12.26.08
Perspective
I haven’t been able to find anyone who does a really good job cutting my hair for two years. The last person who did a good job quit to be a stay at home mom. While I applaud her devotion to her family, I have been frustrated at not being able to find anyone. And every time I have to do my hair, the frustration level rises. Sounds like a small thing, but an irritating one!
So my daughter-in-law got a great haircut and I have an appointment with the person who did it. I am optimistic that I will like her work since Anne and I share certain hair characteristics and we are both dependent on a good cut.
But then … I was at church for the Christmas Eve service and a lady came up to me and said “I just love the way your hair is cut and styled. I wish I could get mine to look like that.” 
See … it is all a matter of perspective.
12.25.08
Merry Christmas!
I’m wishing the blessings of this special day for all my friends and family. We’re looking forward to a visit from the family this weekend and I can’t wait!
We had an awesome celebration of the birth of our Lord last night at Pointway Church. The service was packed and we shared sweet fellowship with members and guests.
Today I am reflecting on what this day represents … the first coming of our Lord to live among us and the promise of his return.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9.6
Merry Christmas to you all!
12.23.08
Spin, spin, spin
Democrats on the hill are busily trying to craft a stimulus package that will bring relief from the recession. Meanwhile: The Wall Street Journal reports on their efforts to lower expectations in the event of failure.
“I think people know this is a serious recession, and they don’t expect it to turn it around quickly,” Ms. Rivlin said. The Democrats “don’t have to produce a turnaround. But they have to produce action.” HA! Like they did the last two years?
12.22.08
Comfort Food
Experts tell us not to seek comfort in food … that is the way to obesity. Yet certain foods served at certain times are definitely comforting for a variety of reasons. Like:
- Float – an egg rich pudding which my grandmother always made when I was sick.
- Milk Toast – again, something we ate when sick and something I would not eat at any other time.
- Potato soup – always reminds me of my mother, who made the best potato soup ever created.
- Tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches and a glass of milk – probably the best ever cold weather meal.
I could probably list more and so could you. Last night was cold, dreary and definitely a tomato soup night. So yay! for comfort food taken in moderation.
12.18.08
My Top Ten List
There are many people commenting on what they think are the top ten books of 2008. I thought I would look at it from a different perspective and make a list of the top ten books that could be the foundation of any believer’s library.
- Basic Christianity – J. R. R. Stott. Stott clearly explains the fundamental claims of the Christian faith and explores how these beliefs impact the lives of believers.
- The Pursuit of Man – A. W. Tozer. The Pursuit of Man sets forth the biblical truth that before man can pursue God, God must first pursue man. It speaks fervently of God’s desire for man to be saved and the action He takes as He “invades” the human soul.
- The Pursuit of God – A. W. Tozer. The Pursuit of God reminds and challenges you to renew your relationship with your loving God. In each of the 10 chapters, Tozer explains one aspect of hungering for God and ends with a prayer.
- Knowing God – J. I. Packer. Knowing God has become a classic of the Christian faith. Why? While it gives us information about God with clarity and grace, it does much more—it aids us in actually knowing him, in building our relationship with him, and helps draw us closer to him in love and worship.
- Mere Christianity – C. S. Lewis. Arguably the 20th century’s most influential Christian writer, C.S. Lewis sought to explain and defend the beliefs that nearly all Christians at all times hold in common. His simple yet deeply profound classic, originally delivered as a series of radio broadcasts, is a book to be thoroughly digested by believers and generously shared with skeptics.
- Growing Your Faith – Jerry Bridges. When you’re gripped by the astonishing fact of Christ’s love for you, you desire to draw close to Him. But what can you do to deepen your relationship with Jesus? What does He expect of you, and how can you be more like Him?
- More Than A Carpenter – Josh McDowell. An excellent introduction to apologetics, this book will provide you with many answers to objections often offered against the truth of our faith.
- An Anchor for the Soul– Ray Pritchard. People have honest doubts and questions about God that deserve solid answers. How do we explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a way the “man on the street” will understand?
- How to Read the Bible Book by Book – Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart. Written by two top evangelical scholars, this survey is designed to get you actually reading the Bible knowledgeably and understanding it accurately.
- Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life – Donald S. Whitney. The freedom to grow in godliness—to naturally express Christ’s character through your own personality—is in large part dependent on a deliberate cultivation of the spiritual disciplines.
One could make a good argument for including just about any book on this list, however, I set some parameters for it. This list is a recommendation for someone who is just beginning to build a library of Christian books. It is for those who want a good grounding in Christian belief and a basic understanding of apologetics (the art of defending the faith). Given those restrictions, this list represents my recommendations. Dive in … you will find much to ponder, chew on and make you hungry for more.
I read the news today …
It’s the opening line of “A Day in the Life” from the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album and is what ran through my mind as I opened the Google News page. The headlines were uniformly depressing. And then the words of 1 John 2.15 came to mind … Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
There’s not a lot to love in the news of the day. Fortunately, I went from Google News to Facebook, where I found a message from a friend that totally cheered me. And then I remembered that I wanted to read a passage from Isaiah … Isaiah 59 is rather short for an Old Testament chapter and begins rather somberly and is an indictment. Yet it ends in promise, and that is what I will take with me today.
- Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.
- He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.
- He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.
- According to their deeds, so will he repay, wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies; to the coastlands he will render repayment.
- So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the LORD drives.
- “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.
- “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.”
12.15.08
Fair & Balanced
CNN touts themselves as being fair and balanced. To that I would have to add sensationalist and misleading. Take a recent link on the front page of the CNN site: “McCain unsure if he’ll support Palin for president”. You read that and you begin to wonder why and if maybe some of the rumors reported from the campaign might be true. So then you read the story and find a different headline (McCain: I can’t promise to support Palin for president) and a story that doesn’t support either headline. What did McCain say about Palin?
“She invigorated our campaign” and “Have no doubt of my admiration and respect for her and my view of her viability, but at this stage, again … my corpse is still warm, you know?”
CNN: Thanks so much for being fair and balanced in your coverage of this story.
Insights from Chuck Colson
Chuck Colson writes on CNN that “If anyone knows how Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich feels right now, I do.”
Colson, who served seven months in prison due on Watergate related charges, talks about what motivates people to act in the manner Blagojevich is accused of acting. He cautions that we are raising our children “to become not only self-obsessed, but obsessed with personal power. Quaint-sounding virtues such as courage, honesty and prudence — historically considered the elements of character — are no match for a society in which the exaltation and gratification of self becomes the overriding goal of life.”
Read the whole article … it’s worth it.
Book Giveaway @ Kingdom People
Trevin Wax is giving away books. Check the Kingdom People site to see how you might win Trevin’s Top 10 for 2008 plus an ESV Study Bible.
12.14.08
It did/is
I woke up twice in the night, a little bit anxious about the snow storm we were supposed to be getting. The second time was at 4:45 and I decided to stay up. If the snow was really deep, I would have called Steve for a ride to church. It looked like we had gotten only about 4 inches, so I got ready to take myself to church.
Wow! While we were in church we got a lot more snow. And the winds started picking up. Right now, I would guess that we have about 8 inches of new snow on the ground and it isn’t done yet. I am going to just ride it out. I have the proverbial necessities … bread and milk … and will stay put until it is over and roads are clear.
It was already beginning to blow pretty hard and visibility was affected when I came home from church. I have no desire to check out the white out conditions. I will take the weather person’s word for it.
12.13.08
Let it snow …
The sky is absolutely pregnant with snow. So far we haven’t gotten any, but the forecast if for heavy snow beginning tonight and continuing through Monday morning. There have been small snowfalls accumulating about 4″ over the last few weeks, but this will be our first big snow if it happens.
I’ve been hard at work organizing my closets today … a really fun chore. I decided I couldn’t do anything else until that is done because I was just shifting stuff around. Once the closets are organized, I can put tons of stuff away and start to feel like I live here instead of camping out. I’m filling boxes for Goodwill as I go though all this. I am never going to work in an office again and have no need for all my business suits … perhaps someone else can get some use from them.
That’s about it … I need to get back to work … break is over.
12.12.08
Word of Promise Next Generation – New Testament
My latest review for Thomas Nelson is the Word of Promise Next Generation dramatic audio New Testament.
Geared toward teens, this audio version of the Bible features popular stars from the shows they most watch, including Cody Linley, Alyson Stoner, Jordin Sparks, Corbin Bleu and others. Produced in MP3 format, this dramatic reading of the Bible can be loaded onto iPods or other MP3 players and listened to by teens on the go. Teens who would not normally be attracted to the Bible might be encouraged to listen due to the participants of this audio version.
Each book of the New Testament is introduced with information about the author and the time of its writing by Max and Jenna Lucado. Sean Astin serves as narrator. The set also includes a behind the scenes DVD, which will be popular with teens.
I am not generally impressed with dramatic readings of the Bible, preferring to let the drama of the inspired words speak for themselves. I do see value for teens in this version. Where they might not take time to read the Bible daily, they might be willing to listen to their favorite stars in this version. This audio New Testament is no substitute for Bible intake, but can serve as a valuable added tool.
Some have questioned the presentation, feeling that Cody Linley’s presentation of Jesus was anemic, or that Marshall Allman’s portrayal of Paul was stumbling and awkward. I didn’t find this to be unduly distracting. I was more concerned that the audio version didn’t match any of my several versions of the Bible. The presentation is augmented with sound effects and music, which seemed appropriate to the reading.
All things considered, I feel this audio New Testament has value for the target audience, but should not serve as the primary source of Biblical knowledge. Parents should not expect it to do so, but should supplement this audio version with sound teaching in the home and church.
For more information or to purchase the CD set, please go to the Thomas Nelson site.
12.09.08
Supporting Chip Saltsman for RNC
Chip Saltsman is running to be the next chair of the Republican National Committee. His new site launched this week: Chip Saltsman for RNC Chair. Visit the site and read the information there. Chip has taken time to spell out an action plan for moving forward. Clearly, the RNC needs to address many issues to win back the support of American voters, many of whom crossed party lines because they no longer trusted the party to support their values. Chip has a plan to answer that and bring the party back to its traditional roots.
The Republican Party was not born as a party of big business or elites of any stripe. The party of Lincoln was also the party of the people. Today, the platform of the Republican party is much closer to what people say they want than that of the Democrats. Yet the public rejected Republicans in record numbers in the last election cycle. Many would argue that it was due to drift on the part of the Republican candidates. Many argue that it was due to an unpopular president and an unpopular war. Many blamed the Republican party (not necessarily correctly) for the current economic situation. Many voters seemed to feel there was no difference between the parties. And if there was no difference, why not give the new guy a chance? We will have to wait and see what havoc that thinking might have wrought.
In the meantime, we can take steps to bring the party back to the people … to set it on the right track and to build a grassroots team that will support candidates at all levels who best express the values and beliefs of the electorate. To do that effectively, we need Chip Saltsman.
12.05.08
Worldliness … Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2.15
What does John mean when he says we are not to love the world or the things in the world? Isn’t that contradictory if we believe that God is the creator of the world? How then are we to relate to the world? That is the premise of this book by C. J. Mahaney and members of the ministry team of Sovereign Grace.
I was not surprised to find myself feeling sinfully convicted from the first chapter of the book to the end. Mahaney and company cover many of the great time consumers of our days … such as: television, movies, the internet, video games, music, shopping and all the stuff we accumulate and cannot part with.
You might wonder why they would feel it necessary to address such things. The aim of the book is not to impose regulations on such things, but to help us view them in relation to God. From a chapter titled “How to Love the World” comes the following:
“Before we examine how we’re to relate to the world, we must first understand it. We need a biblical worldview, a framework for understanding our human existence and environment that accords with reality. Whether we’re aware of it or not, each of us has a set of beliefs and assumptions about ourselves and about the world we inhabit. Through the lens of these beliefs and assumptions – our worldview – we interpret our experience, draw conclusions and make decisions. Ultimately, our worldview determines how we live. That’s why it’s critical that these beliefs align with Scripture, for only there do we find God’s take on our lives in this world, indeed on reality itself. The Bible sets forth the contours of our existence, answering fundamental questions about our identity, our environment, our relationships, our very purpose in life.”
Given this understanding, we are called to enjoy, engage and evangelize the world – all ways for us to be in the world and love the world. But wait, you say … doesn’t that contradict the Scripture quoted at the beginning of the article? Not at all, because the cross interprets the world we inhabit. It transforms our view of people and gives our lives purpose. There is a difference between loving the world as Jesus loved it and being enamored of it and all it presents. Our call is to take our place in the world, enjoying God’s gifts, fulfilling God’s purpose and giving our lives to see the gospel proclaimed.