suziebeezieland

this momentary marriage: ian + larissa's story

the supermoon from our front yard tonight

Art thou pale for weariness

Of climbing heaven
and gazing on the earth,

Wandering companionless

Among the stars
that have a different birth?

(Percy Bysshe Shelly, from To the Moon)

manifest

In this the love of God was made manifest among us,
that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through him.
In this is love,
not that we have loved God
but that he loved us
and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(1 John 4:9-10 ESV)

icecream + guacamole

Today I felt good again, and went a little nuts with the thrill of it.

First, I cleaned house and did laundry, big time.

Then after school, Claire and my niece and nephew and I grabbed some icecream. We visited a little and read a little, and experimented with gummy worms. 

Then Claire and I went to a plant nursery and bought a few pink flowers to put in the lonely pots of dirt on the back patio. Mostly I just wanted to be outside around nature, and the nursery seemed like a good, gentle way to ease back into it.

Then we called Bob to see if he wanted to meet close to his work for an early dinner, and he did. So we sat outside and had guacamole and fajitas and wow, the weather is great outside.

I've missed you, outside.

germs

I am so sorry, but I have not been posting because I have absolutely nothing interesting to report. I was thinking I was home free because I had survived all winter without getting sick, and then I caught this virus from Claire about ten days ago. She bounced back from it in about four days, although she still has a lingering cough, and she wiped out for a long nap yesterday, which is unusual.

But this past Friday I thought, "I think I'm getting worse instead of better. I wonder if it has turned into a sinus infection." And then that night I woke up in the middle of the night because my teeth and all the bones in my face hurt, and I thought, "Oh, great, it is a sinus infection." (It is not helping anything that our house is full of dust from the bathroom remodel.)

So I got up and took a shower and ate a bowl of cereal and got dressed at 3 a.m. and drove myself into urgent care, right that second, and now I'm on amoxicillin for ten days for the sinus infection.

And then this morning I woke up and have pink eye, as if for emphasis: Stay away, people. I'm not messing around.

Bob has been holding down the fort around here, bless him. I need to send him to a spa or something when I'm better, to thank him. 

Have I used this week in bed to read great literature, study the Bible, catch up on thank you letters, make lists of my life's goals, dreams, and plans, or think about important things?

No. No, I have not. All I have done is drink tea, blow my nose, sleep, look at pinterest, pick up a magazine and flip through it kind of lackadaiscally, and watch a few cooking shows. I have absolutely no idea why, but the only time I ever watch food-related television is when I'm sick.

Actually, I do think I know why. I think it's because it reminds me of my mom, and I always want my mom when I'm sick. :) It's very soothing to watch people talk to you about food. Except Giada is kind of bugging me with her fancy-schmancy Italian pronounciation. What is that? Just say "parmesan". Mom, please call Giada and tell her how you pronounce things so she does it right.

I have bonded quite a bit with Miss Violet, who is a delightful companion when you're sick. She just lies on the bed all day as if to say, "Here I am at your disposal if need be." I love this little dog.

The cat is useless, however.

twelve on the twelfth

I took these photos today to participate in the 2012 Take Twelve Project. :)

a series of unfortunate events, an elephant joke,and a nice front porch in progress

Today started off with a series of unfortunate events. Or do I mean a comedy of errors? I am not sure which.

Claire was up in the middle of the night coughing and feverish, and this morning I decided to keep her home. She crawled into bed with me and went back to sleep, and at around 7:30 she woke back up and said, "But what about N?"

N. is her best friend. We were supposed to pick her up this morning on our way to school.

So I yelled "Yikes!" and threw on some clothes, asked Bob (who was getting ready to leave for work) to wait 10 minutes until I could get back home, jammed a baseball hat on my head, and went flying down the street to pick up N. and take her to school. (It is a pleasure to do this. She is a delightful little girl.)

But somehow I started daydreaming, and before I knew it, I was at the school. Without N. Just me in the car.

Yep.

So I zoomed back around and got her, dropped her at school, made it home, and released Bob to go to work.

Then I turned around and spilt an entire cup of coffee on the living room rug, and I cleaned that up best I could and then walked into our bedroom, where I discovered the dog was busy throwing up on our bed. (That has never happened before.) So I stripped the bed and got the sheets washing,

Then I remembered that I hadn't texted Becky (who was teaching Bible study this morning) to tell her I wouldn't be there because Claire was home, so I sent a text at about 9:25 (Bible study starts at 9:30) and I am hoping she got it in time. 

Then I called Claire's doctor to see if I could get her in today. The only appointment the doctor's office had was twenty minutes from when I called, and the doctor's office is about 20 minutes away, so Claire quickly threw clothes on, brushed teeth, etc., and we zoomed over to the doctor's, and then waited almost an hour until we were seen. (Our appointment was for 9:50, we got there at 9:50, and we saw the doctor at 10:45.)

Claire took a peak flow test and got a 160 when she's supposed to have a 320, so they gave her a breathing treatment. When it was over, the nurse said the doctor would be in in ten or fifteen minutes to see if it had worked. They apparently forgot we were in there waiting, and I fell asleep and Claire read her book. Fifty minutes later I went out in the hallway and just happened to see her doctor, who seemed to remember us, vaguely, and came in. 

The doctor had sent a prescription for an inhaler and some other stuff to our pharmacy, so we stopped to get it on the way home. The pharmacist said they hadn't received the prescription. So I called the doctor's office and was on hold for fifteen minutes, and then finally got someone, and she re-phoned the prescription in.

When I went to pick up the medicine again, I found out that the reason they hadn't given it to us the first time was because the pharmacist had misunderstood the name. 

It wasn't that bad though, really. These are minor inconveniences in the overall scheme of life. :) And I bought Claire a Shamrock Shake from McDonald's (across the street from the pharmacy) while we were waiting, and she told me this great joke I hadn't heard before while we were hanging out:

Claire: How can you tell if an elephant is sitting in front of you at the movies?

Me: I don't know. How?

Claire: You can't see the screen.

So now we're home, and Claire is sitting in her bed reading National Geographic Kids, and I am sitting in the chair in her room, and it is quite pleasant. We are hiding in here with the dog and the cat, too, because the contractors are here paving our front porch with brick. They had to jackhammer the front step first, and that part was loud. But it is going to be so nice when it's done. I am very thankful for that, and not having to paint that old porch every year.

Here is a verse I really like:

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Colossians 3:15-17)

fear and the character of god

Moms tend to worry a lot. In a span of five minutes or less, my worry can range from trifling matters ("Is Trader Joe's discontinuing its frozen jasmine rice?") to life's weightiest concerns ("Is my child safe?")

Fear can grip our hearts and rule us if we let it.

In the Bible, we're commanded (frequently!) not to fear.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons,
by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
(Romans 8:15)

There is no fear in love,
but perfect love casts out fear.
For fear has to do with punishment,
and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
(1 John 4:18)

... for God gave us a spirit not of fear
but of power and love and self-control.
(2 Timothy 1:7)

And yet the Bible also tells us (frequently!) that we are supposed to fear God. 

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
(Proverbs 1:7)

Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
(Proverbs 3:7)

In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence,
and his children will have a refuge.
(Proverbs 14:26)

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
(Proverbs 31:30)

All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the LORD.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.
(Isaiah 66:2)

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria
had peace and was being built up.
And walking in the fear of the Lord
and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
(Acts 9:31)

Do these commands not to fear, but also to fear, cancel each other out?

No, they don't. :) We just tend to fear the wrong things (anything and everything!) instead of fearing the one thing the Bible tells us to fear: God!

Look at Exodus 20:20, which talks simultaneously about fearing and not fearing:

Moses said to the people,
"Do not fear, for God has come to test you,
that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin."

John Piper notes, "What we should not fear is to draw close to God and what we should fear is to run away from him. God is a joy and a refuge to those who cling to his neck, but he is a terror to those who flee."

If allegorical imagery helps you at all (it does me!), check out this conversation from C.S. Lewis in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe:

"If there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than me or else just silly."

"Then he isn't safe?" asked Lucy.

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

I talked to my brother-in-law Stephen (who is also my pastor) about this idea of fearing God, and here is what he told me, which I found very helpful:

It has been years since I have done this study but as I remember, there are two primary ways the phrase is used in the Scripture.  The primary sense is "pure dread."  This is the response of a non-believer who comes face to face with the living God. For the believer, the dread turns to awe. Certainly, there is still a sense of dread as we think of his holiness, goodness, power, etc., but having been reconciled to him this is characterized now by awe and wonder at His majesty.  The more we grow in our understanding of who He is, the more we fear Him in this sense.

If I remember correctly, the phrase is used over 350 times in Scripture, and that can make it difficult to define.  What fascinates me about a study of the phrase is that a pattern begins to emerge. The fear of the Lord is one of the primary motivational factors in a believer's walk. This is fascinating to me because fear is often something that immobilizes us. But the fear of the Lord is intended to mobilize his children. We are motivated to be holy, to be obedient, to be loving, to be righteous, etc. Fear usually causes us to run away, but when we encounter God for who He truly is (as His child) we know there is no safer place to be than in His mighty arms.

So, I tend to define it as something like  "mobilizing awe".

Thanks, Stephen! :) This makes it easier for me to understand why the fear of the Lord is accompanied by tremendous blessing in the Bible:

But the LORD of hosts,
him you shall honor as holy.
Let him be your fear,
and let him be your dread. 
And he will become a sanctuary ... 
(Isaiah 8:13-14)

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him; 
he makes known to them his covenant.
(Psalm 25:14)

Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of the children of mankind!
(Psalm 31:19)

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love
(Psalm 33:18)

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him
(Psalm 103:11)

Mamas who worry, if your worries often take the form of anxiety about loss, I urge you to cling to the truths in the following verses, which are my favorite related to the fear of God:

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
(Psalm 34:8-9)

clouds

Here's another Szymborska poem, because just because she isn't in the news anymore this week, doesn't mean I don't still miss her.

Clouds

I’d have to be really quick
to describe clouds—
a split second’s enough
… for them to start being something else.

Their trademark:
they don’t repeat a single
shape, shade, pose, arrangement.

Unburdened by memory of any kind,
they float easily over the facts.

What on earth could they bear witness to?
They scatter whenever something happens.

Compared to clouds,
life rests on solid ground,
practically permanent, almost eternal.

Next to clouds
even a stone seems like a brother,
someone you can trust,
while they’re just distant, flighty cousins.

Let people exist if they want,
and then die, one after another:
clouds simply don’t care
what they’re up to
down there.

And so their haughty fleet
cruises smoothly over your whole life
and mine, still incomplete.

They aren’t obliged to vanish when we’re gone.
They don’t have to be seen while sailing on.

 

(Translated by Stanisław Barańczak and Clare Cavanagh)

patience, grasshopper

On Saturday, when I was running some errands, a guy in a gigantic black Ford Extinction (or whatever they're called) was in a hurry to make a right turn, and decided to pretend there was a lane next to me. He went into this imaginary lane to make his extremely urgent and important emergency right turn, and just about took off my passenger mirror in the process.

Pan left to Suzanne, sitting in her car with little black squiggles smoking out of the top of her head, like the ones that hover above you in Wii Sports Resort if you miss a shot at table tennis. In less then a minute, I built a complete case in my head about what a total and complete jerk this guy was, based on two observations: (1) he drove a gigantic black SUV, and (2) he got too close to me when he turned right.

After I calmed down, I realized I didn't really know very much about him.

Maybe he had a big SUV because he has a big family, or because he's tall, or because his work gives him one, or maybe just because he thinks they are nice, and when he was younger he always wanted one, and now he's excited he can actually have one.

And maybe he chose black because it is a nice basic and non-flashy color, or maybe he parks under a tree that drops black junk on it and so it blends in better, or maybe his wife chose the color, or maybe that's the color the dealer had on the lot.

Why do I have it in my head that if somebody has a big huge black SUV, they're a pushy jerk? That is a stereotype, and it's not always true. It's true sometimes, but there are pushy jerks driving green Honda CRVs (which is what I drive), also.

And maybe he was making that right turn because he really WAS in a hurry. Maybe it was a new SUV because his wife is pregnant with triplets and they were ON THE WAY THAT SECOND. Maybe he was just zoned out for a minute, and made a bad choice.  I do that, too. And there is a really good chance he was not as close to me as I thought he was. I always think everything is closer or farther away than it is, because I am spatially challenged.

The fact is that I had no proof that this guy was a jerk ... or even that he was temporarily acting jerkily. From where I sat, that right-hand turn seemed like a bad move, but I took it so far so quickly in my head, and imputed motive and character he probably didn't have.

One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received related to the day-to-day mechanics of the Christian walk is, "Give people the benefit of the doubt."

I sometimes (okay, often) jump to conclusions. I jump to a conclusion, it's often incorrect, I lay it as my foundation, and then I start building on top of this foundation that is incorrect. Before you know it, I have created an entire scenario or universe inside my head that is NOT TRUE AT ALL. You know how it is when you quilt or lay tile, and get one row off, and it gets more off with each successive row. I decide something, and I'm wrong, but then I keep going, and I get even wronger and wronger. And wronger.

Sometimes, I'm right. A couple years ago, a guy backed into me in the parking lot at Ralph's, and he was, in fact, a complete and utter jerk. Our brief conversation established that, and the police and insurance company confirmed my belief. But I still would not have been justified in flipping out at him, as I would very much have liked to.

In Ephesians, Paul tells us how believers should treat fellow believers:

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV)

In 2 Corinthians, he talks about how we should treat unbelievers, and in so doing, bring glory to God:

We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. (2 Corinthians 6:3-8 ESV)

My passenger mirror (or even my entire car) is not more important in any given situation than is my mandate to speak and act like I am a child of the King.

So whether that guy turning right on Saturday was a fellow believer or not, and whether he actually took off my passenger mirror or not, and whether he was as jerky as the parking lot guy or not, I have a pretty clear idea of how I should have reacted. In this case, he wouldn't have heard my reaction good or bad (unless I rolled down the window and screamed obscenities at him), but it's good for my heart when I react to things in a Godly way, even if nobody knows I'm reacting in a Godly way. :)

We're not here to glorify ourselves. We're not here to have perfect, carefree lives, and skip through each day unblemished. My reactions to people reflect on my God. When I give them "the benefit of the doubt", what I'm really doing is showing to them the same grace that God has shown to me. How many times in my life have I (metaphorically)(and possibly literally) driven my obnoxious, gigantic car into somebody's lane and almost smashed them? How often and how liberally has God forgiven me and shown me His glorious grace?

In light of the cross of Christ, how should we respond to "heat" in our lives?

... in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:19-20 ESV)

merry christmas!

In this the love of God was made manifest among us,
that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through him.
(1 John 4:9)

mary's song by luci shaw

Blue homespun and the bend of my breast
keep warm this small hot naked star
fallen to my arms. (Rest ...
you who have had so far
to come.) Now nearness satisfies
the body of God sweetly. Quiet he lies
whose vigour hurled
a universe. He sleeps
whose eyelids have not closed before.
His breath (so slight it seems
no breath at all) once ruffled the dark deeps
to sprout a world.
Charmed by dove's voices, the whisper of straw,
he dreams,
hearing no music from his other spheres.
Breath, mouth, ears, eyes
he is curtailed
who overflowed all skies,
all years.
Older than eternity, now he
is new. Now native to earth as I am, nailed
to my poor planet, caught that I might be free,
blind in my womb to know my darkness ended,
brought to this birth
for me to be new-born,
and for him to see me mended
I must see him torn.

what child is this?

Tonight during our Christmas singing and prayer time at church, our friend Donny reminded us that there is no fourth member of the trinity during Christmastime! Baby Jesus is THE Jesus ... one and the same!

And this morning during church, Stephen reminded us of the same thing ... Baby Jesus is the same Son spoken of in the following verses:

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (Hebrews 1:1-4 ESV)

As He lay in that manger, He was still the Heir of All Things, and was still upholding the universe by the word of His power. 

Rejoice this Christmas season that this, this is Christ the King.

:)

you do what you gotta doto protect those little eyes and ears and hearts!

There is such a sweet little gem of a post today over at The Blazing Center about God and sin and us. I literally (no, literally literally, not figuratively literally) got tears in my eyes from laughing at the first part, because I'VE DONE THAT BEFORE. :D 

Anyway, read it you'd like. It's here: This Is What Happens When You Give My Dad the Remote

the unity of the bible

I wanted to tell you about a book I read a few years ago for a class. It's called The Unity of the Bible: Unfolding God's Plan for Humanity by Dan Fuller. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a "big picture" insight into who God is and what He is doing with all of us, and why.

I wanted to tell you about it, but I have come to the conclusion that I am not a good book reviewer, because I want to tell you everything that is in the book, or possibly even more. Like a little boy I used to babysit who would take four hours to describe a two hour movie to me. :D

So below I've included the book's Foreward, by John Piper, so that you can get a better idea of what it is about, and see if it would be something you'd like to read. (You can click on the chunks of text to make them bigger if you need to.)

love, atoms, & oceans

My brother-in-law (my pastor) posted this video by Propaganda over on my church's blog, which is how I found it.

Some of you won't care for it because of the message, and some of you believe the message, but the style won't be your cup of tea. :)

Solid theology and some of the best imagery I have ever heard in a poem. Wow. 

G.O.S.P.E.L. from Humble Beast Records on Vimeo.

It’s the full story of life crushed into four minutes./ The entirety of humanity in the palm of your hand crushed into one sentence./ Listen, it’s intense, right? GOD. OUR. SINS. PAYING. EVERYONE. LIFE./ The greatest story ever told that’s hardly ever told.

GOD. Yes, GOD./ The maker and giver of life, and by life I mean any and all manner of substance./ Seen and unseen; what can and can’t be touched./ Thoughts, image, emotions; love, atoms and oceans./ GOD./ All of which His handiwork, one of which His masterpiece./ Made so uniquely that angels looked curiously./ The one thing in creation that was made in His imagery./ A concept so cold it’s the reason I stay bold./ How GOD breathed into man and he became a living soul.

Formed with the intent of being infinitely, intimately fond./ Creator and creation held in eternal bond./ And it was placed in perfect paradise until something went wrong./ The species got deceived and started lusting for His job./ An odd list of complaints, as if the system ain’t working./ And used that same breath He graciously gave us to curse Him/ And that sin seed spread through our souls’ genome./ And by nature of your nature, your species, you participated in the mutiny.

OUR./ Yes, our sins./ It’s nature-inherited./ Blackened the human heart. It was over before it started./ Deceived from day one and led away by our own lust./ There’s not a religion in the world that doesn’t agree that something’s wrong with us./ The question is what is it? And how do we fix it?/ Are we eternally separated from a God that may or may not have existed?/ But that’s another subject. Let’s keep grinding./ Besides, trying to prove God is like defending a lion./ Homie, it don’t need your help. Just unlock the cage./ Let’s move on on how our debt can be paid./ Short and sweet: the problem is…

SIN./ Yes, sin./ It’s a cancer, an asthma, choking out our life force./ Forcing separation from a perfect and holy GOD./ And the only way to get back is to get back to perfection./ But silly us…trying to pass the course of life without referring to a syllabus./ This is us: heap up your good deeds, chant, pray, meditate./ But all of that, of course, is spraying cologne on a corpse./ Or you could choose to ignore it, as if something don’t stink./ It’s like stepping in dog poop and refusing to wipe your shoe./ But all of that ends with, “How good is good enough?”

Take your silly list of good deeds and line them up against perfection./ Good luck./ That’s life past your pay grade./ The cost of your soul? You ain’t got a big enough piggy bank./ But you could give it a shot?/ But I suggest you throw away the list/ ‘Cause even your good acts are an extension of your selfishness.

But here’s where it gets interesting./ I hope you’re closely listening./ Please don’t get it twisted. It’s what makes our faith unique./ Here’s what God says is Part A of the Gospel:/ You can’t fix yourself. Quit trying. It’s impossible./ Sin brings death./ Give GOD His breath back. You owe Him!/ Eternally separated and the only way to fix it is someone die in your place/ And that someone’s got to be PERFECT or the payment ain’t permanent/ So if and when you find a perfect person, get that person./ To literally trade their perfection for your sin and death in./ Clearly, since the only one who can meet God’s criteria is GOD./ GOD sent Himself as JESUS to pay the cost for us./ His righteousness, His death, functions as…

PAYMENT./ Yes, payment./ Wrote a check with His life./ But at the Resurrection we all cheered, cause that means the CHECK CLEARED!/ Pierced feet, pierced hands, blood-stained Son of Man./ Fullness, forgiveness, free passage into the Promised Land./ That same breath GOD breathed into us GOD gave up to redeem us./ And anyone and everyone, and by everyone I mean…

EVERYONE./ Who puts their faith and trust in Him, and Him alone./ Can stand in full confidence of GOD’s forgiveness./ And here’s what the promise is:/ That you are guaranteed full access to return to perfect unity./ By simply believing in CHRIST and CHRIST alone./ You are receiving…

LIFE./ Yes, life./ This is the GOSPEL./ GOD. OUR. SINS. PAYING. EVERYONE. LIFE.

for better or for worse or for much worse

Here are links to and excerpts from two extremely good articles repudiating Pat Robertson's recent public and horrifying assertion that a man would be morally justified in divorcing his wife with Alzheimer's to marry another woman because the wife with Alzheimer's is "not there" anymore.

Joni Eareckson Tada -- Divorce & Alzheimer's

Excerpt:
At the Joni and Friends International Disability Center, we encounter thousands of couples who, despite living with serious disabling conditions, showcase the grace of God in their weakness every day. Marriage is designed to be a picture of God’s sacrificial love for us. Alzheimer’s disease is never an ‘accident’ in a marriage; it falls under the purview of God’s sovereignty. In the case of someone with Alzheimer's, this means God's unconditional and sacrificial love has an opportunity to be even more gloriously displayed in a life together!

Russell Moore -- Christ, the Church, & Pat Robertson

Excerpt:
Pat Robertson’s cruel marriage statement is no anomaly. He and his cohorts have given us for years a prosperity gospel with more in common with an Asherah pole than a cross. They have given us a politicized Christianity that uses churches to “mobilize” voters rather than to stand prophetically outside the power structures as a witness for the gospel.

But Jesus didn’t die for a Christian Coalition; he died for a church. And the church, across the ages, isn’t significant because of her size or influence. She is weak, helpless, and spattered in blood. He is faithful to us anyway.

If our churches are to survive, we must repudiate this Canaanite mammonocracy that so often speaks for us. But, beyond that, we must train up a new generation to see the gospel embedded in fidelity, a fidelity that is cruciform.

opening ceremonies + then breakfast at the el monte airport

This past Saturday, we went to our region's AYSO opening ceremonies.  We're especially excited this year because Claire's cousin Grace is on the team, and Bob is coaching again. They are called The Violet Incredibles. :D

Real Soccer Moms of the San Gabriel Valley: A New Reality Show.

So, hey, I don't want to give the impression that my family usually flits hither and yon to racetracks and airports for breakfast, because we do not. Breakfast is usually sitting in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal. 

But after the opening ceremonies we were all hungry, so we headed to the El Monte Airport (103 acres, 1 runway), which is a fun place to eat breakfast because you can watch the planes. The patio seating area is right next to the tarmac. (We didn't know about it, but my sister and brother-in-law told us.)

They serve yummy, homestyle Mexican food, where you feel cozy and happy and can hear your arteries slamming shut as you take the first bite, and you don't finish everything on your plate and you have to sit a spell before you leave, and you make a solemn promise to yourself that you will never eat again, because you'll always be full of pancakes, forever. 

selah

But the LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.
The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.
(Psalm 9:7-10 ESV)

glorifying our glorious god

Kevin DeYoung had the best post yesterday about worshipping God. He is right on. I think many, many people have imagined for themselves a "little buddy" God to keep in a pocket and only call upon in times of need, or to only believe in when, as C.S. Lewis said, "you are feeling fit and the sun is shining and you do not want to believe that the whole universe is a mere mechanical dance of atoms ... it is nice to be able to think of this great mysterious Force rolling on through the centuries and carrying you on its crest."

But this God of Our Convenience is not the God of the Bible. Here is DeYoung's post:

Romans 1:18-23

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God (v. 21a)

God wants to be worshiped. He is worthy to be worshiped. He made us to worship him, and in worshiping him we will find joy for our souls.

But God doesn’t want to be worshiped any old way. We do not worship God rightly unless we worship him as all-glorious. If some generations have conceived of God as an austere kill-joy, other Christians have little sense of the holiness of God. We’ll say “awesome” while playing video games or watching football, but we don’t know what it means to worship One who is awe-full and awe-inspiring. Too often we have a “hang-out” God who is a buddy-therapist-chum and not the Holy One of Israel. When we worship God as a feel-good, safe, squishy God who laughs all the time and hugs us a lot we are not honoring God as God.

We need to know Christ as a tender lover of our souls. And we also need to know Christ as the Son of Man with eyes like a flame of fire, feet like burnished bronze, a voice like many waters, and a face like the shining sun at whose sight we fall down as though dead (Rev. 1:12-17). King David was right: You who fear the LORD, praise him! (Psalm 22:23)