I couldn't resist... :)

Heading South...

"Porque tanto amo Dios al mundo, que dio a su Hijo unigenito, para que todo el que cree en el no se pierda, sino que tenga vida eterna." Jn 3:16

IN HONOR OF THE REDHEAD

Dustin, ask/harrass and you shall receive... :)

Top Ten Reasons Why You Too Should Be Friends with Dustin Bennett

10) Built-in blog update alerts. Never be delayed in posting again... Apparently this service comes free with the friendship. I did not read the fine print.
9) He has absolutely no mercy when playing "Halo" with girls.
8) R2D2 - enough said.
7) Do you know anyone else who can get away with using the phrase "jacked up" over 16 times while teaching a Sunday School lesson???
6) Have you met his nephew Noah? Anyone who can take down Todd Richards in a dancing duel at such a young age has a great future ahead of him.
5) Great encourager and brother in Christ
4) Who can't love the fact that he is now the BIG 3-0 and still refers to himself in the third person as "The Redhead" and "D-Lux"?
3) His passion and desire to serve the Lord
2) Have you met his wife Megan? She's fantastic!!
1) Because he obviously knows the way to the gunshow!! ;)

Nothing but love for you my friend... ;)

If you have enjoyed what you've read here and are interested in being Dustin's friend, be sure to check out more exciting tales from the Redhead.

Expecting the Unexpected

This topic has actually been in a running list of "things I want to blog about" for several months now, but over the last several weeks so many aspects of this idea have never been so real to me...

One of the things I've realized about myself is how often I'm amazed by how quickly God can shake things up, surprised by how specifically He answers prayers, overwhelmed by opportunities that can only be orchestrated by His hand. His blessings, and sorrows as well, often take me by surprise; they come so unexpectedly... Or do they, really?

While I've learned so much about trusting Him more fully and running to Him quickly during these times, I still ask myself - why is it that I am so surprised when I see glimpses of how God is working? I serve a BIG God, who does BIG things... He is RISEN and intimately involved in the details of our lives. He is NEAR. He sovereignly causes all things to work together for good to the glory of His Name!!

Why do I not learn to expect the unexpected? To pray in faith at ALL times. To boldly seek His face and will to be done in my life at ALL times. To say "YES, LORD!" immediately and quickly to ALL the unexpected blessings and sorrows that come my way. To live in eager expectation of the next moment I will see His hand, the next time I will hear His voice, the next opportunity I will see Him working in my life and the lives of those I love. Will I ever fully attain this depth of intimacy? Surely it will take an eternity... He knows me more fully than I know myself. In my humanity, I will never be able to anticipate or expect anything close to what He has in store for me... Praise God!

Part of my "surprise", I think, will always remain as I stand in humble awe of His amazing love and grace raining down in my life, but my prayer is this: Lord, increase my faith and continue to teach me how to live in passionate expectation of Your will in my life! You have made Yourself known to me. Help me to expect Your unexpectedness!

Momma Duck, Daddy Duck, Ducklings!!!

A while back I blogged about the rented ducks and geese that inhabit my client's office complex... When I returned from our trip to Lake Louise, I was surprised and delighted to see that there are some new additions!! Ducklings for everyone!

They really are the cutest things following their mothers all over the place in groups of 3-4. Some are all yellow, but most are yellow with black markings. Everyone walking into work is loving it and stopping to take pictures on their camera phones.

So here's my question... Did the overall contract rental price for the ducks and geese just go up? How much can a baby duckling really cost? I don't know, but they are adorable...

Indescribable...

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Cor 9:15

More pics of Lake Louise/Banff on Stan's site

Heading North...

A Fool for Christ

"April 1st: This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three-hundred and sixty-four." - Mark Twain

When I started blogging on April Fool's Day and began thinking about all of the hoaxes that go on in the media and practical jokes amongst friends and coworkers, I was reminded of my own daily foolishness and its true definition. Surrounded by worldly wisdom and the desires of the flesh, it is so easy to have wrong thinking about true foolishness. To the world, seeking Christ and pursuing holiness is foolishness; it doesn't conform to the pattern of socially acceptable behavior in America, or anywhere else. But in God's eyes, I am foolish everytime I choose to turn away from Him in disobedience or put my own selfish desires above His desires for me.

Praise God for His grace & mercy in calling me to Himself and His enduring patience and faithfulness despite my wandering and disobedience.

"but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong," - 1 Cor 1:27 NASB

Let me be a fool chosen for Christ and His glory alone and not merely a fool of the world!!!

Smile!!!

Love is friendship on fire...

Okay, I admit it... I'm totally girly, but this little phrase sticks with me everytime I hear it.

I just like the idea... I realize there is a lot more to enduring love in relationships, especially the biblical "agape" love we are called to show others as followers of Christ. There are all sorts of verses and studies and books and sermons and websites dedicated to the different aspects of love. There are theological perspectives on love and God's character, His sovereignty, and His love for man. There are millions of resources and ideas out there.

But for now, I just want to have a purely naive, idealistic, unintellectual moment to dwell on the possibility that maybe it isn't nearly as difficult as we tend to make it...

I think there is a lot of truth in this little statement.

The Music Genome Project

I feel like I first read about this on someone else's blog (probably someone reading this now), but I've just had the chance to actually explore it recently...

Let me just say Pandora is VERY cool... You just type in the name of an artist you like, and you have your own personalized station that plays songs with similar "genes" which you can tag as "liked", "didn't like", "favorite" and they customize their recommendations for you even more...

All in all, I'd definitely say this is a fun way to find new music and entertain yourself during the day (of course while you are working)! :)

TGIF!!

"If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon."

http://www.despair.com/viewall.html

Back in Action...

For those of you who had given up all hope or were afraid to keep checking for fear of further disappointment, I am pleased to announce that Joel Bain is back in action!!

Thank you to all those who diligently answered the call and faithfully campaigned for his return... Your tireless efforts, ruthless harrassments, and shameless bribes/threats were not in vain.

Check out his latest post!

Don't even think about licking me!!

My 2 1/2 year old godson Andrew meeting his first baby calf at the Houston Rodeo this weekend. Neither of them were sure what to think of the other one...!

Although the calf tried to "taste test" Andrew with a lick or two, at least he didn't try to chew on him like the baby goats at the petting zoo. :)

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

Who is St. Patrick?

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was actually one of the first missionaries to Ireland sent with a dual mission—to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish people practicing a nature-based pagan religion.

Check out this short video to learn more about his life.


The Legend of the Shamrock...

According to Irish legend, St. Patrick chose the shamrock as a symbol of the church's Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) because of its three leaflets bound by a common stalk.

Origins of Saint Patrick's Day...

Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.

One of my favorite Irish blessings...

"May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields and, Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

Reading between the lines...

One of the things that I've become more and more aware of over the past several years is how easily my mind is influenced by what I read or hear and how important it is to be discerning that even the "Christian" books I am reading are based on the whole counsel of God's Word. Anything else is not only wasted energy and time that I could be spending on something more edifying, but also potentially dangerous to the renewal of my mind, hindering my walk with Christ by allowing false doctrines to seep into my thinking.

Given the many warnings in scripture to not be taken captive or led astray by false doctrines or the wisdom of the world, here is one resource I've found helpful in researching books or authors that I run across.

Diet of Bookworms - "This site is a collection of links to discerning reviews of Christian books. It is a resource for Christians to research books and authors. We collect reviews written by discerning readers and link to them from this site. Once our editors have reviewed the book, we generally provide a consensus view of the book."

I'm sure there are several other great resources out there as well as this one; I'm always interested in recommendations if anyone else has a favorite!

THINKING BIBLICALLY

For the women in positions of biblical influence in small groups or discipleship relationships, the following is an excerpt from an article titled "Thinking Biblically" by Linda Smookler. In it, she articulates 10 considerations when choosing a book for a topical women's study. (These points are probably useful to the guys as well!)

1. IS SCRIPTURE THE CORE: How much Scripture does each chapter contain? The best books are full of Scriptural quotations and are built around Scriptural principles. Then Scripture is used to explain and support Scripture in a clear pattern of building precept upon precept. One truth builds on another, and the Word of God makes its own case. Contrast that with books that give you a hypothesis and then pull one or two Scripture quotations out of context to support it.

2. HOW IS SCRIPTURE TREATED: Is it the final authority? Is it put on the same level as experience or emotional response? Are the Scriptures the only authority or is some person's "new revelation" treated as equally valuable with Scripture? Is experience evaluated by Scripture or Scripture subjected to varying interpretations and experiences?

3. Is the PREMISE AND FOCUS of each chapter the Word of God? Is each principle "provable" by Scripture or is the premise someone's theory, discovery, or opinion? a. Is the subject matter of each chapter appropriate for our use? b. Is it easily taught? c. Will our leaders be able to communicate the ideas in each chapter? d. Is there a workbook or can lesson plans be easily composed from the chapters? e. The focus of this book will equip our women to ..........

4. WHO IS THE AUTHOR: What do you already know about the author? a. What is their background or reputation? b. Is the author a "personality" or a theologian? c. What else have they written? (Are you recommending all of their other work by choosing one of their books?) d. As you read the book, what is revealed about the author's worldview, personality, decision-making skills, charter qualities, maturity, and giftedness? e. How does this author view women and women's role in the church? f. What is their agenda? Do they state their purpose? g. What is the level of writing... basic, easy read, in-depth? Does it require an understanding of difficult vocabulary? h. Who do you "hear" as you read - Do you just hear the author, or is the book written in such a way that the Scriptures speak primarily and the author clarifies, explains, and illustrates?

5. RECOMMENDATIONS: Who recommends this book? What do they say it about its usefulness?

6. PUBLISHER: Take notice of the publishers. Some are almost always good. Some are very careful about what they publish. Some will publish anything.

7. QUOTES: Whom does the author quote? Are they secularly or theologically known? What is the denomination of the person quoted? What are their primary theological beliefs? Do they quote the Giants of the Faith, the Puritans, the Classics, or familiar trusted names like Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Edwards, Packer, Sproul, Ferguson. Are ALL of their writings generally trustworthy? You want to know whom your author reads.

8. Is the writing MAN-CENTERED or GOD-CENTERED? Is it about how man can get what he wants from God, from the world, how he can be satisfied, happy, etc., or is it about finding ways for man to become more conformed to the image of God and give God the Glory? Is it about living comfortably or fathering fruit for the kingdom?

9. DOCTRINE: Does it compromise anywhere on the essentials of the faith, creation, fall of man, virgin birth, sinless life of Christ, atonement, physical resurrection, etc. Does it violate any of the "solas" Scripture alone, grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone?

10. SALVATION THROUGH GRACE: Does the book compromise on or support the NEED FOR REPENTANCE, RECONCILIATION, AND RELIANCE? Does it confront the sin nature, focus on our fundamental need for reconciliation and our responsibility to be a witness to a lost world? Does it make clear the reality of the necessity of total reliance on grace as a lifestyle and using various means of grace (worship, prayer, Word, fellowship, communion, meditating, memorizing, Biblical mentoring/counseling)?

"Save Joel's Blog"

Once upon a time, there was a blogger named Joel. Joel was a good blogger. His posts were funny, yet inquisitive with just the right mix of wit and intellectualism... He made you think. He made you laugh. He made you look at the world a little differently each day. Let's face it - he made you want to be a better man/woman. :)

Then one day, Joel met a girl named Taylor. Joel liked Taylor (a lot). Joel pursued Taylor. Taylor liked Joel (a lot). Joel asked Taylor to marry him, and they are now engaged!!! Go Joel!

Obviously Joel is a quite a cool guy for someone as fantastically cool as Taylor to agree to marry him. They will make a VERY COOL married couple. :)

Unfortunately, there is a hidden sadness in this story. Despite all of this innate coolness to be shared with the world, Joel's last "Random Thought" was posted on September 10th, 2005. That's right my friends... By my count, we have been without Joel's "Random Thoughts" for 178 days as of today.

For the sake of continued coolness within our circle of friends, I feel it is my duty to launch the "Save Joel's Blog" campaign. I'd like to enlist the support of all readers and lurkers alike. There may still be a chance to bring him back if we unite together. Don't let his blog be permanently abandoned... This might be our last chance to save it with graduation to the "3rd floor" on the horizon...

Please join me in this fight!!!

http://joelbain.blogspot.com/

And they call it Puppy Love....

Every weekend on Allen Parkway across from our house, cars line up on the edge of the road next to this one area of Bayou Park that has become an informal dog park to a lot of dog lovers in Houston.

It is hilarious to drive by or walk over and watch the dogs jump in the bayou, chase balls, chase each other, and enjoy their freedom exploring. As all dogs do, they each have their own personalities, but the funniest part is the voice-over commentary that you notice yourself taking part in as you watch them play. Katie and I walked over on Saturday, and it really is a mini soap opera... The funniest character we saw this time was Mafia dog. He was short, muscular, could chase down any dog in the park, but reminded us of one of those guys who worked out a bit too much during his developmental years. He was rather feisty overall, the kind of dog who wouldn't think twice about putting a hit out on an unsuspecting Cocker Spaniel who mistakenly played with the wrong tennis ball... If he could talk, we figured his voice would be unusually high-pitched, similar to the brother on "50 First Dates".

As you might can tell, I'm in a period of severe dog withdrawal right now... It would be fun to bring an actual dog to the dog park, so if any of you dog owners out there want to check it out, let me know!

"Christ Alone"

O GOD,

Thy main plan, and the end of thy will is to make Christ glorious and beloved in heaven where he is now ascended,
where one day all the elect will behold his glory
and love and glorify him for ever.
Though here I love him but little,
may this be my portion at last.
In this world thou hast given me a beginning,
one day it will be perfected in the realm above.
Thou hast helped me to see and know Christ,
though obscurely,
to take him, receive him,
to possess him, love him,
to bless him in my heart, mouth, life.
Let me study and stand for discipline,
and all the ways of worship,
out of love for Christ;
and to show my thankfulness;
to seek and know his will from love,
to hold it in love,
and daily to care for and keep this state of heart.
Thou hast led me to place all my nature and happiness
in oneness with Christ,
in having heart and mind centred only on him,
in being like him in communicating good to others;
This is my heaven on earth,
But I need the force, energy, impulses of thy Spirit
to carry me on the way to my Jerusalem.
Here, it is my duty to be as Christ in this world,
to do what he would do,
to live as he would live,
to walk in love and meekness;
then would he be known,
then would I have peace in death.

The Valley of Vision - A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

In the Jungle...

Happy Hump Day!! :)

http://www.hahahumor.com/funny-movies/hippo.htm

Recovering the Biblical Gospel...

On the blog he shares with Mark Dever, C.J. Mahaney, and Albert Mohler, Ligon Duncan posted a few comments from J.I. Packer on "the recovery of the gospel" that I thought were a worthwhile read...

"... Without realizing it, we have during the past century bartered that (the old) gospel for a substitute product which, though it looks similarly enough in points of detail, is as a whole a decidedly different thing... It fails to make men God-centered in their thoughts and God-fearing in their hearts because this is not primarily what it is trying to do. One way of stating the difference between it and the old gospel is to say that it is too exclusively concerned to be “helpful” to man— to bring peace, comfort, happiness, satisfaction— and too little concerned to glorify God..."

Check out the full post below...

http://blog.togetherforthegospel.org/2006/02/packer_on_the_r.html

Spirographs...

A coworker of mine just used the word "spirograph" in a conversation, and I just had a moment of nostalgia that I thought I'd share... I LOVED these growing up. :)

For some reason, this wasn't something I actually owned myself in my mountain of toys, but I have great memories from playing with these at friends' houses. I always loved anything with arts & crafts growing up, but the different colored designs and patterns that this thing could create were fascinating to me. I could play with this forever, or at least until the paper ran out! :)

I'm sure I could go on and on with many more of my loves from childhood -Lite Brites, Fashion Plates, Sit & Spins, etc... But I thought I'd open the opportunity to you guys to share as well... Any favorites?

Introducing Stan Da Man

Our very own Stan Kwan has started a new blog. It is still "under construction," but I'm sure great things await us. As an example, here is a picture I snagged off his site from his first "attempt" at adding a picture to his profile. No, I can't explain the odd statue pose; I'll let you go directly to the source on that one, but let it be known that he resorted to me for tech support in this area... Yes, that's right. Doesn't he work on computers for a living??? And did I mention that this is his second blog... Let the fun begin!! :)

Anyway, check out his new site... http://standotkwan.blogspot.com/

Glad to be alive in the 21st Century...

So, I just received this in an email forward about Life in the 1500's... Honestly this gives me a whole new perspective on the wedding season....

"Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married."

Hmmm... and might I add, gross.

Duck, Duck, Duck, Goose!!

So, the client that I am working for right now is located in a complex made up of a few different buildings. Given a short supply in parking, many mornings when the parking garage attached to the building I work in is filled, I have to park in a garage at another building in the complex.

Along the walk back to my building, there is a nicely planned wooded area with jogging trails and a small pond setting where the aforementioned "ducks and geese" dwell (ah ha! I get the title now). Well, on the topic of these ducks and geese, I was a little surprised to find out a while back that they are actually little more than rented performers. Apparently the tenants of the buildings consider them to be a valuable investment in adding to the ambiance of the complex.

And while I find the concept of renting ducks and geese rather strange, I do have to admit, I like having them around. They are full of character and usually make me smile or laugh on my way into the office. Although, I have found myself one too many times in a tango with a duck refusing to let me pass on the sidewalk. I move to my left; he moves to his right. I move to my right; he moves to his left... Aaarrrggghhh - get out of my way! I'm wearing heels, and I'm NOT walking in the grass, Duck!!

All in all, my favorite part is when they cross the road six or seven at a time, all in a row, backing up 3-4 cars worth of traffic, all on their way to get to work or to get home (the people in the cars, not the ducks or geese, or maybe they are too... yikes grammar police!). This just happened again today as I was walking back to my car this afternoon, and all you can do is look at the drivers in the cars, shake your head and laugh, and remind yourself that maybe you should take a break and slow down for a few moments too. For this (or these ducks and geese) too shall pass... :)

All things that pertain to life and godliness....

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence," 2 Peter 1:3

I've been chewing on this verse for several months now as it has been coming up in conversations and various books and articles I'm reading all over the place. I can't get over the implications... Christ is sufficient to meet ALL of our needs, in ALL things, at ALL times... Scripture is sufficient to counsel us on ALL the issues of life and ALL the issues of godliness...

You might be thinking, of course... AND??? The AND is the part I can't get over... Do we really live like this is true, that the Bible is really enough? Do we seek answers to life's problems in scripture first, or do we seek the latest book recommendation from a friend? When someone comes to us for counsel, do we speak from our experiences, or do we bring them to the Word? I've been challenged in this area over the past year...

Most recently, I read a transcript of a message from John MacArthur on "The Sufficiency of Scripture" that articulates my heart on this subject remarkably well...

Here is a related excerpt:

"And then Peter added this in his second epistle, 2 Peter 1:3, one of the great statements on this subject in all of Scripture, he says, "According as God's divine power has given unto us...listen to this...all things that pertain unto life and godliness." What a statement! God's divine power has given us, not some things, but all things that pertain to life and godliness.

Then he says, "Through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue." When we come to know Him and He is revealed through His Word, we are cashing in on the resources that allow us to be able to face anything. We have all things that pertain to life and godliness. Beloved, all we need for life, all we need for godliness, all we need in all of our Christian living is bound up in the Word of God.

And you ask yourself, why do you always teach the Bible? Why do we always study the Word of God? Because where else do we go for spiritual sufficiency? Everything else is superfluous. For the matter at hand through the knowledge of Him, through the knowledge of Him who called us and He reveals Himself in His Word, comes all we need for life and godliness. And I tell you, it grieves me no end when people come up with this idea that the Bible is not enough and we've got to study all this other stuff and gain all these other techniques in order to tap necessary resources. The Word of God energized by the Spirit of God is sufficient for life and godliness. "

Do we really believe that scripture is sufficient? In another message, MacArthur describes the Christ "Plus" mentality that many in the church fall into...

"We often think today that Christ is part of our lives. He's maybe an important part but not all. We need Christ plus philosophy...we need Christ plus psychology...we need Christ plus ritual...we need Christ plus ceremony...... But the Bible says it's all in Christ and it's all in knowing Christ."

As Gregg is leading us through Colossians, we know the warning that is still true today...

"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority." (Col 2:8-10)

I am overwhelmed with passion and a sense of urgent concern for the church on this topic right now... My prayer is for discernment that we might individually come to a point of biblical conviction of the authoritative role of Christ's Word in our lives, and that we as a church might be on guard against the enemy and wordly influences in our midst.

Let us be bold in His name for His glory and encourage one another to test our hearts in this matter! Christ is Sufficient!!

The Shady Lady Has Entered The Blogosphere...

For those of you who've been hoping and waiting.... Counting down the days, the hours, the minutes... Asking yourselves, when WILL the day come?!?!

Well my friends, it is here... My roommate has started her own blog. I'll leave it to you guys for further encouragement (harrassment). :)

http://katietheshadylady.blogspot.com/

Dancing Mouse

You guys have to check this out... It cracks me up everytime I see it... :)

http://www.hahahumor.com/funny-movies/mouse.htm

"God All-Sufficient"

O LORD OF GRACE,

The world is before me this day,
and I am weak and fearful,
but I look to thee for strength;
If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall,
but on the Beloved's arms I am firm
as the eternal hills;
If left to the treachery of my heart
I shall shame thy Name,
but if enlightened, guided, upheld by thy Spirit,
I shall bring thee glory.
Be thou my arm to support,
my strength to stand,
my light to see,
my feet to run,
my shield to protect,
my sword to repel,
my sun to warm,
To enrich me will not diminish thy fullness;
All thy lovingkindness is in thy Son,
I bring him to thee in the arms of faith,
I urge his saving Name as the One who died for me.
I plead his blood to pay my debts of wrong.
Accept his worthiness for my unworthiness,
his sinlessness for my transgressions,
his purity for my uncleanness,
his sincerity for my guile,
his truth for my deceits,
his meekness for my pride,
his constancy for my backslideings,
his love for my enmity,
his fullness for my emptiness,
his faithfulness for my treachery,
his obedience for my lawlessness,
his glory for my shame,
his devotedness for my waywardness,
his holy life for my unchaste ways,
his righteousness for my dead works,
his death for my life.

The Valley of Vision - A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

Must...Stay...Awake...

I can definitely relate to this... :)

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=15613

Connecting the Dots...

I love it when the Lord gives us spiritual eyes to see how He is "connecting the dots" in our lives, even if just for a brief moment...

I've been thinking a lot about this lately as there have been a few specific areas in my life that the Lord has had me in a period of trusting and waiting in faith on His timing, His plan, His will. Recently, He has begun to highlight "dots" in my life that I didn't even realize were a part of the picture He had sketched out for me. They've been the perfect combination of experiences that He has allowed into my life in His perfect sovereignty and goodness - some painful, some sweet, some forgotten, some etched forever, but all purposed for my good and sanctification.

Beth Moore taught on the verse below this week and posed a thought to the women - "Perhaps the reason we feel like we are in darkness, or sometimes can't see what is right before us, is because God's hand is covering us until He passes by."

"And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen." - Exodus 33:21-23

We may not always see where He is going, but there is no mistaking where He has been. He has reminded me lately of several crossroads He has brought me through and how at each one He was there showing me the way to the next "dot".

I obviously don't have the full picture that the Lord has sketched out for me or any idea of the "dots" to come, but I am learning to expect the unexpected, and praise be to the Lord of all Creation! There is no better Designer to lay out the pattern perfectly suited for me that I might serve Him and glorify Him above all else!!

"My King" - Do you know Him?

Thanks Kelley for finding these links for us! :)

Everyone check out the two links and text below... Do you know Him?

Note from Kelley Kirby:

Some of us were wondering about the actual preacher whose words were so well performed for us during Saturday night’s talent show. Well, the answer is Dr. S.M. Lockridge. He went home to our Lord in 2000, but leaves his powerful voice behind to remind us of the God we serve. There are two links attached. I have discovered that sometimes there is editing at the end of the sermon (I have indicated the edited portion by italicizing and enclosing it in brackets). Therefore, the first link is edited but does contain the video we saw in church. The second link is unedited and provides audio. I love listening to it every time…enjoy!

http://www.fpclp.com/sermonvideo.htm

http://www.theiowaharvest.com/harvestholler/archives/000030.html

------------------------------------------------------------------------
"My King"

By Dr. S.M. Lockridge

The Bible says my King is a seven-way king....He's the King of the Jews; that's a racial king....He's the King of Israel; that's a national King....He's the King of Righteousness....He's the King of the Ages.....He's the King of Heaven....He's the King of Glory....He's the King of kings, and He's the Lord of lords. That's my King. Well....I wonder, do you know Him?.... David said, "The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply. No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings. He's enduringly strong....He's entirely sincere....He's eternally steadfast....He's immortally graceful....He's imperially powerful....He's impartially merciful....... Do you know Him?

He's the greatest phenomenon that ever crossed the horizon of this world. He's God's Son....He's a sinner's Saviour....He's the centerpiece of civilization....He stands in the solitude of Himself....He's august....He's unique....He's unparalleled....He's unprecedented....He's the loftiest idea in literature....He's the highest personality in philosophy....He's the supreme problem in higher criticism....He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology....He's the cardinal necessity for spiritual religion....He's the miracle of the age.... He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him....He's the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Saviour...... I wonder if you know Him today?

He supplies strength for the weak....He's available for the tempted and the tried....He sympathizes and He saves....He strengthens and sustains....He guards and He guides....He heals the sick....He cleanses lepers....He forgives sinners....He discharges debtors....He delivers captives....He defends the feeble....He blesses the young....He serves the unfortunate....He regards the aged....He rewards the diligent....and He beautifies the meek....... I wonder if you know Him?

Well, my King....is the King....He's the key to knowledge....He's the wellspring to wisdom....He's the doorway of deliverance....He's the pathway of peace....He's the roadway of righteousness ....He's the highway of holiness....He's the gateway of glory....... Do you know Him?

Well....His office is manifold....His promise is sure....His light is matchless....His goodness is limitless....His mercy is everlasting....His love never changes....His word is enough....His grace is sufficient....His reign is righteous....and His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He's indescribable....He's incomprehensible....He's invincible....He's irresistible.

Well, you can't get Him out of your mind....You can't get Him off of your hand....You can't out live Him, and you can't live without Him....The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him....Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him....The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree....Herod couldn't kill Him....Death couldn't handle Him, and the grave couldn't hold Him. Yea!!!, That’s my King. Yeah.

(He always has been and He always will be. I’m talking about He had no predecessor and He’ll have no successor. There’s nobody before Him and there’ll be nobody after Him. You can’t impeach Him and He’s not going to resign. That’s my King! That’s my King! Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Well, all the power belongs to my King. We’re around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but it’s God’s power. Thine is the power. Yeah. And the glory. We try to get prestige and honour and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His. Yes.)

Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever. How long is that? And ever and ever and ever and ever. And when you get through with all of the evers, then, Amen.

"The Valley of Vision"

Lord, You are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow and so as the Puritans once prayed, this also is my prayer today...

LORD, HIGH AND HOLY, MEEK AND LOWLY,

Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee
in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold
thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from
deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter
thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley.

- The Valley of Vision - A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

Biblical Counseling vs. Christian Psychology

This past fall I took an evening course on Biblical Counseling at the College of Biblical Studies here in Houston, and it completely ROCKED my perspective on the church's role in counseling.

Since most of us are involved in some form of discipleship or may have sought or have a need to seek counseling at some point in life, I wanted to share a bit of my learnings through this blog. I will probably continue to post on this topic periodically as it has become a key topic of study for me, but I wanted to initially set the foundation.

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Fundamentally, when you think about counseling, there are three major schools of thought.

1) Psychological Counseling - combines human observations with human wisdom to construct a system of counsel to help man deal with his problems and issues of life. Generally practiced by non-believers and Christians who accept psychological theories as an avenue to help people.

2) Integration Counseling - combines human observation, human wisdom, and the Bible to construct a system of counsel to help man deal with his problems and issues of life. Sometimes called "Christian Counseling." Often practiced by Christians who believe the bible should be supplemented with psychological theories in order to help people.

3) Biblical Counseling - Uses the Bible to construct a system of counsel to help man deal with his problems and issues of life. Generally practiced by Christians who believe that the Bible has all we need to provide solutions to life's problems and to help man function as God intended in all aspects.

Now, after the very first class last fall, I was thoroughly convinced that "Biblical Counseling" is the only option that is consistently supported by the whole of scripture. I've listed the key points in support of this below.

Why promote Biblical Counseling above the others?

1) We are warned in scripture not to trust human wisdom for principles of living, understanding of human attitudes, motives, behaviors, and our solution for man's inner problems. (Psalm 1:1-2, Colossians 2:8)

2) We are warned in scripture not to trust our own wisdom because we can be deceived by our own wisdom. (Proverbs 3:5-6, 14:12, 16:2, 25, 21:2, Jeremiah 17:9)

3) We are instructed in scripture that God's wisdom is superior to man's wisdom. Therefore, man's wisdom should not be added to God's wisdom as solutions to man's inner problems. (1 Cor 1:21, 25, 2:2-5, 3:20, Isaiah 55:8-11)

4) We are instructed in scripture that God's wisdom is sufficient to counsel the inner person. (Psalm 119:24, 99, 100, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 19:7-11)

When you think about it, of course, this seems fairly straight forward. After all, I would venture to say that most believers would agree with the points above, but our faith in this is tested when the rubber meets the road in our churches and seminaries in the area of counseling.

I'll offer a few facts for your consideration and comment...

Very few seminaries are offering programs in purely biblical counseling, most programs are focused on preparing their students for state-licensure which demands an integrationist curriculum. In fact, Southern Seminary is the first of the SBC seminaries taking this step with a new program this fall, raising quite a bit of debate from proponents in both biblical and integrationist camps.

In a large percentage of our churches, in particular our larger churches, counseling is provided by state-licensed therapists who have been trained in integration counseling methods. Now this is not to say that all licensed therapists are unbiblical in the counseling they are providing, but are we assured that the counsel being given in our own churches is based on a biblically supported framework for helping those they are reaching, or have our well-intentioned counselers defaulted to psychological/behavioral techniques of therapy in their desire to "help" those they are counseling.

If so, what is the danger? My professor from this past fall offered this perspective, "Bad theology leads to bad counseling. We haven't gotten deep enough in our knowledge of scripture to help people with their deep problems. Is our goal for people to "feel" better or to "be" better?

John MacArthur and Wayne Mack offer their thoughts on the same topic in an article titled, "Is there any difference between biblical counseling and Christian psychology or Christian counseling?"

For further study, this is an excellent link for more information on Biblical Counseling Resources.

Confessions of Reading A.D.D.

I thought this was an interesting post by Al Mohler about his Thoughts on Reading Books. I too can never remember a time when I didn't love to read. During the summers growing up, my mother would always take us to the local library where we would bring home stacks of books for the week. Today, I still have stacks of books everywhere, in bookcases, baskets, on my nightstand, etc... But here in lies my problem, I have extreme A.D.D. when it comes to reading. There are so many things that I find interesting. So often, I will read something in one book that will cause me to ask a question that I will want to look up or research in another book, and so the tangled web begins where I find myself in the middle of 8-10 books at a time.

Secretly, I love it, because it challenges me to integrate the thoughts of the authors I'm reading, compare the similarities and recognize the differences, and decide where I stand. But often, I'm envious of those who can say definitively, "I'm reading through xxx, right now!" Or those who can add the "What I'm reading now" section to their blog, without readers mistakenly thinking that they have stumbled into amazon.com.

I've learned to be more disciplined over the years by allowing myself a little wandering during my reading, but refocusing to my original book or passage of reading much more quickly. I agree with several of Dr. Mohler's suggestions - it has helped to have a plan for my reading, and it has also helped to be reading something with another person or through a small group study because of the built-in accountability. I don't think I will ever completely change my ways, but I'm ok with that.

Possessing nothing, yet possessing all things

I'm currently reading through A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God, and in it he touches on the nature of the human heart, both as it was originally created and as it is now fallen.

In the second chapter titled, "The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing", he writes, "There is within the human heart a tough, fibrous root of fallen life whose nature is to possess, always to possess. It covets things with a deep and fierce passion... The roots of our hearts have grown down into things, and we dare not pull up one rootlet lest we die. Things have become necessary to us, a development never originally intended. God's gifts now take the place of God, and the whole course of nature is upset by the monstrous substitution."

The truth of this struck me as I was reading this. Though we pursue God and desire Him above all else because He is most worthy of our praise, though we pray and worship Him, though we read His Word and renew our minds with verses calling us to seek first the kingdom of heaven; we still live in this body of flesh, struggling to put off wordly distractions, expectations, desires, and the sin that so easily entangles us.

From Tozer's perspective, this is because each of our hearts, the place in each of us that God desires to dwell, were created to possess Him alone, to have a passion for Him above all else, to be rooted into His firm foundation and no other.

As our pre-fallen hearts were originally formed by God's hand, Tozer explains, "In the deep heart of the man was a shrine where none but God was worthy to come. Within him was God; without, a thousand gifts which God had showered upon him."

We have allowed these external gifts to replace God, and our heart's desire to possess makes idols of the things of this world, choking out God's goodness and power in our lives. And yet, He has shown us the way to be overcomers through Christ.

"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Matt 16:24-25

Tozer answers, "The blessed ones who possess the kingdom are they who have repudiated every external thing and have rooted from their hearts all sense of possessing... Though free from all sense of possessing, they yet possess all things."

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matt 5:3

And as Jesus comforted his disciples who were also distracted with worry about the cares of the world, the Father also says to us, "Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you." Luke 12:31

What amazing grace! In God's mercy and goodness, despite our selfish hearts and the idols we put up in our lives, He still desires to dwell within us and to make His very presence known to us.

His passion is for us; He delights in us, and He promises our greatest satisfaction in Him as He becomes the single possession of our hearts.

How great is our God!

Me and My Girls...

It is a long running joke at events with our friends that we take the same picture everywhere we go. Essentially, for every picture, you could just as easily insert a different backdrop for the traditional "Katie, Jessica, Tiffany" photo opp... Just check any of Stan's photo albums, and you'll see that it's true... We freely admit we do have the same picture of the three of us in all sorts of exotic locations - three different Colorado ski trips, New York, Florida, Mexico, weddings, wedding showers, more weddings, and at least two New Year's!! But honestly, can we help it that we are just that cute together? j/k :)

Anyway, here is the latest version from New Year's 2006... Maybe we'll publish a coffee table book someday with our collection and retire to an exotic island with our earnings... Don't worry, we'll be sure to send pictures! :)