Isaiah 29:17-21
(17) Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?
(18) In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.
(19) The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
(20) For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off,
(21) who by a word make a man out to be an offender, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right.
This passage is another one that gives me great hope for the future. First, I see myself in verse 18. I know that I was blind and deaf, but the Lord chose to open my eyes and ears to the truth of His Word. That doesn't mean I always live it perfectly, but it is now my standard for living.
Verse 19 is like a punch in the stomach sometimes. Am I meek? Do I realize my spiritual poverty? Do I see the need for grace in my life? Or am I more like the ruthless and scoffer of verse 20? Frankly, I'm more like that than I want to admit.
On many levels my life is cruising right now. My class is going well. Everyone is healthy. The weather is beautiful. Work is going well. However, I also know that things could be better. I don't treat my wife and children the way I should all the time. I am not particularly tender or affectionate. I am painfully aware of how selfish I am at my core. I still desperately need grace.
Where are you today? Do you realize your poverty of spirit? If so, what are you doing about it? I pray that all who read this would call out to Christ for the grace needed to live a life that glorifies Him.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Monday, June 01, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A Time to Rest
Exodus 16:19-30
(19) And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over till the morning."
(20) But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.
(21) Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
(22) On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses,
(23) he said to them, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.'"
(24) So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it.
(25) Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field.
(26) Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none."
(27) On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none.
(28) And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?
(29) See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day."
(30) So the people rested on the seventh day.
I know that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. I don't believe that the commandment about the Sabbath applies to us in the New Covenant. However, I also know that God instituted the Sabbath for the people. Here we see the people's lack of faith in the desert, which of course is a recurring theme for them. First, they gathered more manna than they needed for the day despite Moses' instructions. They paid the price with some nasty containers.
Now look at verse 27. Some people still thought that they had to work on the Sabbath so they went out to gather the manna. God provided plenty on Friday, but they thought they had to violate the rules because somehow God wasn't going to provide that day. Or perhaps they were trying to get ahead.
Again, I don't think that the Sabbath regulations apply to us today. They especially don't in the form that the Pharisees made where it was illegal to walk on the grass on the Sabbath because you might break a blade of grass and therefore be guilty of "reaping" on the Sabbath. However, I also know that I need to have a little more faith that things will work out even if I am not completely driven. I very much have the mindset that I need to get ahead all the time. From day 1 of seminary I purposed to be Hermione Granger academically since I really want to know this stuff for the glory of God.
However, the more I think about this passage the more I think that I need to trust God enough to rest more often. The key will be finding the balance point. I don't want to be lazy either. I do want to make sure that I am really present when I'm with my family though. I make fun of people who always have their Blackberries out when they're supposed to be having "family time." Is going through flashcards any different?
(19) And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over till the morning."
(20) But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.
(21) Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
(22) On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses,
(23) he said to them, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.'"
(24) So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it.
(25) Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field.
(26) Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none."
(27) On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none.
(28) And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?
(29) See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day."
(30) So the people rested on the seventh day.
I know that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. I don't believe that the commandment about the Sabbath applies to us in the New Covenant. However, I also know that God instituted the Sabbath for the people. Here we see the people's lack of faith in the desert, which of course is a recurring theme for them. First, they gathered more manna than they needed for the day despite Moses' instructions. They paid the price with some nasty containers.
Now look at verse 27. Some people still thought that they had to work on the Sabbath so they went out to gather the manna. God provided plenty on Friday, but they thought they had to violate the rules because somehow God wasn't going to provide that day. Or perhaps they were trying to get ahead.
Again, I don't think that the Sabbath regulations apply to us today. They especially don't in the form that the Pharisees made where it was illegal to walk on the grass on the Sabbath because you might break a blade of grass and therefore be guilty of "reaping" on the Sabbath. However, I also know that I need to have a little more faith that things will work out even if I am not completely driven. I very much have the mindset that I need to get ahead all the time. From day 1 of seminary I purposed to be Hermione Granger academically since I really want to know this stuff for the glory of God.
However, the more I think about this passage the more I think that I need to trust God enough to rest more often. The key will be finding the balance point. I don't want to be lazy either. I do want to make sure that I am really present when I'm with my family though. I make fun of people who always have their Blackberries out when they're supposed to be having "family time." Is going through flashcards any different?
Monday, December 29, 2008
Enjoying Festivals
Zechariah 7:5-6
(5) "Say to all the people of the land and the priests, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?
(6) And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?
We're about to have our last and first festivals of the year. We plan on going to a friends' house for their bit New Years Eve family open house. Then on Thursday we're going to the McKenzies for our annual pork and sauerkraut meal. Both events should be fun.
I think that New Years is kind of an arbitrary time to celebrate. I do think that there is something about going from 12/31 to 1/1 on the calendar. I also think that there is something about taking some inventory on the past year. However, I also think that resolutions should be made throughout the year.
I also think that this time of celebration of 2008 and hope for 2009 needs to be Christ-centered. Was our Christmas celebration for us or for God? How about Thanksgiving? How about Easter? If there is one holiday that absolutely screams for Christ-centeredness it is Easter since that is a holiday unique to Christians.
The Jews had a calendar of feasts as well. Their problem is that they lost sight of the reason for them. I hope not to do that with ours.
(5) "Say to all the people of the land and the priests, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?
(6) And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?
We're about to have our last and first festivals of the year. We plan on going to a friends' house for their bit New Years Eve family open house. Then on Thursday we're going to the McKenzies for our annual pork and sauerkraut meal. Both events should be fun.
I think that New Years is kind of an arbitrary time to celebrate. I do think that there is something about going from 12/31 to 1/1 on the calendar. I also think that there is something about taking some inventory on the past year. However, I also think that resolutions should be made throughout the year.
I also think that this time of celebration of 2008 and hope for 2009 needs to be Christ-centered. Was our Christmas celebration for us or for God? How about Thanksgiving? How about Easter? If there is one holiday that absolutely screams for Christ-centeredness it is Easter since that is a holiday unique to Christians.
The Jews had a calendar of feasts as well. Their problem is that they lost sight of the reason for them. I hope not to do that with ours.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Confession
So here is the question I pose -- is it better to do one thing well and a bunch of things poorly or is it better to do a bunch of things at a mediocre level? This was my quandary this week.
Amanda had a fever starting on Tuesday. I worked from home that day and thought that she was OK with Noah, but really he was just wandering around our bedroom while she lay in bed. She was not in good shape. I took her temp that afternoon and it was 101. She told me to go to class, which I did.
Wednesday I was kind of stuck because she was still in bed. Frankly, I was kind of angry because I felt like she could have seen this sickness coming and stopped it (I'm not saying this was rational). She knew something was wrong and I told her that. Big mistake. I ended up taking Noah to spend the day with Aunt Tiffany. It was another long day.
I'd like to qualify a few things at this point. I only have 2 days of vacation left for the year, so I was hesitant to stay home for the day. I also was woke up at 3:00 AM on Monday and Tuesday nights for work. That didn't help my cognitive abilities any either.
Thursday morning found Amanda still sick, but not feverish. She said that she could cope with this day and she actually went beyond coping. When I got home from work I heard her talking to Tiffany and talking about she was "still very upset." Stupid me I didn't realize it was me that she was upset with. That's a guy for you.
We had a good talk about this. She felt like I was putting everything else ahead of her and she was right. I normally pride myself on not doing that, but it is just what I did. What a fool I was!
I had to do a lot of driving yesterday evening and that gave me time for thought. What I realized was that pride was getting in my way yet again. One of my coworkers has a wife with lupus and he has to stay home with her a lot. I kind of resent this sometimes, but I notice that our team lead makes no outward show of that being a problem. Why couldn't I take similar liberties when this happened with Amanda? Pride of not being "that guy." What a fool!
This was a good learning experience for me. It especially reminds me to take heed lest I fall.
Can I get an amen from a brother out there?
Amanda had a fever starting on Tuesday. I worked from home that day and thought that she was OK with Noah, but really he was just wandering around our bedroom while she lay in bed. She was not in good shape. I took her temp that afternoon and it was 101. She told me to go to class, which I did.
Wednesday I was kind of stuck because she was still in bed. Frankly, I was kind of angry because I felt like she could have seen this sickness coming and stopped it (I'm not saying this was rational). She knew something was wrong and I told her that. Big mistake. I ended up taking Noah to spend the day with Aunt Tiffany. It was another long day.
I'd like to qualify a few things at this point. I only have 2 days of vacation left for the year, so I was hesitant to stay home for the day. I also was woke up at 3:00 AM on Monday and Tuesday nights for work. That didn't help my cognitive abilities any either.
Thursday morning found Amanda still sick, but not feverish. She said that she could cope with this day and she actually went beyond coping. When I got home from work I heard her talking to Tiffany and talking about she was "still very upset." Stupid me I didn't realize it was me that she was upset with. That's a guy for you.
We had a good talk about this. She felt like I was putting everything else ahead of her and she was right. I normally pride myself on not doing that, but it is just what I did. What a fool I was!
I had to do a lot of driving yesterday evening and that gave me time for thought. What I realized was that pride was getting in my way yet again. One of my coworkers has a wife with lupus and he has to stay home with her a lot. I kind of resent this sometimes, but I notice that our team lead makes no outward show of that being a problem. Why couldn't I take similar liberties when this happened with Amanda? Pride of not being "that guy." What a fool!
This was a good learning experience for me. It especially reminds me to take heed lest I fall.
Can I get an amen from a brother out there?
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The Value of Trials
I've been doing some thinking about where I'm going with this blog. I've decided that I want to primarily use it as kind of an online journal on my spiritual life. The family blog is a better place to go for news. I will still make some departures for funny stories at work or other miscellanea.
Here is today's Tozer:
Here is today's Tozer:
Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord
came to me, saying, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the
house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them
warning from Me." Ezekiel 3:16-17
I once heard a brother preach on the fact that the church should be
without spot or wrinkle. To get the wrinkles out of a sack, he said,
you fill it. To get a wrinkle out of a rug, you lay it down and walk
on it. God sometimes fills us, the preacher continued, but sometimes
He just puts us flat down so that everyone can walk on us!
King David long ago knew something of the latter method. He wrote,
"The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows"
(Psalm 129:3). I think David was talking about his enemies. And they
must have been wearing hobnail boots!
Ezekiel had just come to this kind of a low-ebbed, humbling
experience when God opened the heavens. In effect, God put His hand
on him and said, "Now I can use you. I have some words and some
plans that I want you to pass onto your country-men."
Men Who Met God, pp. 117-118
I realize that it is kind of trite, but the times of the most growth in my life came from trials. While I don't enjoy the times when I fall to temptation, I also know that they push me closer to God. I do not want to sin so that grace may increase, of course, but I do want to make sure that I let God use all the trials in my life to stretch me and get rid of the "scribbles" as Lily calls wrinkles in a sheet.
We're going through a mini-trial right now. Some sort of bug has made its rounds around the house. I felt a little off yesterday, though a nap in the middle of the day helped. Amanda has been stuffy and wonders if she has a sinus infection. Lily had a fever yesterday and woke up with it today. It's not been an easy few days. However, it has been great to just spend time with my family. It helps that I'm about done with classes too!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Missing the Fun
The intensity of my life is starting to weigh me down a little bit. I am really glad that I don't have my Thursday night small group anymore as that was just too many nights gone each week. However, this semester isn't much better. They say that if you chew peppermint gum while studying you should also chew it while taking a test because the senses work together that way. If that's the case then I need a screaming 12 week-old to be next to me while I take my Greek quiz tomorrow.
I've managed to sneak in a quarter of NCAA Football '07 with Lily here and there. We also played a game of chess yesterday. However, I haven't had much time just to sit and relax for a while. The only thing approaching that has been sitting and having coffee with Amanda on Sunday. The problem there was that I always feel like I need to try to have a meaningful conversation with her. So that's work too...
I'm not sure what the solution is going to be. Lily's birthday party is this weekend and I'm getting a little bit wrapped up in the preparations for that too. I have to make a cake that looks like a teapot. It should be an interesting exercise, to say the least.
The good news is that we are on a protracted work-from-home schedule. It's nice to be able to get some things done during the day here and there.
I've managed to sneak in a quarter of NCAA Football '07 with Lily here and there. We also played a game of chess yesterday. However, I haven't had much time just to sit and relax for a while. The only thing approaching that has been sitting and having coffee with Amanda on Sunday. The problem there was that I always feel like I need to try to have a meaningful conversation with her. So that's work too...
I'm not sure what the solution is going to be. Lily's birthday party is this weekend and I'm getting a little bit wrapped up in the preparations for that too. I have to make a cake that looks like a teapot. It should be an interesting exercise, to say the least.
The good news is that we are on a protracted work-from-home schedule. It's nice to be able to get some things done during the day here and there.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
My Little Man
We brought home little Noah yesterday. It's been an exciting couple of days. He hasn't shown a ton of personality yet other than wanting to sleep. However, when he is awake and his eyes are open he seems rather thoughtful. Maybe I'm projecting, but it seems like he is going to be a bit more physical than Lily and it also seems like he is going to be less outgoing.
I think I've been a bit more teary-eyed as I held him in the hospital. I really would have been OK with a boy or a girl, but now I see why everyone thought that I would want a boy. It really is great to have him. I guess some of it is a selfish desire to leave something of a legacy. Another is that I am overwhelmed with the duty to raise him as a man of God as much as I possibly can. I realize that Noah's salvation is up to the Lord, but I'm going to do all I can to talk to him about Jesus.
Of course, I'm also going to talk to him about Indians baseball and Ohio State football. They aren't quite as important, but they will get some play :)
I think I've been a bit more teary-eyed as I held him in the hospital. I really would have been OK with a boy or a girl, but now I see why everyone thought that I would want a boy. It really is great to have him. I guess some of it is a selfish desire to leave something of a legacy. Another is that I am overwhelmed with the duty to raise him as a man of God as much as I possibly can. I realize that Noah's salvation is up to the Lord, but I'm going to do all I can to talk to him about Jesus.
Of course, I'm also going to talk to him about Indians baseball and Ohio State football. They aren't quite as important, but they will get some play :)
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Glad to be a Dad
Today is Father's Day and I'm enjoying it. I had some time to get a few things done this morning. Amanda took Lily away for a little while so I could get some more reading done for a paper I'm working on. We're going to have lunch in a bit. I'm going to take Lily to the baseball game tonight.
Nothing deep today. I'm just glad to be blessed with a family.
Nothing deep today. I'm just glad to be blessed with a family.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Finding the Balance
Yesterday ended up being an outstanding day for a variety of reasons. We finished up a good visit with my mom. The weather was nice, though warm. I finished my morning run in under 8 minutes/mile. I made my first batch of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. We had a nice dinner, though Lily put up quite a fuss (more on that here). I ended the evening with some video gaming time.
The problem is that I feel like my gumption got sucked away. I realize the need for recreation (thanks Nath!). I just worry about falling too far off the other side. One of the reasons for my persistence in discipline is so that I don't get out of my groove. There's nothing wrong with taking a break, but I find that it's very easy for me to get out of it and not get back in.
I'm really struggling with making time for my Greek like I intended to do. Hopefully putting it on my daily task list will help. Time will tell.
The problem is that I feel like my gumption got sucked away. I realize the need for recreation (thanks Nath!). I just worry about falling too far off the other side. One of the reasons for my persistence in discipline is so that I don't get out of my groove. There's nothing wrong with taking a break, but I find that it's very easy for me to get out of it and not get back in.
I'm really struggling with making time for my Greek like I intended to do. Hopefully putting it on my daily task list will help. Time will tell.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Carolopolis
I'm not quite sure what to think about Charlestown. It very much reminded me of being back in Europe with the small buildings packed pretty closely together. When we took our walking tour we found that there are plenty of places that you just have to know if you're going to get there. We would open a gate, walk through a narrow path, and find ourselves in some garden. I definitely got a deep sense of old-world charm.
I also learned that the government of Charleston can be liked to that of Springfield in the Simpsons in some respects. For example, there is a beautiful neo-Gothic French Hugenot church. The Hugenots came there to escape the persecution they found in Catholic France. They originally built a very simple building and the town didn't like it. One day a fire began to sweep through the city, so the government decided to blow up the church as a firebreak. What they didn't consider was the wood inside the church which ended up serving as a flaming arrow and spread the devastating fire even further.
Maybe it's my Yankee sensibilities, but I got a strange feeling with how service works in that town. There seemed to be a bit of a laissez-faire attitude from many of the service people. We had a sense of that when we had breakfast at our B&B's sister facility. We also got that when we ate breakfast at a local cafe the second morning. I went to Italy with low expectations. I'm not sure why they were higher in Charleston other than it is a tourist town in the US. Somehow I don't think that any problem with service will keep people from going there, nor should it.
Our next stop in the south will be Savannah. That should be fun too, especially if we get to do the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil walking tour.
I also learned that the government of Charleston can be liked to that of Springfield in the Simpsons in some respects. For example, there is a beautiful neo-Gothic French Hugenot church. The Hugenots came there to escape the persecution they found in Catholic France. They originally built a very simple building and the town didn't like it. One day a fire began to sweep through the city, so the government decided to blow up the church as a firebreak. What they didn't consider was the wood inside the church which ended up serving as a flaming arrow and spread the devastating fire even further.
Maybe it's my Yankee sensibilities, but I got a strange feeling with how service works in that town. There seemed to be a bit of a laissez-faire attitude from many of the service people. We had a sense of that when we had breakfast at our B&B's sister facility. We also got that when we ate breakfast at a local cafe the second morning. I went to Italy with low expectations. I'm not sure why they were higher in Charleston other than it is a tourist town in the US. Somehow I don't think that any problem with service will keep people from going there, nor should it.
Our next stop in the south will be Savannah. That should be fun too, especially if we get to do the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil walking tour.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Back in Action
I do apologize for the delay between posts. What has happened since my last post? Plenty:
- I took my Systematic Theology final. I think I did well enough to get an A in the class. Time will tell.
- Amanda and I went to Charleston. I'll write more on Charleston later, but it was a great trip no matter where we went. I think that we set a record for the amount of talking we did in a 3-day period. We didn't even turn the radio on while going down, despite having some new CDs to listen to.
- I went back to work. This has been kind of anticlimactic. I guess it's good to be back in the routine.
- I chatted with an old coworker about the Bible. He goes to a Unitarian Church, but is interested in the Bible as an historical document. I remember starting out that way...
- I found out that my manager's manager is leaving the Bank. This could potentially be a good thing. I'm kind of excited to see how things shake out.
- Amanda had a good OB appointment today. Sweet Pea's heartbeat sounds good. Amanda had to drink some kind of glucose solution and they are going to measure her sugars. Hopefully all is well. July 17 looms closer and closer each day!
I'm trying to sort out how to spend my time this summer. I want to relax a little bit, but I also want to make sure I stay on top of things like my Greek. I also see the need to get ahead for my upcoming class in June on Missions and Evangelism. We have a Piper book to read that looks promising. I'm going to make that the "dessert" after I read the thick book on Missiology. The important thing is to get on it and keep plodding along.
- My small group discussed 1 Corinthians 7 last night. We have 2 guys who are happily married (me included), 3 guys who are divorced, 1 guy who is dealing with some stuff in his marriage, 1 who is legally separated, and 1 who is separated because his wife is out to get him for some reason. It was cool to discuss this chapter and see what the Bible has to say about divorce (hint: God isn't fond of it).
- I took my Systematic Theology final. I think I did well enough to get an A in the class. Time will tell.
- Amanda and I went to Charleston. I'll write more on Charleston later, but it was a great trip no matter where we went. I think that we set a record for the amount of talking we did in a 3-day period. We didn't even turn the radio on while going down, despite having some new CDs to listen to.
- I went back to work. This has been kind of anticlimactic. I guess it's good to be back in the routine.
- I chatted with an old coworker about the Bible. He goes to a Unitarian Church, but is interested in the Bible as an historical document. I remember starting out that way...
- I found out that my manager's manager is leaving the Bank. This could potentially be a good thing. I'm kind of excited to see how things shake out.
- Amanda had a good OB appointment today. Sweet Pea's heartbeat sounds good. Amanda had to drink some kind of glucose solution and they are going to measure her sugars. Hopefully all is well. July 17 looms closer and closer each day!
I'm trying to sort out how to spend my time this summer. I want to relax a little bit, but I also want to make sure I stay on top of things like my Greek. I also see the need to get ahead for my upcoming class in June on Missions and Evangelism. We have a Piper book to read that looks promising. I'm going to make that the "dessert" after I read the thick book on Missiology. The important thing is to get on it and keep plodding along.
- My small group discussed 1 Corinthians 7 last night. We have 2 guys who are happily married (me included), 3 guys who are divorced, 1 guy who is dealing with some stuff in his marriage, 1 who is legally separated, and 1 who is separated because his wife is out to get him for some reason. It was cool to discuss this chapter and see what the Bible has to say about divorce (hint: God isn't fond of it).
Monday, April 09, 2007
Men in Leadership
I got this today in my daily Tozer email:
Prayer: Men Who Do Not Pray
Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good
reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint
over this business.
--Acts 6:3
Let us watch that we do not slide imperceptibly to a state where
the women do the praying and the men run the churches. Men who do
not pray have no right to direct church affairs. We believe in the
leadership of men within the spiritual community of the saints,
but that leadership should be won by spiritual worth.
Leadership requires vision, and whence will vision come except
from hours spent in the presence of God in humble and fervent
prayer? All things else being equal, a praying woman will know
the will of God for the church far better than a prayerless man.
We do not here advocate the turning of the churches over to the
women, but we do advocate a recognition of proper spiritual
qualifications for leadership among the men if they are to
continue to decide the direction the churches shall take. The
accident of being a man is not enough. Spiritual manhood alone
qualifies.
This has obvious ramifications for the church. But I also wonder how many Christian homes this affects? By that I wonder how many men expect their wives to show Ephesians 5 submissiveness if they aren't loving their wives as Christ loved the church?
It's incredible to see our marriage compared to how it started. I was pretty spiritually meek. I barely had any foundation because I didn't become a Christian until 2 months into our marriage. I was addicted to porn for the first 4 years and that didn't help either. But then things finally started to break through as I dealt with this in my life. Now I think we do a better job of modeling the right kind of marriage, though some in our family might think that Amanda is in charge. I think we have a good thing going now.
At any rate, I want to make sure that I am someone who spends his time with God to be an effective leader. Otherwise I'll just be a spiritual despot.
Prayer: Men Who Do Not Pray
Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good
reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint
over this business.
--Acts 6:3
Let us watch that we do not slide imperceptibly to a state where
the women do the praying and the men run the churches. Men who do
not pray have no right to direct church affairs. We believe in the
leadership of men within the spiritual community of the saints,
but that leadership should be won by spiritual worth.
Leadership requires vision, and whence will vision come except
from hours spent in the presence of God in humble and fervent
prayer? All things else being equal, a praying woman will know
the will of God for the church far better than a prayerless man.
We do not here advocate the turning of the churches over to the
women, but we do advocate a recognition of proper spiritual
qualifications for leadership among the men if they are to
continue to decide the direction the churches shall take. The
accident of being a man is not enough. Spiritual manhood alone
qualifies.
This has obvious ramifications for the church. But I also wonder how many Christian homes this affects? By that I wonder how many men expect their wives to show Ephesians 5 submissiveness if they aren't loving their wives as Christ loved the church?
It's incredible to see our marriage compared to how it started. I was pretty spiritually meek. I barely had any foundation because I didn't become a Christian until 2 months into our marriage. I was addicted to porn for the first 4 years and that didn't help either. But then things finally started to break through as I dealt with this in my life. Now I think we do a better job of modeling the right kind of marriage, though some in our family might think that Amanda is in charge. I think we have a good thing going now.
At any rate, I want to make sure that I am someone who spends his time with God to be an effective leader. Otherwise I'll just be a spiritual despot.
Monday, March 26, 2007
What a Weekend!
I feel like we're back in California. Over the weekend we had highs in the high 70s/low 80's with lows in the low 50s. I woke up this morning to overcast skies and a damp chill in the house from leaving all the windows open. It was overcast until about 10:30 this morning. But now it's sunny and in the mid 60s outside.
We were absolutely slammed with activities all weekend. On Saturday we went to our Childbirth Education party (more on that in another entry) and then Amanda and Lily attended a birthday party after that. We then went to church, grabbed dinner on the way home, and then made an apple pie in the evening.
Yesterday we had our Beyond Budgeting class in the morning and Bill's birthday party immediately following that. We got home around 3, I took a nap while Amanda and Lily napped, then I went out to Sam's Club to get some much-needed groceries. We had dinner and then I had class.
Meanwhile, I need to find the time to write one paper (20 pages) and update another. I also need to take the time to really study my Greek. I'm keeping up OK, but I know that I need deeper knowledge if I'm going to do well on the final.
I like to say that we need to stay busy enough that it will take much grace to get done all we need to do. I think I'm doing that now.
We were absolutely slammed with activities all weekend. On Saturday we went to our Childbirth Education party (more on that in another entry) and then Amanda and Lily attended a birthday party after that. We then went to church, grabbed dinner on the way home, and then made an apple pie in the evening.
Yesterday we had our Beyond Budgeting class in the morning and Bill's birthday party immediately following that. We got home around 3, I took a nap while Amanda and Lily napped, then I went out to Sam's Club to get some much-needed groceries. We had dinner and then I had class.
Meanwhile, I need to find the time to write one paper (20 pages) and update another. I also need to take the time to really study my Greek. I'm keeping up OK, but I know that I need deeper knowledge if I'm going to do well on the final.
I like to say that we need to stay busy enough that it will take much grace to get done all we need to do. I think I'm doing that now.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Is it May Yet?
Wow. Another crazy week is in the books. And I mean that literally too. It seems like I've spent all my non-work time either reading, writing, or translating. I guess I should also make an exception for my family time. I guess I should be glad that through it all I am honoring my commitment as a husband and daddy. I am sure that taking more than one class in a semester would be a terrible idea.
I am encouraged by tonight's work in 1 John. There were a few things I had to look up in e-Sword, but I got most of it with just the lexicon. I need more confidence with the various particles for words like "why" or "how" or "where", etc. But I think I'm on the right track.
All I know is that tomorrow will not give me much time. I simply must get some things done in the morning because we're going to a party for our childbirth education class at 11:00. I get to come home after that and get some work done while Amanda and Lily go to another birthday party. Then we'll meet for church at 5:30 (unless they come back here which I don't expect). We'll do church and then maybe pick up food for the way home. I'll put Lily to bed while Amanda gets started on pie crusts for Bill's birthday pie. Oh, and somewhere in there I need to make Jack's legendary baked beans.
I'm pretty sure that God doesn't intend for life to be quite this crazy. I'm ready for the end of the semester I can tell you...
I am encouraged by tonight's work in 1 John. There were a few things I had to look up in e-Sword, but I got most of it with just the lexicon. I need more confidence with the various particles for words like "why" or "how" or "where", etc. But I think I'm on the right track.
All I know is that tomorrow will not give me much time. I simply must get some things done in the morning because we're going to a party for our childbirth education class at 11:00. I get to come home after that and get some work done while Amanda and Lily go to another birthday party. Then we'll meet for church at 5:30 (unless they come back here which I don't expect). We'll do church and then maybe pick up food for the way home. I'll put Lily to bed while Amanda gets started on pie crusts for Bill's birthday pie. Oh, and somewhere in there I need to make Jack's legendary baked beans.
I'm pretty sure that God doesn't intend for life to be quite this crazy. I'm ready for the end of the semester I can tell you...
Monday, March 05, 2007
Frogs, Snails, and Puppy-Dog Tails
We found out last Friday that we're going to have a boy. I guess that I'm supposed to be jumping for joy over this. After all, what man doesn't want a son to carry on the family name?
I have to admit that I was a little disappointed at the news. I'm kind of used to Lily and all the girl stuff. Plus, if we had a girl we could have them stay in the same room and we would still have our guest room. I guess that's not the best reason to prefer a certain gender over another though.
But what I really think is that I hadn't considered all the possibilities. Amanda has talked about getting a crib set from a friend. She asked me if I thought it would be OK and I only semi-jokingly asked, "Is it going to clash with the Cleveland Indians nursery?" She then told me that we could do a baseball theme in the nursery if I wanted. Now the wheels are turning...
I think that my real fear is that I will favor one child over the other. I really enjoy my time with Lily and she and I have our things that we do together. We run errands together, particularly the groceries. We play Lego Star Wars together and that is something that Amanda really couldn't care less about, though she thinks that the game may be a bit too violent for Lily's young eyes. We have our stuff and I'm afraid that my son will get in the way of some of that.
On the other hand, maybe this will be good when Lily gets into her adolescent years when she doesn't have much room for mommy or daddy. Our son will be 8 when she is 12 (Lord willing) and that will be a good time for sports, etc.
Anyhow, it's all still a bit jumbled in my mind. I am looking forward to a son. There are lots of guy things that I'm looking forward to doing with him, including sports. But I also want to make sure that I save room for Lily as well. It's going to be interesting to switch between "girl mode" and "boy mode", but I know that if I can context-switch that quickly at work I should be able to with my children.
Writing this has been good. I think that it's starting to sink in...
I have to admit that I was a little disappointed at the news. I'm kind of used to Lily and all the girl stuff. Plus, if we had a girl we could have them stay in the same room and we would still have our guest room. I guess that's not the best reason to prefer a certain gender over another though.
But what I really think is that I hadn't considered all the possibilities. Amanda has talked about getting a crib set from a friend. She asked me if I thought it would be OK and I only semi-jokingly asked, "Is it going to clash with the Cleveland Indians nursery?" She then told me that we could do a baseball theme in the nursery if I wanted. Now the wheels are turning...
I think that my real fear is that I will favor one child over the other. I really enjoy my time with Lily and she and I have our things that we do together. We run errands together, particularly the groceries. We play Lego Star Wars together and that is something that Amanda really couldn't care less about, though she thinks that the game may be a bit too violent for Lily's young eyes. We have our stuff and I'm afraid that my son will get in the way of some of that.
On the other hand, maybe this will be good when Lily gets into her adolescent years when she doesn't have much room for mommy or daddy. Our son will be 8 when she is 12 (Lord willing) and that will be a good time for sports, etc.
Anyhow, it's all still a bit jumbled in my mind. I am looking forward to a son. There are lots of guy things that I'm looking forward to doing with him, including sports. But I also want to make sure that I save room for Lily as well. It's going to be interesting to switch between "girl mode" and "boy mode", but I know that if I can context-switch that quickly at work I should be able to with my children.
Writing this has been good. I think that it's starting to sink in...
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Still Alive
Has it really been more than 2 weeks since my last post? It really goes to show how my life has been lately. Since my last post I:
Uncle Bill and Aunt Tiff are going to have Lily for Friday and Saturday nights. Amanda and I have dinner reservations for Friday. I think I'll be able to get some research done for my next paper on Saturday. It will be weird to be empty nesters for a couple of nights, but I think that we'll survive for that long :)
- Got my 1 Corinthians 5:5 paper written
- Have learned about Greek participles
- Painted Lily's bed
- Become more involved in work (in a good way)
- Had to dismiss a mentor from one of my groups (never fun)
Uncle Bill and Aunt Tiff are going to have Lily for Friday and Saturday nights. Amanda and I have dinner reservations for Friday. I think I'll be able to get some research done for my next paper on Saturday. It will be weird to be empty nesters for a couple of nights, but I think that we'll survive for that long :)
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
From Poser to Player
I spent the last few weeks practicing some Christmas carols for the guitar. I didn't get too fancy, but I did practice playing arpeggiated chords for "What Child is This?" and "Silent Night". I also could strum "The First Noel" and "Angels We Have Heard on High". I played these on Christmas Eve and it went pretty well, though I did stumble a bit with the fingerstyle pieces. I got really ambitious and brought the 6-string over to Bill and Tiffany's house on Christmas Day and we sang carols there too. At the request of the family we also did "O Little Town of Bethlehem".
It was fun actually playing for people. While it wasn't perfect, my playing was good enough to keep everything together and I enjoyed it. I also learned that playing for people gets the heart racing just a little bit. I wasn't exactly nervous, but I realized that I couldn't just stop in the middle and recollect myself if I had to. I had to just keep on going. It's one of those performance things where you realize that you can't take it back as you're doing it. But it was a lot of fun.
I felt good carrying my guitar back in from the car. In the past I would take my guitar somewhere, but I felt like it was kind of a joke. While I don't think that I'm going to have any professional musicians breaking down my door, I do feel like I can play well enough to strum and sing some carols or maybe some hymns around the campfire. It feels like I've accomplished something in the 3 years I've spent fooling around with the thing. And that feels good.
It was fun actually playing for people. While it wasn't perfect, my playing was good enough to keep everything together and I enjoyed it. I also learned that playing for people gets the heart racing just a little bit. I wasn't exactly nervous, but I realized that I couldn't just stop in the middle and recollect myself if I had to. I had to just keep on going. It's one of those performance things where you realize that you can't take it back as you're doing it. But it was a lot of fun.
I felt good carrying my guitar back in from the car. In the past I would take my guitar somewhere, but I felt like it was kind of a joke. While I don't think that I'm going to have any professional musicians breaking down my door, I do feel like I can play well enough to strum and sing some carols or maybe some hymns around the campfire. It feels like I've accomplished something in the 3 years I've spent fooling around with the thing. And that feels good.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Working for Treats
I got to go to a seminar at Microsoft in RTP today. I planned on it being a total boondoggle. I knew that I'd get breakfast and lunch. I also knew that I was getting a free iPod for it, though just a 512 MB shuffle. Still, that's better than the crappy one I have now and it means that I can return the one I got for Christmas and get something else.
The strange thing is that the seminar was somewhat riveting. I normally am pretty passive when it comes to the technology that we use. I just sit back and do what I'm told. But I've spent so much time working with a competitive product that I actually have an opinion about this one. I liked what I saw, but I doubt that we'll spend all the money it will take to change. That's too bad. The good news is that I plan to enjoy my iPod.
The other cool thing is that I got to meet local basketball sort-of-hero Serge Zwicker. He played on the UNC championship team that beat Michigan. I had to shake his enormous hand in gratitude for him beating Michigan. It's also pretty wild to stand next to someone who is 7' 2". It's kind of cool that he's in the IT world now. I suspect that if people remember Alvin Battle for winning the 1983 championship with State as a 7th or 8th man they will remember this guy who actually spent some time in the NBA. Must get tiresome to answer questions about playing all the time though.
As I type this I have Lily playing next to me in the basement. She's got some running dialog going with Pooh Bear and a little people horse. She didn't want to nap, so she's with me while Amanda does nap. It's pretty fun to see.
Overall, it's been a good day thus far.
The strange thing is that the seminar was somewhat riveting. I normally am pretty passive when it comes to the technology that we use. I just sit back and do what I'm told. But I've spent so much time working with a competitive product that I actually have an opinion about this one. I liked what I saw, but I doubt that we'll spend all the money it will take to change. That's too bad. The good news is that I plan to enjoy my iPod.
The other cool thing is that I got to meet local basketball sort-of-hero Serge Zwicker. He played on the UNC championship team that beat Michigan. I had to shake his enormous hand in gratitude for him beating Michigan. It's also pretty wild to stand next to someone who is 7' 2". It's kind of cool that he's in the IT world now. I suspect that if people remember Alvin Battle for winning the 1983 championship with State as a 7th or 8th man they will remember this guy who actually spent some time in the NBA. Must get tiresome to answer questions about playing all the time though.
As I type this I have Lily playing next to me in the basement. She's got some running dialog going with Pooh Bear and a little people horse. She didn't want to nap, so she's with me while Amanda does nap. It's pretty fun to see.
Overall, it's been a good day thus far.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Visiting Family
We survived another trip to northeast Ohio and we're still hanging in there. Amanda is officially in the family way and is having the normal first trimester stomach problems. It was really bad on Friday when she got dehydrated, but things seem to be better now.
I keep thinking and writing in an effort to put my finger on what it's like to visit family. I got to see my stepbrothers which was great. I also got to meet my twin nieces, which was also great. Visiting my stepbrothers and their families feels more like spending time with friends that have a common bond than the kind of obligation you feel with family.
Visiting my mom is not quite as easy. On the way home I asked Amanda which set of parents she thought lived in a way that is most different than ours. It's something we can't quite put our fingers on because they are all different. My mom's house has a very chaotic feel because she is in nearly constant motion and can't sit still. She has more books on spirituality and self-help than I could count. Some of them are good and some of them are likely not so good. But what's frustrating is that she doesn't seem to embrace anything except what seems good to her.
To her credit she has certainly grown over the years. I guess I find it frustrating because she seems to circle the Truth, yet never quite lands on it. She and my stepfather tried to get us to do some impromptu marriage counseling with them. We managed to avoid it, but it shows that there are some problems there.
At any rate, it was good to go up there. We disappointed mom in July when Amanda and Lily didn't come with me. I'm glad that Lily got to see her grandparents and that they enjoyed her. She certainly was a big hit, as she usually is. The sad thing is that there will always be at least some spiritual distance between my mom and I until some things get worked out. And that means that there will always be an extra tension.
I'm trying to be a good son. It's just not always easy.
I keep thinking and writing in an effort to put my finger on what it's like to visit family. I got to see my stepbrothers which was great. I also got to meet my twin nieces, which was also great. Visiting my stepbrothers and their families feels more like spending time with friends that have a common bond than the kind of obligation you feel with family.
Visiting my mom is not quite as easy. On the way home I asked Amanda which set of parents she thought lived in a way that is most different than ours. It's something we can't quite put our fingers on because they are all different. My mom's house has a very chaotic feel because she is in nearly constant motion and can't sit still. She has more books on spirituality and self-help than I could count. Some of them are good and some of them are likely not so good. But what's frustrating is that she doesn't seem to embrace anything except what seems good to her.
To her credit she has certainly grown over the years. I guess I find it frustrating because she seems to circle the Truth, yet never quite lands on it. She and my stepfather tried to get us to do some impromptu marriage counseling with them. We managed to avoid it, but it shows that there are some problems there.
At any rate, it was good to go up there. We disappointed mom in July when Amanda and Lily didn't come with me. I'm glad that Lily got to see her grandparents and that they enjoyed her. She certainly was a big hit, as she usually is. The sad thing is that there will always be at least some spiritual distance between my mom and I until some things get worked out. And that means that there will always be an extra tension.
I'm trying to be a good son. It's just not always easy.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Going to Cleveland
We're taking the big trip up to Cleveland tomorrow in anticipation of spending Thanksgiving with my mom. The trip itself never a lot of fun, but it will be good to visit with my mom and Ernie. It will also be good to see our new nieces as well as my stepbrothers and their wives.
I find that my mind has to do a lot of switching around when I see both sides of the family too close to each other. Spending a couple of days with my mom leads to a certain way of living and behaving, while spending time with my stepbrothers leads to a different way. Neither is right or wrong, but they are different. Things certainly feel a lot calmer with my stepbrothers.
What's bizarre is that the weather in Cleveland is supposed to be better than it will be here. It's supposed to be in the 50s and sunny. I'll take that every time.
I just hope that Amanda and I have good attitudes through all of this. It's so easy not to sometimes...
I find that my mind has to do a lot of switching around when I see both sides of the family too close to each other. Spending a couple of days with my mom leads to a certain way of living and behaving, while spending time with my stepbrothers leads to a different way. Neither is right or wrong, but they are different. Things certainly feel a lot calmer with my stepbrothers.
What's bizarre is that the weather in Cleveland is supposed to be better than it will be here. It's supposed to be in the 50s and sunny. I'll take that every time.
I just hope that Amanda and I have good attitudes through all of this. It's so easy not to sometimes...
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