This book identifies the pieces of the puzzle and puts them into place. I even ordered more copies and have been giving them to friends.

The Giver, Gathering Blue, and The Messenger by Lois Lowry

My daughter's teacher lent her The Giver and both she and I became hooked. These stories are like futuristic parables, but without sci-fi baggage. Good messages (and warnings we ought to heed as a culture) creatively conveyed through fiction. Older children would enjoy and benefit from these as well. They read quickly and are "light" while being profound.

You Are Invited To A 40 Day Journey To A More Generous Life by Dr. Brian Kluth

All of the small groups in my church went through this study this year. Amazing. Great principles and practical help. A compact overview of God's Word as to the fact that the Lord God owns everything and we are His stewards. This book navigates well to avoid both legalism and apathetic liberty. I was glad to go through it ~ especially, may I say, during an economic recession. (No name it claim it garbage here.)

Girl Talk; Mother-Daughter Conversations On Biblical Womanhood by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughter, Nicole Mahaney Whitacre

My tween daughter and I read this together. Wonderful! There are questions to discuss together for each chapter (not stupid ones, good ones) and other recommended books for each topic. My daughter LOVED it and it sparked wonderful conversations about what it means to live as a godly woman pleasing to the Lord. Highly recommended. I was so inspired that I am going to lead a small group of mothers and daughters through the book to get them jump started on using this great material to help them disciple the next generation. (If you are familiar with C. J. Maheney, this is his wife and daughter.)

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis audio drama by Radio Family Theatre

This is simply STUNNING! I can't recommend this highly enough. Our family listened to the whole series (all 19 CD's) by firelight while munching on my hubbie's chocolate chip cookies. What a delight!

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I never read these growing up and I enjoyed doing so now. I sure hope the movie that is out does them justice. I was surprised by how good they were and how different Holmes' character was than I expected. I originally picked it up because my daughter bought it with her Christmas money December a year ago. Now she is reading it, too, right next to me on the sofa as I type this. It was nice to read some fiction and something a bit different than my usual choices.

New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton

A book I am glad that I read despite not agreeing with everything the author wrote. I was challenged by it and tried not to dismiss his ideas too quickly before I understood what he actually meant. Merton appears to have been influenced by Asian philosophy, but this book is still worthwhile to read. Not to seem arrogant, but I would not suggest it for a young Christian.

Little Pillows; or Goodnight Thoughts For The Little Ones by Frances Ridley Haverdal

My youngest son and I read this each night at bedtime. This book was originally written in the 19th century, but has been reprinted for good reason. I originally thought my 1st grader might find the older language a put-off, but he greatly looked forward to our Little Pillow time. Each brief reading ends with words from a hymn. I was not familiar with most of them, so I just made up a melody on the spot for them. A precious volume for the quiet moments before slumber.

The Twenty Piece Shuffle by Greg Paul

Mentioned on the Holy Experience blog, this is a fascinating book about how the (materially) poor and non-poor can learn from each other. What would you learn if you actually walked with the poor? Lived in community with them where "they" becomes "us"? Intrigued? Check out this book. As Ann wrote: "A raw, honest read that kindles a heart to care about the people Jesus cares about... I want to change."

When Helping Hurts; Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting The Poor... And Ourselves by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett

Every mercy ministry and missions committee leader needs to read this book. Anyone who wishes to serve those who are poor, here or around the globe, needs to read this book. I kept thinking "Yes, yes" as I read it. This is not a political book. It is evangelical, founded on Biblical theology, and passionate for the least of these. Finally! Very honest, very on target... this is a book to read and lend to others.

Unfashionable by Tullian Tchividjian

Good book and appropriate for older children. Great principles of sorting out living in, but not being of the world. Worth reading, but I felt that towards the end there was more that could have been said. It was not as radical as I expected which was a slight disappointment. However, well worth reading and it's a relatively quick read, too.

Is Christianity Good For The World? by Christopher Hitchens and Douglas Wilson

After seeing the documentary Collision, I was eager to read this little book. What started as an email exchange between well known athiest (actually, self-described anti-theist) Hitchens and Christian pastor and education reformer/radical (I'm right there with him!) Wilson turned into a book, a book tour, and a creative documentary of their public and private exchanges about Christianity, morality, etc. Great for apologetics. This book publishes the initial emails.

The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo audio book

A classic recommended by my daughter. MUCH better than the movie (as books almost always are). The adventure kept the boys' attention. For myself, it was not one of my favorites, but I enjoyed it well enough.

Well, that is what I can remember. That's actually 24 books! I had no idea I had read that much. What a glorious year it has been ~ lots of wonderful desserts with cherries on top!

All images from Amazon.

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The Gospel According to Jesus

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The Gospel According to Jesus

It Will Cost You Everything from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

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The Prosperity "Gospel"

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The "prosperity gospel":

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Collision

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(image from the Collision website)

Collision carves a new path in documentary film-making as it pits leading atheist, political journalist and bestselling author Christopher Hitchens against fellow author, satirist and evangelical theologian Douglas Wilson, as they go on the road to exchange blows over the question: "Is Christianity Good for the World?". The two contrarians laugh, confide and argue, in public and in private, as they journey through three cities. And the film captures it all. The result is a magnetic conflict, a character-driven narrative that sparkles cinematically with a perfect match of arresting personalities and intellectual wit and rivalry.

I have only seen part of the film and can't wait to see the rest. It is well worth putting on your Christmas list.

What I enjoyed about it was not only the intellectual punch these two men can deliver (no apologetics for sissies here), but the true respect they have for one another, even in the face of vehement differences. Not the fake syrupy kind of "respect," but acknowledgement of each other's mind, quickness and wit while unapologetically disagreeing on what really matters. You can see a strange friendship forming rather than wimpy "tolerance" for each other that refuses to actually fully engage with the other.

But the biggest thing that struck me was about Doug Wilson. He has a strong intellect and a lively wit. He knows his theology. He is a "real thing" Christian. But, he is also cheerful and vivacious and clearly enjoys his journey with Mr. Hitchens. There is no cold intellect here. No defensiveness. He is confident, yet not brash. Friendly, yet bold. Dare I say... He is jolly and robust. In the midst of sparring about ultimate realities, he is also connecting with Hitchens.

I have met Doug Wilson. Enjoyed a dinner and evening talking about classical Christian education. (He essentially ignited the neo-classical, Christian education movement in this country.) What a delight! I have read and led discussions about his book Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning. Seeing him in this film was a treat.

And seeing Hitchens was as well. How refreshing to see his honesty and regard for Wilson. I understand his point of view much more so that before. I confess that I was cured of some of my stereotypes of atheists, which I shouldn't have had in the first place since I have a couple of very nice ones in my family. ;)

Lastly, it reminded me why I love classical, Christian education. The next generation will need all sorts of Christians, but will it have believers like Wilson? Those who have learned how to learn and to know and how to engage the world with robust intellect in one hand and a vivacious Christian life lived out for all to see in the other?

In conclusion: Buy this film here. Invite a bunch of friends over and enjoy something really different together. This is not your father's apologetics debate lecture. It's hip and interesting. It's lively and personal. It's a great antidote for sheepish, sloppy, milk-toast "engagement" with a world often hostile to the Saviour it desperately needs.

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Giving Thanks

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(inspiration and logo from holy experience)

Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.

~ G. K. Chesterton

My weekly Sabbath celebration. Worship of wonder. Gratitude for grace. Pausing to ponder 1000 gifts, and beyond...

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(pumpkin innards cleaned out by my older son during pumpkin carving)

The slime of sin... gone.

Jesus continues to clean mucky sin out of my heart,

and, not only that,

but He sows His seeds of redeeming love and power

right in the midst of my unperfected, goopy life,

that His new and abundant life

might grow in me.

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Courage that challenges me.

My almost teen daughter passes out Christian literature

to her teammates after the last soccer game of the season.

It was her idea.

Afterwards we pray in the car together

for God to find those who are lost.

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Mr. Smarty

Sweetness I wish would never grow old.

My seven year old son

carefully readies his Webkinz snake next to him in bed

each night so that it can join us for devotions and prayer.

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Treats.

Thanks, Mom, for treating our family to lunch!

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Toe socks.

From Pier 36, San Francisco.

To learn more about the 1000 Gift List and the Gratitude Community, click on the links on the menu at the top of the blog. Join us!

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Silence Screams

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Sometimes silence screams...

We were newly neighbors, Susan having moved into the area from Boston. With the fluttering heart of an introvert, I overcame my shyness and, with a prayer, approached her one day soon after she moved into the townhouse two doors down from mine. In my imitation Birkenstock's, I walked over to her Volvo and introduced myself. A dear friendship was born. And so were three children to each of us at pretty much the same times. (We even overlapped at the hospital with our middle kids.)

Before she became a Christian during a study of the Gospel of John we did together, she told me that she was not going to shove any religion down her children's throats. Her children would know the freedom of choosing their own beliefs. Not only choosing them, but with no input from Mommy or Daddy one way or the other apparently. It seemed the right thing to do. It certainly was (and is) the fashionable thing to do. What educated and sophisticated people do. And the easiest thing to do.

As we walked together through motherhood, our children had weekly play dates. And during one of them, I was given a simple and amazing insight, which I shared with my friend in response to her casual comments about not dictating religion to her offspring. I described to her what happened one day at my front door.

Her son, Adam, was a very, very sweet boy who was about two or three years old at the time. He, my daughter, who was the same age as he, and I were standing at my open front door watching a beautiful sunset. The clouds were alight with glowing pinks, oranges and reds. It was truly striking. As was my custom, whenever my daughter and I took note of something beautiful in nature, I asked, "Who made the sunset?" My daughter immediately said with an enthusiastic smile, "God did!"

Before I could spiritually build on this beautiful moment, Adam said matter-of-factly in his little northeastern accent, "What does God have to do with it?" His tone suggested a questioning of what God has to do with anything.

Fascinating.

Adam had never been told that God didn't exist. His parents weren't atheists after all. He was never told that God had nothing to do with nature. His parents and his parent-cooperative preschool did not teach him about evolution. It's not like he was indoctrinated in any way. His parents were merely...

Silent.

And that silence screamed.

Unwittingly, they had taught him much in their choice to teach him nothing about God and spiritual things. Even a little toddler learned the lesson loud and clear. Beauty, nature, wonder, glory, science, reality... all understood without a thought or inclination of the Creator of it all, of anything (or Anyone) beyond what one can see, taste and touch.

No, she did not force him to choose what to believe.

She was unknowingly choosing to take away his choice to believe.

Because believing (anything transcendent) was automatically deemed irrelevant from the start. Not even considered. Therefore, it didn't appear to even exist in his mind. And its non-existence went unnoticed by him.

After Susan began her spiritual journey with Christ years later, and attended our church with her children, she delighted in telling me how much she enjoyed going on walks with Adam and asking him what a flower, for example, told him about God. She listened with rapt attention, not only because she knew she was sowing seeds of faith, but because what he said in his childlike way often taught her things. Our children have so much to teach us, if we will take the time to listen.

And if we will take the time to speak. Of the God who made them and longs to have a relationship with them for eternity.

If we refuse to let silence scream.

Names have been changed to protect others' anonymity.

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God not only IS, but is BEAUTIFUL

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Ever been in a conversation with an atheist about God and faith in Christ? There are good intellectual questions to ask about God's existence and character, but usually, behind those questions is rebellion against being morally accountable to a completely just and holy God.

But here is a short, insightful blog post about how there is an oft overlooked obstacle to faith in the one, true God that I hadn't thought of before. We need to not only provide solid intellectual reasons for God's existence, but also communicate, in our words, actions, and life, how beautiful God is. Consider this:

Prove to an atheist that a God that he finds hateful and ugly exists, and that atheist will still find Him hateful and defy Him. But describe and defend the beauty and goodness of that God, and perhaps the Holy Spirit will move him to love.

Click here to read more...

Speak, live, love.

{hat tip: Stand to Reason blog}

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Men, Mistakes & the Bible's Reliability

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A question:

Didn't people write the Bible, then how can it be reliable since men make mistakes?

An Answer:

Click here. (It's a short video.)

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This Is What It's About

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God is a God of resurrection.

Resurrected lives.

Resurrected families.

Resurrection all the way around.

Welcome to the family, dear Kristin.

 :D

(Here is the link to the video above.)

{hat tip: Josh Harris}

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Make A Difference By Being Different

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(Amazon's image)

I am reading a book that was just published called Unfashionable; Making a Difference in the World By Being Different by Tullian Tchividjian, Billy Graham's grandson. Here are some great words to ponder from the book (emphasis mine):

John 3:16 tells us that God the Father loves the world so much that he sent God the Son to fix it. But we're told in I John 2:15-17 not to love the world, and James tells us that "a friend of the world" is "an enemy of God" (James 4:4)...

What's going on? Is the world good or bad? Are we to love it or hate it? Enter it or exit it?

The answer: it all depends on which sense of the word world you mean.

As scholars point out, the word world has three basic meanings in the Bible. It can refer to (1) the created order, (2) the human community, and (3) the sinful ways of humanity, or cultural godlessness. It's this third meaning, for instance, that Paul identifies when he tells us, "Do not be conformed to [the patterns of] this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Romans 12:2). He's not telling us to avoid the created order or other human beings. It's actually worldliness that Paul is warning against...

Worldliness...is characterized in the Bible as the sinful misdirection of God's good creation. It means adopting the ways, habits, thoughts, patterns, practices, spirit, and tastes of this world in spite of how far they take us from God's will and design. We become conformed to the patterns of this world when the ways we think and live fit nicely with how this fallen, misdirected world thinks and lives. Worldliness is what makes the world's ways seem normal and God's ways seem strange...

A worldly way of thinking is any mindset that, unconsciously or consciously, eliminates God and his revealed truth (the Bible) from how we approach life. The biblical notion of worldliness is a sleepiness of the soul in which the status, pleasure, comforts, and cares of the world appear solid, stunning, and affecting while the truths of Scripture become abstractions ~ unable to grip the heart or guide our everyday activities. Worldliness, according to Iain Murray [in his book Evangelicalism Divided], "is departing from God. It is a man-centered way of thinking... It judges the importance of things by the present and material results. It weighs success by numbers. It covets human esteem, and it wants no unpopularity. It knows no truth for which it is worth suffering. it declines to be a fool for Christ's sake."

To be a worldly person is, in fact, to be a "practical" or "functional" atheist. It's someone who ~ despite all he professes ~ lives and makes daily decisions as if God doesn't exist... For him, cultural assumptions and societal trends serve as the directing influences for how he thinks, feels and lives."

Good words to chew on.

Good questions to consider:

1. How can I, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, be culturally aware, but not culturally conformistic? (I think I just invented a word!) How can I engage my culture in a relevant way without being squeezed into its mold? (And does the church now have a conformist formula for "being relevant" in evangelism? Once you've seen one Youth Minister with a goatee and way cool glasses, wearing jeans with flip flops, you've seen them all.)
2. How am I being too fashionable? How have I deceived myself and fallen victim to contemporaneity?

How about you?

To see the author discuss his book, click here for a video that is less then three minutes.

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