I just wanted to upload video of my favorite 2-month old.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
What I Did Last Sabbath
My brother-in-law lent me his Canon Rebel XT since I’m in the market for a digital SLR, and my use of his superior camera coincided today with Isaac’s first seemingly intentional batting of a toy.
Boy, I tell you what, if there was ever a doubt that I wanted one of my own after seeing what our boy Nate did with his, all doubt was erased after shooting continuous of my wife and child today.
My wife continues to impress me with her music skills. She led worship music this morning in church (which means I sang, too) on the guitar, and impressed me by doing (among other things) the backup vocals on “Prince of Peace” while strumming.
It’s been a pleasure to do the music with her and to preside over the congregation every other Sunday or so. Our church is small, and we know most everybody in the pews, so that contributes to my comfort level at the podium, both in terms of familiarity and intimacy.
I found out from my coworker that Aaron Brothers was having a huge picture frame sale today, so we stopped by and ended up buying $100 worth of wall ledges and frames at a really, really good value. (I added the second ‘really’ to offset the ‘$100’ part).
Boy, I tell you what, if there was ever a doubt that I wanted one of my own after seeing what our boy Nate did with his, all doubt was erased after shooting continuous of my wife and child today.
My wife continues to impress me with her music skills. She led worship music this morning in church (which means I sang, too) on the guitar, and impressed me by doing (among other things) the backup vocals on “Prince of Peace” while strumming.
It’s been a pleasure to do the music with her and to preside over the congregation every other Sunday or so. Our church is small, and we know most everybody in the pews, so that contributes to my comfort level at the podium, both in terms of familiarity and intimacy.
I found out from my coworker that Aaron Brothers was having a huge picture frame sale today, so we stopped by and ended up buying $100 worth of wall ledges and frames at a really, really good value. (I added the second ‘really’ to offset the ‘$100’ part).
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Isaac and the Law of Increasing Returns
Isaac had his 2-month appointment today and weighed in at 10lb, 13oz, which was a relief to us, since he had lost 3oz between last Saturday and two days ago. Looks like he found them and put 'em back on.
He took his vaccines well - three in the legs - and six hours later still has no fever or side effects. He continues to make us proud. He barely cried and the nurse was impressed.
Afterwards, we met with a pastor of another church to discuss his theology and pick his brain about our decision to change churches. We were both pleased with him, even despite a few differences in theology.
He mentioned a small group made up of couples and singles our age and younger, and that appealed to us. We plan on checking that out once our current small group, a 6-week book study made up of older folks, concludes.
Isaac, our little pooklet, just endears me more and more each day, and the reason isn't always because he's doing new things. For example, I just think it's the cutest thing now when he cries. Maybe my new-father anxiety was initially holding me back before from full appreciation of the helpless babe. Or maybe I miss him more now that I'm at work most of the day.
There it is, my fastest blog yet. I'm trying to ramble less and chronicle more.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Gratification
Wednesdays at work I spend my lunch hour with the wifey in mind. The other days of the week I spend exercising. I do this because without scheduled time set aside, I’ve found, I won’t plan date night, and date night is just one of the ways us guys have to be intentional about maintaining healthy marriages.
Today I didn’t plan date night, save for 30 seconds of thought that came after my lunch. Instead I wrote about my wife and looked at her from a simple perspective, stripped of the lesser distractions in which I indulge (like blogging).
Simple I hope will be the watchword for 2008 and beyond, as it has given me better perspective on the most important things in my life, my Lord and my family.
So today for a little less than an hour, I appreciated as I listed the things unique to my wife. I summed it up to her this evening by telling her that she has a wonderful enthusiasm for the pure pleasures God has given us – timeless blessings like conversation & relationships, food & sleep, music and words.
I have so many entertainments in my life that, were they to disappear, would probably enhance my life with their absence. When Pookie and I hiked for eight hours in Kaua’i, we engaged in deeper conversation than our typical fare, simply because of the extended time with few distractions.
I just took a break to change my baby’s diaper, and boy have I come to love doing that. We have some of our best facial exchanges when he’s politely letting me clean his bottom. This I never anticipated. A father’s joy at his baby boy’s contentment.
We just began going through a curriculum on 1 Peter for her Thursday morning bible study, and we did a little of that tonight, with me one week behind her (and still postponing catch-up for this blog entry).
Reflecting on the resources available to Christians today, I consider the contrast of a cluttered spiritual life with that of the believers in the 1st century. It may be naïvete, but I often long for fewer things and less appointments in hopes that I can further stretch out and better indulge in the pleasures for which we were designed.
Here’s an exercise. Count up all the distractions you encountered in one day and assess what that list says about you. I’ll go first:
Apple.com/trailers
The Wif and I rarely watch movies on DVD or in the theater anymore, but trailers are so dramatic and so… handy, I check in on this site daily, sometimes more than once. Let’s just leave it at that.
Email
Something I check several times a day. I think I even spend more time checking than actually reading or writing email.
Google Earth
To my shame, my boss asked me today to use it to do an actual ad, and I ended up riding the cool POV tool all over the world, sucked in by an albeit legitimate fascination with the world, but overindulging nonetheless.
My Blog
Something I even make notes for on my Blackberry in the john. Case in point is this typically digressing entry.
It’s getting late. I need to end this or it’ll never get posted and I’ll never get to sleep. The blog is a dangerous tool. Talk about indulgences.
Today I didn’t plan date night, save for 30 seconds of thought that came after my lunch. Instead I wrote about my wife and looked at her from a simple perspective, stripped of the lesser distractions in which I indulge (like blogging).
Simple I hope will be the watchword for 2008 and beyond, as it has given me better perspective on the most important things in my life, my Lord and my family.
So today for a little less than an hour, I appreciated as I listed the things unique to my wife. I summed it up to her this evening by telling her that she has a wonderful enthusiasm for the pure pleasures God has given us – timeless blessings like conversation & relationships, food & sleep, music and words.
I have so many entertainments in my life that, were they to disappear, would probably enhance my life with their absence. When Pookie and I hiked for eight hours in Kaua’i, we engaged in deeper conversation than our typical fare, simply because of the extended time with few distractions.
I just took a break to change my baby’s diaper, and boy have I come to love doing that. We have some of our best facial exchanges when he’s politely letting me clean his bottom. This I never anticipated. A father’s joy at his baby boy’s contentment.
We just began going through a curriculum on 1 Peter for her Thursday morning bible study, and we did a little of that tonight, with me one week behind her (and still postponing catch-up for this blog entry).
Reflecting on the resources available to Christians today, I consider the contrast of a cluttered spiritual life with that of the believers in the 1st century. It may be naïvete, but I often long for fewer things and less appointments in hopes that I can further stretch out and better indulge in the pleasures for which we were designed.
Here’s an exercise. Count up all the distractions you encountered in one day and assess what that list says about you. I’ll go first:
Apple.com/trailers
The Wif and I rarely watch movies on DVD or in the theater anymore, but trailers are so dramatic and so… handy, I check in on this site daily, sometimes more than once. Let’s just leave it at that.
Something I check several times a day. I think I even spend more time checking than actually reading or writing email.
Google Earth
To my shame, my boss asked me today to use it to do an actual ad, and I ended up riding the cool POV tool all over the world, sucked in by an albeit legitimate fascination with the world, but overindulging nonetheless.
My Blog
Something I even make notes for on my Blackberry in the john. Case in point is this typically digressing entry.
It’s getting late. I need to end this or it’ll never get posted and I’ll never get to sleep. The blog is a dangerous tool. Talk about indulgences.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Helplessness
Pookie the wife is discouraged.
Isaac, our pooklet with two kinds of expression, upset and experimental, is defying our wisdom and wills.
We're at least partial fans of our guidebooks, 'Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child,' 'Babywise,' and 'Baby's First Year,' primarily fans of three competent lactation consultants, and trusting friends to many with greater child experience.
But each 24-hr span yields frustration for Isaac's mother who, despite her best efforts, can't count on ideal behavior from one whose life will never be simpler than it has the last 8 weeks.
We consider the same suggestions over and over, and end up wondering if it's simply a lack of faith that committing to a pattern, regardless of the immediate results, will produce the solution in a matter of days.
Perhaps if we can endure the cries and withstand our sympathetic inclinations for 48hrs, 72 at the most, little Isaac will ultimately fall into a comfortable, secure, and regular feeding and sleeping schedule.
All I can say is I feel bad for my lovely wife who works so hard through such stress and sleeplessness, and wish I could produce the remedy to ease her suffering.
Isaac, our pooklet with two kinds of expression, upset and experimental, is defying our wisdom and wills.
We're at least partial fans of our guidebooks, 'Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child,' 'Babywise,' and 'Baby's First Year,' primarily fans of three competent lactation consultants, and trusting friends to many with greater child experience.
But each 24-hr span yields frustration for Isaac's mother who, despite her best efforts, can't count on ideal behavior from one whose life will never be simpler than it has the last 8 weeks.
We consider the same suggestions over and over, and end up wondering if it's simply a lack of faith that committing to a pattern, regardless of the immediate results, will produce the solution in a matter of days.
Perhaps if we can endure the cries and withstand our sympathetic inclinations for 48hrs, 72 at the most, little Isaac will ultimately fall into a comfortable, secure, and regular feeding and sleeping schedule.
All I can say is I feel bad for my lovely wife who works so hard through such stress and sleeplessness, and wish I could produce the remedy to ease her suffering.
Skateboarding Sunday, DOMS Monday
Sunday, just before my weekly leaders' meeting (we're working through MacArthur's 'The Master's Plan for the Church'), I took advantage of one of the high school kid's new skateboard and the nice weather. After a couple kickflips and no-complies, I saucily strove for double kickflips, but never actually rode out of one (same as when I used to skate).
Monday at work, my whole body ached with delayed onset muscle soreness.
Then I went running on the treadmill at work. But I forgot about the knee pain I got last time I ran (7 weeks ago), which I attributed to running shoes older than 6 months (I blame my wife for planting that notion in my head).
I'm feeling old, but only physically. I wish I could feel the wisdom of an old person when it comes to personal finances.
I've been letting money fester in minimal-interest rates for too long, anxious about losing out on potential dividends.
This is what you call in the personal blogosphere a slow news day.
Monday at work, my whole body ached with delayed onset muscle soreness.
Then I went running on the treadmill at work. But I forgot about the knee pain I got last time I ran (7 weeks ago), which I attributed to running shoes older than 6 months (I blame my wife for planting that notion in my head).
I'm feeling old, but only physically. I wish I could feel the wisdom of an old person when it comes to personal finances.
I've been letting money fester in minimal-interest rates for too long, anxious about losing out on potential dividends.
This is what you call in the personal blogosphere a slow news day.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Sin-thesis
Yesterday morning, I read David in the 4th Psalm of the bible:
David gratefully praised God and extolled His wisdom even before his battle victories. He recognized that God was always good, always faithful, always wise, regardless of the circumstances.
In the last two plus years, I've seen my own stores increase: financial and material abundance paired with the irreplaceable bounty of a wife and child.
And yet what fills my heart with the greatest joy is the same light of Christ that shone prior to these additions, when I lived a more modest life as a bachelor with a one-bedroom condo on the undeveloped near-west side.
Hope and sin never change for the believer in this world.
The persistent struggle of old sin in new contexts still burdens because of a heart shared with God, and the unfailing hope in Christ persists by comparison in sweetening each day for he who is able to focus on it.
And this gift from God of hope in Him is so sweet that I still count it my greatest blessing. Hope in the morning as I look forward to my devotions, hope when I think of heaven, hope when I think of what I was.
Later that today I received an email from a friend asking me to elaborate on what I posted Jan. 4:
"The question I put to non-Christians is not how do we avoid struggle, but in which struggle should we engage?"
Knowledge of God for the Christian simultaneously gives him his understanding of sin in human struggle, and impels him toward his Savior, giving him both the understanding of the malady and the antidote.
I, um, have to restart my computer, so I'm posting this now. I'll be thinking over how to present my response to The Two Struggles as soon as my son lets me.
Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
Let the light of Your face shine upon us, O Lord.
You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.
David gratefully praised God and extolled His wisdom even before his battle victories. He recognized that God was always good, always faithful, always wise, regardless of the circumstances.
In the last two plus years, I've seen my own stores increase: financial and material abundance paired with the irreplaceable bounty of a wife and child.
And yet what fills my heart with the greatest joy is the same light of Christ that shone prior to these additions, when I lived a more modest life as a bachelor with a one-bedroom condo on the undeveloped near-west side.
Hope and sin never change for the believer in this world.
The persistent struggle of old sin in new contexts still burdens because of a heart shared with God, and the unfailing hope in Christ persists by comparison in sweetening each day for he who is able to focus on it.
And this gift from God of hope in Him is so sweet that I still count it my greatest blessing. Hope in the morning as I look forward to my devotions, hope when I think of heaven, hope when I think of what I was.
Later that today I received an email from a friend asking me to elaborate on what I posted Jan. 4:
"The question I put to non-Christians is not how do we avoid struggle, but in which struggle should we engage?"
Knowledge of God for the Christian simultaneously gives him his understanding of sin in human struggle, and impels him toward his Savior, giving him both the understanding of the malady and the antidote.
I, um, have to restart my computer, so I'm posting this now. I'll be thinking over how to present my response to The Two Struggles as soon as my son lets me.
hoping he falls asleep
That's been one of the dominant daily desires of us pookies hoping to get our baby boy to rest. Isaac's now 7 weeks old and it's a beautiful and restful thing to see him sleep.
He has thwarted my semi-resolution to blog daily (though I had yet to master the brevity thing), so I'm taking the opportunity Isaac's given me now, as he's down, but putting the baby down often means picking him back up again to burp his crying self once his gas finally decides to surface.
I learned something this or yesterday morning in my devotions. I've been reading through Luke and, thanks to a few commentaries, learned I'd been misreading a line from Jesus during the last supper. When, in Luke 22:36, Jesus tells his disciples that they're free to sell their cloaks and buy swords, and the disciples reply with, "See, Lord, here are two swords," Jesus says, "It is enough."
The disciples produce the swords after Jesus says, "what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment," and they were still at that point expecting a military takeover with the coming of His kingdom despite Jesus' admonitions to the contrary.
What I thought was Christ's approval was actually, according to MacArthur, MacDonald, and Wiersbe, His exasperated disapproval, manifested in his ending the conversation, which is what he was referring to as having "enough" of.
Though carrying these kinds of knives was typical in that culture, the disciples had simply misunderstood what Jesus was implying, being still not clear on the nature of the kingdom of God.
He has thwarted my semi-resolution to blog daily (though I had yet to master the brevity thing), so I'm taking the opportunity Isaac's given me now, as he's down, but putting the baby down often means picking him back up again to burp his crying self once his gas finally decides to surface.
I learned something this or yesterday morning in my devotions. I've been reading through Luke and, thanks to a few commentaries, learned I'd been misreading a line from Jesus during the last supper. When, in Luke 22:36, Jesus tells his disciples that they're free to sell their cloaks and buy swords, and the disciples reply with, "See, Lord, here are two swords," Jesus says, "It is enough."
The disciples produce the swords after Jesus says, "what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment," and they were still at that point expecting a military takeover with the coming of His kingdom despite Jesus' admonitions to the contrary.
What I thought was Christ's approval was actually, according to MacArthur, MacDonald, and Wiersbe, His exasperated disapproval, manifested in his ending the conversation, which is what he was referring to as having "enough" of.
Though carrying these kinds of knives was typical in that culture, the disciples had simply misunderstood what Jesus was implying, being still not clear on the nature of the kingdom of God.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
The Struggle For Dependence
Last Sunday (Behold the blogging delays of a new parent) seems like a breakthrough, spiritually speaking.
It began with a wonderfully exhortive message on Psalm 39:4-5.
In the text David implores God to:
"Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days;
Let me know how fleeting my life is."
The pastor reminded us that "there is a power in doing what God has laid on your heart," instead of waiting for conditions that may never come.
Both of us enjoyed the message. How common it is to put off things that we ache to do! For me particularly, I'm prone to do what's in front of me (immediacy) instead of what is more satisfying. Oh, how I long to simplify my overcomplicated thinking and expectations, and the life that has resulted!
Instead, I clutter my joy with peripheral distractions, and lose sight of the beaming life of the believer, that Christ came to give in abundance
Simplicity has been on my mind in recent weeks. I believe this is what God intended for us. Not simplistic life, but life dominated and informed by a simple set of fundamental components. For example, don't crowd out the joy of godly worship with worldly entertainments, because you will dissipate and cover up the deeper satisfaction. C.S. Lewis likened it to "a holiday at the sea" of which kids playing in puddles are ignorant.
Although it may be satisfying to some degree to bounce from one brief happy entertainment to the next, it too often precludes the profound, enduring pleasures for which we were created.
As an example, I've been relishing lately the pleasure of hymns and modern praise songs. Although I attribute my desire for this to the Holy Spirit, I enjoy this singing on more than one level. 1. Melody, God's gift for the senses He created. 2. Creativity, that participation in creating a beautiful sound. 3. Theology. Unlike in secular music, there resides in the strains of praise music that which describes and reminds us of God and his grace to us sinners. This is key, as the words remind that God authors and sustains the believer's passion, and thus inspires the expression through music. It is, after all, more exciting to sing what you're passionate about.
At the end of this past Sunday, the Pookies enjoyed like-minded Christian fellowship like we hadn't seen. Another simple pleasure we'd been missing.
And in our prayer time together that night, Pookie and I connected in a way we hadn't yet in our marriage, a prayer I made that she could more identify with, one that excited us by uniting us in deep reflection on the incredible God we serve.
It was my closing added prayer, one more intimate than my usual prayers, that touched on more of God's majesty than normal, as I took the time to indulge more in it.
Upon reflection the next morning, I realized afresh that God's grace to us includes shaking us out of complacency (even when we're ignorant of the degree to which we're complacent), and steering us back into deep communion with Him, instead of letting us default to the dialogue of self-reflection (see Jan. 2 post), where our humanity fails to transcend introspection alone and see God for who He really is (and by this, who we really are).
So I made a plan to simplify my life of worship to focus on God rather than myself. I realized that my tendency is to so value my output, what I produce, that I've made my communication with God an academic endeavor, outlining bible passages rather than meditating on them, and scrutinizing scripture to find a relevant apologetic for our culture, rather than hiding the Word in my heart out of concern for my own spiritual growth and maintenance.
Ironic as it may seem, I did outline what I hope will serve as a reminder to keep Jesus central, and with as much recognition of His glory as I can muster.
THE OUTLINE for SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES:
Before every activity, I should ask myself what the goal is. Since whole-hearted worship is so often elusive, I must be intentional.
1. DEVOTIONS
The goal: To hear God speak to me in my situations, in response to my heart's prayers.
Meditation on scripture is non-negotiable, so if this is being crowded, simplify by reading less (ensure quality, not quantity), or stopping and returning to it later that day.
2. PRAYER (3 parts)
a. To describe and indulge in God's character, and consequently to foster humility, intimacy, enjoyment, and reverence.
b. Ask God's help. Petition Him within a vivid understanding of the relationship elucidated in part a.
c. Ensure a fresh, invigorating, and honest sense of gratitude (Thanksgiving).
My (flexible) plan is to stay in the Psalms and the Gospels in my quiet time, and hold a weekly family evening study on the epistles, beginning with Romans and working towards the end of the NT.
I am dependent on God, but my flesh doesn't always believe that. So I'll continue in the believer's struggle for dependence, striving to cut away me-centered efforts, and live with God's majestic sufficiency in view.
It began with a wonderfully exhortive message on Psalm 39:4-5.
In the text David implores God to:
"Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days;
Let me know how fleeting my life is."
The pastor reminded us that "there is a power in doing what God has laid on your heart," instead of waiting for conditions that may never come.
Both of us enjoyed the message. How common it is to put off things that we ache to do! For me particularly, I'm prone to do what's in front of me (immediacy) instead of what is more satisfying. Oh, how I long to simplify my overcomplicated thinking and expectations, and the life that has resulted!
Instead, I clutter my joy with peripheral distractions, and lose sight of the beaming life of the believer, that Christ came to give in abundance
Simplicity has been on my mind in recent weeks. I believe this is what God intended for us. Not simplistic life, but life dominated and informed by a simple set of fundamental components. For example, don't crowd out the joy of godly worship with worldly entertainments, because you will dissipate and cover up the deeper satisfaction. C.S. Lewis likened it to "a holiday at the sea" of which kids playing in puddles are ignorant.
Although it may be satisfying to some degree to bounce from one brief happy entertainment to the next, it too often precludes the profound, enduring pleasures for which we were created.
As an example, I've been relishing lately the pleasure of hymns and modern praise songs. Although I attribute my desire for this to the Holy Spirit, I enjoy this singing on more than one level. 1. Melody, God's gift for the senses He created. 2. Creativity, that participation in creating a beautiful sound. 3. Theology. Unlike in secular music, there resides in the strains of praise music that which describes and reminds us of God and his grace to us sinners. This is key, as the words remind that God authors and sustains the believer's passion, and thus inspires the expression through music. It is, after all, more exciting to sing what you're passionate about.
At the end of this past Sunday, the Pookies enjoyed like-minded Christian fellowship like we hadn't seen. Another simple pleasure we'd been missing.
And in our prayer time together that night, Pookie and I connected in a way we hadn't yet in our marriage, a prayer I made that she could more identify with, one that excited us by uniting us in deep reflection on the incredible God we serve.
It was my closing added prayer, one more intimate than my usual prayers, that touched on more of God's majesty than normal, as I took the time to indulge more in it.
Upon reflection the next morning, I realized afresh that God's grace to us includes shaking us out of complacency (even when we're ignorant of the degree to which we're complacent), and steering us back into deep communion with Him, instead of letting us default to the dialogue of self-reflection (see Jan. 2 post), where our humanity fails to transcend introspection alone and see God for who He really is (and by this, who we really are).
So I made a plan to simplify my life of worship to focus on God rather than myself. I realized that my tendency is to so value my output, what I produce, that I've made my communication with God an academic endeavor, outlining bible passages rather than meditating on them, and scrutinizing scripture to find a relevant apologetic for our culture, rather than hiding the Word in my heart out of concern for my own spiritual growth and maintenance.
Ironic as it may seem, I did outline what I hope will serve as a reminder to keep Jesus central, and with as much recognition of His glory as I can muster.
THE OUTLINE for SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES:
Before every activity, I should ask myself what the goal is. Since whole-hearted worship is so often elusive, I must be intentional.
1. DEVOTIONS
The goal: To hear God speak to me in my situations, in response to my heart's prayers.
Meditation on scripture is non-negotiable, so if this is being crowded, simplify by reading less (ensure quality, not quantity), or stopping and returning to it later that day.
2. PRAYER (3 parts)
a. To describe and indulge in God's character, and consequently to foster humility, intimacy, enjoyment, and reverence.
b. Ask God's help. Petition Him within a vivid understanding of the relationship elucidated in part a.
c. Ensure a fresh, invigorating, and honest sense of gratitude (Thanksgiving).
My (flexible) plan is to stay in the Psalms and the Gospels in my quiet time, and hold a weekly family evening study on the epistles, beginning with Romans and working towards the end of the NT.
I am dependent on God, but my flesh doesn't always believe that. So I'll continue in the believer's struggle for dependence, striving to cut away me-centered efforts, and live with God's majestic sufficiency in view.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Deference to Sovereignty
I finished reading the Psalms yesterday in my devotions, so I opened up the table of contents today to decide which book I wanted to read in the Old Testament. I settled on 2 Samuel because I wanted to continue along the timeline I had started when teaching 1 Samuel in Sunday School.
David was a man after God's own heart, who trusted God with his life.
Saul, the first king of Israel, was a man after David's own life.
In the opening chapter of 2 Samuel, David asks the man who has killed Saul,
"Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?"
Despite Saul's unjustified murderous vengeance towards David, David was able to look past self-preservation, through God's purposes, and over and above to God's will, and acknowledge that God's sovereignty truly comes before any other concern.
To pair this with the current struggles of this Christian's life, I reflect on the last few weeks where I've simultaneously struggled through and taken comfort in God's plan for parenthood.
What myriad provisions for development are wrapped up in childbirth and child rearing! With all the time that must be spent on our dependent newborn child, there is still much to be grateful for in God's design of procreation. For example, it's remarkable that everything Isaac needs for his body is in the very thing that comes from his mother's breast.
At the same time, Isaac is a constant interruption to his parents' activities. Life must revolve around him now. Personal interests are put on hold. Basic necessities are complicated and postponed.
The urge for me to quit selflessness manifests itself in parenting as it does in marriage.
At times, David gave in to the fear of man and faltered in his complete dependence on God's protection and wisdom. He knew God's ways were best, but the encroaching exploitations of mere humanity abound and often overshadow logic.
No matter how much I know God is trustworthy, steadfastly and selflessly following Jesus is a struggle. I press on, though, because God is the only one who proves Himself to guard and satisfy mind, body, and heart.
The question I would put to the non-Christian is not how do we avoid struggle, but in which struggle will we engage?
Today I heard about grade schoolers in school bathrooms engaging in inappropriate explorations into sexuality, and was thus moved to write an outline diagramming the reasons for holding to God's plan for sex and relationships.
However, though the reasons are clear and backed with statistics, the lonely mind with its logic alone can still fail when the body is overwhelmed by temptation and immediacy.
I pray that my wife and I instruct Isaac to know what is true and what is a deception in life, and finally to foster the discipline that holds to a proper resolve.
Nothing should stand in the way of what God has ordained - not inconvenience, fear, or confusion.
David strove to trust God (over man) for his protection and in the end he valued God's wisdom over justification for himself. He was a man after God's heart.
The more I hold to a selfless ethic of nurturing my wife and son, the more I will receive in these relationships the responses befitting a God-honoring humility, and the stronger the foundation of our family will be.
Deception, selfishness, and impatience are the currency of our day, in contradistinction to the eternal trustworthiness of a loving God. Our world's godless attempts at gratification are recycled for those unaccustomed to Truth, because they invite and disappoint, invite and disappoint.
I'm humbled both by what I hear and what I experience, but I remain convinced that God's unchanging nature is the only reliable point of reference, and obedience to His word will not only keep us from greatest harm, but will also give us greatest pleasure.
David was a man after God's own heart, who trusted God with his life.
Saul, the first king of Israel, was a man after David's own life.
In the opening chapter of 2 Samuel, David asks the man who has killed Saul,
"Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?"
Despite Saul's unjustified murderous vengeance towards David, David was able to look past self-preservation, through God's purposes, and over and above to God's will, and acknowledge that God's sovereignty truly comes before any other concern.
To pair this with the current struggles of this Christian's life, I reflect on the last few weeks where I've simultaneously struggled through and taken comfort in God's plan for parenthood.
What myriad provisions for development are wrapped up in childbirth and child rearing! With all the time that must be spent on our dependent newborn child, there is still much to be grateful for in God's design of procreation. For example, it's remarkable that everything Isaac needs for his body is in the very thing that comes from his mother's breast.
At the same time, Isaac is a constant interruption to his parents' activities. Life must revolve around him now. Personal interests are put on hold. Basic necessities are complicated and postponed.
The urge for me to quit selflessness manifests itself in parenting as it does in marriage.
At times, David gave in to the fear of man and faltered in his complete dependence on God's protection and wisdom. He knew God's ways were best, but the encroaching exploitations of mere humanity abound and often overshadow logic.
No matter how much I know God is trustworthy, steadfastly and selflessly following Jesus is a struggle. I press on, though, because God is the only one who proves Himself to guard and satisfy mind, body, and heart.
The question I would put to the non-Christian is not how do we avoid struggle, but in which struggle will we engage?
Today I heard about grade schoolers in school bathrooms engaging in inappropriate explorations into sexuality, and was thus moved to write an outline diagramming the reasons for holding to God's plan for sex and relationships.
However, though the reasons are clear and backed with statistics, the lonely mind with its logic alone can still fail when the body is overwhelmed by temptation and immediacy.
I pray that my wife and I instruct Isaac to know what is true and what is a deception in life, and finally to foster the discipline that holds to a proper resolve.
Nothing should stand in the way of what God has ordained - not inconvenience, fear, or confusion.
David strove to trust God (over man) for his protection and in the end he valued God's wisdom over justification for himself. He was a man after God's heart.
The more I hold to a selfless ethic of nurturing my wife and son, the more I will receive in these relationships the responses befitting a God-honoring humility, and the stronger the foundation of our family will be.
Deception, selfishness, and impatience are the currency of our day, in contradistinction to the eternal trustworthiness of a loving God. Our world's godless attempts at gratification are recycled for those unaccustomed to Truth, because they invite and disappoint, invite and disappoint.
I'm humbled both by what I hear and what I experience, but I remain convinced that God's unchanging nature is the only reliable point of reference, and obedience to His word will not only keep us from greatest harm, but will also give us greatest pleasure.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Submission to Truth's Authority
In Luke 20:1-8, the chief priests and teachers of the law demonstrated their arrogance when they refused to answer Jesus, for their primary concern was preserving their power, and with either response they could give, they knew consequences awaited them. So they avoided the question altogether.
However, it is the humble that the Lord crowns with salvation (Psalm 149:4).
The scribes thus let self-preservation and self-exaltation guide them, rather than humility and truth.
Jesus, knowing their intentions, knew that to give them the truth would be to simply give them more opportunities for rejection.
"Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." (v8)
It would seem that we hinder ourselves in our pursuit of God when we don't make earnest effort to let go of our works ethic default, for otherwise our discourse with Him will make allowance for a contingency plan with the self.
We just automatically smuggle in a sense of self in our planning and in our (His) accomplishments.
This is to say that we can do nothing apart from God, and nothing in His service apart from the Holy Spirit.
What I came away with in my study this morning is that we more readily submit to Truth when it doesn't compromise our standing.
The challenge to the world is this: If all things were created by God, and in Him all things hold together, then God is the author and maintainer of reality. Truth is that which coheres with reality. Truth is coherent and only in God does it cohere.
However, it is the humble that the Lord crowns with salvation (Psalm 149:4).
The scribes thus let self-preservation and self-exaltation guide them, rather than humility and truth.
Jesus, knowing their intentions, knew that to give them the truth would be to simply give them more opportunities for rejection.
"Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." (v8)
It would seem that we hinder ourselves in our pursuit of God when we don't make earnest effort to let go of our works ethic default, for otherwise our discourse with Him will make allowance for a contingency plan with the self.
We just automatically smuggle in a sense of self in our planning and in our (His) accomplishments.
This is to say that we can do nothing apart from God, and nothing in His service apart from the Holy Spirit.
What I came away with in my study this morning is that we more readily submit to Truth when it doesn't compromise our standing.
The challenge to the world is this: If all things were created by God, and in Him all things hold together, then God is the author and maintainer of reality. Truth is that which coheres with reality. Truth is coherent and only in God does it cohere.
The Family
Our wedding photographer Nate (see "The Story of Us" section of the blog for his role in saving our wedding memories) has graced us with more of his high-caliber photographic skill in inopportune circumstances.
This is a photo of my mom, dad, and uncle that I didn't even see happen, amid the traditional portrait artistry Nate was able to turn out despite failing light. It wonderfully conveys the fun of my family. Not sure what's going on here, but I'm sure it's fun.
This is a photo of my mom, dad, and uncle that I didn't even see happen, amid the traditional portrait artistry Nate was able to turn out despite failing light. It wonderfully conveys the fun of my family. Not sure what's going on here, but I'm sure it's fun.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
The Insidious Creep of Man's Works
I've had little visible success in evangelism, though my heart burns for the gospel to be known.
Reading this excerpt of Wiersbe's book, Real Worship: Playground, Battleground, or Holy Ground?, it gave me pause on my attitude, and gave me remembrance of the despair that can creep in when I'm discouraged after my failed efforts. His statement is about missions, but the same could be said for street evangelism.
"When missions is divorced from worship, the human need can become more important than the divine glory; and the strategy used might be the result of human observations rather than a God-given spiritual vision. It's when we worship God that we discover afresh that His thoughts and ways are far above ours and that whatever we do will have to be guided and empowered by Him."
Worship is such an overarching and all-encompassing posture of the believer's life, that it is elusive in its counterintuitive requirement. That is, it's hard to focus on glorifying God when we ourselves choose and work to effect changes throughout every day. We instinctively and unconsciously ascribe to ourselves the credit for our actions and, summarily, for our lives. Add to that the difficulty in getting our minds around the fact that "in Him all things hold together."
Reading this excerpt of Wiersbe's book, Real Worship: Playground, Battleground, or Holy Ground?, it gave me pause on my attitude, and gave me remembrance of the despair that can creep in when I'm discouraged after my failed efforts. His statement is about missions, but the same could be said for street evangelism.
"When missions is divorced from worship, the human need can become more important than the divine glory; and the strategy used might be the result of human observations rather than a God-given spiritual vision. It's when we worship God that we discover afresh that His thoughts and ways are far above ours and that whatever we do will have to be guided and empowered by Him."
Worship is such an overarching and all-encompassing posture of the believer's life, that it is elusive in its counterintuitive requirement. That is, it's hard to focus on glorifying God when we ourselves choose and work to effect changes throughout every day. We instinctively and unconsciously ascribe to ourselves the credit for our actions and, summarily, for our lives. Add to that the difficulty in getting our minds around the fact that "in Him all things hold together."
My New Year's Leaves
In addition to journaling more, I'm hoping to memorize praise songs and hymns with a frequency commensurate with the high priority I've given it among all "desk things" - computer and paperwork, mostly.
My days have been typified by interruption these last few weeks, and free time as fleeting as it is, I've begun the habit of asking myself what would be the best thing to do when I'm at my bedroom desk before myriad worthwhile time-consuming options. Sad that I have to use words like "self-discipline" in the realm of personal email and web surfing, but I have to be intentional about the goals I've set so that, for example, when I'm trying to lull Isaac to sleep in my arms, I have more than one song memorized to sing to him.
For although I'd be quite content to limit my home activities to the following short list, the computer is yet a thief of my time and I a willing victim.
- wife and/or son interaction
- bible study
- reading
- prayer
- singing/memorizing songs
I state quietly this new leaf I'm overturning as I fear the return of my 9-hour work days, knowing how quickly the evenings vanish without a child to enjoy and care for.
I've had really great devotions the last couple days, and rewriting my notes as journal entries will help me process (and hopefully better retain) what I've meditated on.
So today I've memorized the song "The Glory of the Cross." Unfortunately, it came three days too late, as my wife and I sang this before the congregation on Sunday.
My scripture reading today included the following highlight:
Psalm 149:4-5
"For the Lord takes delight in His people;
He crowns the humble with salvation.
Let the saints rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds."
For the Lord takes delight in His people;
It's amazing that, despite knowing that God loves us, the Lord actually delights in those who know Him as their Heavenly Father.
He crowns the humble with salvation.
Humility is necesary to recognize Jesus as Lord, and salvation is indeed a reward, the undeserved crown bequeathed by the only holy God to any sinner who would come to Him brokenhearted over his sin.
Let the saints rejoice in this honor
I don't rejoice in this honor enough. The ironic thing is that I love to sing praises, whether it's in my church's worship band, with my wife in our bedroom as she plays guitar, or by myself as I walk the halls at my job. But I don't do it enough. I long to remove from my hours the things that entertain and distract me, and concentrate more on active, intentional worship of the King.
and sing for joy on their beds.
'Beds' is translated 'couch' in some bibles. I want our home to be one of frequent songs praising God. I want Isaac to hear good theology in winsome melody from the lips of his parents, and hide it along with scripture in his heart. I want the same for myself.
As a light sleeper, I've tried prayer while lying awake in bed. But I've not tried (quiet) song. Maybe I can sing myself to sleep.
I've dived into one of my Christmas presents, Warren Wiersbe's Old Testament commentary, and it's typically great Wiersbe. Reading his insights into Psalm 149, he cited Matthew 26:30 as an instance of Jesus singing a hymn with his disciples. I wish I could see and hear them now. Although, this vision would have to have subtitles, as they'd probably be singing in Hebrew.
My days have been typified by interruption these last few weeks, and free time as fleeting as it is, I've begun the habit of asking myself what would be the best thing to do when I'm at my bedroom desk before myriad worthwhile time-consuming options. Sad that I have to use words like "self-discipline" in the realm of personal email and web surfing, but I have to be intentional about the goals I've set so that, for example, when I'm trying to lull Isaac to sleep in my arms, I have more than one song memorized to sing to him.
For although I'd be quite content to limit my home activities to the following short list, the computer is yet a thief of my time and I a willing victim.
- wife and/or son interaction
- bible study
- reading
- prayer
- singing/memorizing songs
I state quietly this new leaf I'm overturning as I fear the return of my 9-hour work days, knowing how quickly the evenings vanish without a child to enjoy and care for.
I've had really great devotions the last couple days, and rewriting my notes as journal entries will help me process (and hopefully better retain) what I've meditated on.
So today I've memorized the song "The Glory of the Cross." Unfortunately, it came three days too late, as my wife and I sang this before the congregation on Sunday.
My scripture reading today included the following highlight:
Psalm 149:4-5
"For the Lord takes delight in His people;
He crowns the humble with salvation.
Let the saints rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds."
For the Lord takes delight in His people;
It's amazing that, despite knowing that God loves us, the Lord actually delights in those who know Him as their Heavenly Father.
He crowns the humble with salvation.
Humility is necesary to recognize Jesus as Lord, and salvation is indeed a reward, the undeserved crown bequeathed by the only holy God to any sinner who would come to Him brokenhearted over his sin.
Let the saints rejoice in this honor
I don't rejoice in this honor enough. The ironic thing is that I love to sing praises, whether it's in my church's worship band, with my wife in our bedroom as she plays guitar, or by myself as I walk the halls at my job. But I don't do it enough. I long to remove from my hours the things that entertain and distract me, and concentrate more on active, intentional worship of the King.
and sing for joy on their beds.
'Beds' is translated 'couch' in some bibles. I want our home to be one of frequent songs praising God. I want Isaac to hear good theology in winsome melody from the lips of his parents, and hide it along with scripture in his heart. I want the same for myself.
As a light sleeper, I've tried prayer while lying awake in bed. But I've not tried (quiet) song. Maybe I can sing myself to sleep.
I've dived into one of my Christmas presents, Warren Wiersbe's Old Testament commentary, and it's typically great Wiersbe. Reading his insights into Psalm 149, he cited Matthew 26:30 as an instance of Jesus singing a hymn with his disciples. I wish I could see and hear them now. Although, this vision would have to have subtitles, as they'd probably be singing in Hebrew.
Isaac's One-Month Review
Reflections on the first five weeks of parenting, and a blog resolution
For the past five weeks, my wife and newborn son and I have spent most every hour in our bedroom, with frequent trips to and from our kitchen to transfer food and empty plates, bottles of water to drink, and cups of hot water for bottle warming. Every now and then, we get out of the house --one or both of us (or, in the case of the Terminix visit, the three of us and grandma) --getting in the car to make some modest errand (Today I checked on my friend’s trash cans), but mostly, we’ve been confined to the house.
This has been enabled by California’s state-funded paternity leave, and we couldn’t be more grateful. I do most of the bottle feeding (in supplementation to breastfeeding), diaper changes, and book keeping (tracking things like feeding start and stop times and poop counts).
As tiring as child rearing can be, I’m encouraged by the educated hope that this bonding time will help my son love and trust me, something with which I’ll reassure myself when I’m despondently watching the clock at work in the midst of a 9-hour day.
What’s been great about child-rearing is just how cute Isaac is. He’s just fun to look at and nuzzle and kiss and cuddle. Even last night when he was fussing for no apparent reason (except what the books say is the height of fussiness, the sixth week), he looked helplessly adorable flailing his pathetic little limbs in a onesie. And he’ll never remember that his pain was our entertainment.
I never thought I’d take so many pictures, but here I am, uploading baby photos daily.
I thought I’d have more free time (so naïve), but there's very little I can do that won't be interrupted.
However, I decided about five minutes ago that it's worth the effort and time to blog every day, in order to journal this unique, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime period.
This blog has heretofore operated under a philosophy I've heard from Dallas Willard. One of his offhand remarks in a talk he gave can be paraphrased as follows:
Have something to say before you look for a place to speak.
I've spent a lot of time on making sure my blog entries were worth reading (save towards the end when I was flat-out bored at work), but have lost sight of the primary purpose of this blog, the record of my life that will aid me in my perspective by mitigating recall errors.
So here's to frequent (God willing, daily) and shorter posts.
As a case in point on quality over quantity, the above reflections on parenthood were stewing on my desktop for a few days as they didn't seem to contain much wisdom. I think I pressure myself with writing for an audience (especially after a glance at my cluster map). Here's hoping what I write will be interesting and, God willing, edifying to you.
Happy 2008
Adam
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