It's like finding out your pregnant at the 39th week

The response to our adoption of Zeke has been interesting. First, we are still feeling joyful surprise that this is happening so fast; we were expecting to have a few more months to get ready. But this post is mostly about how others have responded.

On the one hand we've felt great support and even admiration from many; we are grateful for the warmth that we feel from plenty of our family and friends. On the other hand there are some that think we are crazy or worse.

The most common question I've gotten about a fifth child is "how will you put him through college?" This question bugs me some and I'd like to address it briefly here.

In most of the adoption situations that we have seen, the children are so poor that basic living necessities (food, shelter) are real question marks from the very start. In these situations there are greater needs than college education.

Another common response when people learn that we've added a fifth child to our family is to assume it's "for religious purposes" (as a man expressed it to me last week). I didn't disagree with him. But it did quench any interest in my family since he had no interest in religious-purposed things. I think that many unbelievers that I'd like to reach do write us off for this reason and I'm at a loss for what to do about that.

Can't wait for Tuesday

We're still in shock about how fast the adoption came through. Now we're counting down the minutes until Zeke is in Bailey hands, which appears to be Tuesday. He's in great care in the meantime, though. The foster family is a pediatric cardiologist and his stay at home wife. She wrote us last night with some more about Zeke

Zeke had a good day today. (So did I since he slept for a 4-hour stretch last night!) Usually, though, he eats every 2 1/2 hours or so. He is becoming more and more social, looking around and taking in his new world. He is a VERY happy baby, and very calm. When he wakes up hungry, he stops crying when I pick him up and waits patiently for his bottle! He has been taking about 1-1/2 ounces before taking a break, having a diaper change, and then finishing off the 2 ounces. He does not spit up, or drool much. Truly amazing. He will love his brothers and sisters! He already enjoys watching our grandson, Gus, and allowing Gus to love him as a two-year old might. He does not need swaddling, but sleeps peacefully, stretched out, or cradled in our arms or on the couch. A real delight.

We can't wait to meet him!

Meet Ezekiel Bailey (middle name in-work)

We just got the word that we were chosen to be Zeke's family. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow! We hope to be with him on the Lord's Day.

The death of my enemy

While we wait for tomorrow's word on the adoption situation, I'd like to post once more on my appreciation for Christ's resurrection before these thoughts get lost in a blur of other emotions.

I like how Easter falls between winter and spring here. Some days hint at spring, with new buds on the trees and greening grass. But other days a bit of winter is felt, although it is dying out. Easter is about Christ bringing both, new life and death. It is death that preoccupies my thoughts this Easter and makes me love Christ more.

In my mind's eye I like to picture the resurrected Christ as Samson-like, one warrior bringing death to a multitude; jawbone not required. Around Him is a war-torn battlefield strewn with the dead, defeated by my Lord. I consider who these enemies are; they are the "old men", the old nature of every believer that is on the Lord's side.

In my limited way of understanding the work of Christ in time, the battle is not yet over, for my particular enemy still stands. My old man is at war with the Christ, he struggles and strives and cries out with great strength and might. But it is only dying pangs that make an appearance of vigor and strength; he, too, is mortally wounded and will soon join the rest of the slain at the feet of this sin-killing Christ.

Winter is fading away. Spring has come!

Resurrection Day

You strode forth from the prison house of the grave
free and triumphant over sin, Satan, and death.

You, who as man of sorrows, was crowned with thorns,
are now Lord of life wreathed with glory.

Hail, Victor! Conqueror of death, hell, and all opposing might;
All my Lord's foes lay crushed in the dust.

Fill my wayward soul with a firm faith in that provision laid up in you;
Crucified and slain is the power of sin in me, and in your victory I triumph.


Adapted from Valley of Vision

Photo gallery

Here's a weave of photos from an interesting past week.

We adopted a cat from a friend who recently adopted it himself but then found out he is deploying. Shadow is still mostly kitten, but already has mastered the dog, who remains cornered or timid whenever she is around.

Since it snowed here today we had second thoughts about going to the base pool Easter Egg hunt, but since it's an indoor pool it wasn't bad at all. The boys had a great time, and Faith happily munched on popcorn the entire time. Grace didn't enjoy herself, but as parents we feel good getting 3 out of the 4 kids happy at the same time.

We're having a baby...

Our homestudy was completed today. That's the major step that allows us to adopt, and means that, Lord willing, we will be having a baby.

Today we received a phone call from the agency that placed Faith with us. To make a long story short, since our homestudy is done they showed us to a birthmother with a baby boy that was just born. There's only one other family besides us being shown. She appears committed to adoption, but has until Tuesday night to decide. She liked what she heard about us so far and we'll find out on Wednesday if we are chosen.

The suspense is hard to bear! Maybe we'll fly out next week to pick up our new baby, less than one week after our homestudy is complete! But it's also very possible that this is not the one, and we may go through a wait-and-see period with a string of birthmothers for months.

Either way, you know where our trust is to be. In the good and all-knowing providence of God.

If I could choose memories...

to imprint in my children's life, today would be a day I want them to remember. When they're older and they think back to their childhood I hope they'll remember sitting by their worshiping parents, writing letters to missionaries during Sunday school, and climbing trees in the churchyard.

I hope they'll remember smacking home runs over the backyard wall, dancing in the sprinklers, and riding bikes around Hardin Field on a warm evening.

I also finished off a good book this afternoon, but compared to being a daddy today, that seems like a small thing.

When we don't have it all together

Kristin had a remarkable visit at Care Net tonight. A young woman, pregnant and abortion minded, came in for an ultrasound appointment. I won't go into specifics here, but her life is in shambles. She stayed for 2 hours, and Kristin had plenty of time to console her through tears and encouragement. It was a wonderful ministry experience for Kristin.

But the young woman is reluctant about going to church. Church is viewed as a place for good people who have their life together. Hurting people, like this woman, are too embarrassed to go there because they can no longer hide what's really true about everyone--we don't have it all together. We don't want to admit to ourselves, and especially to others, that there are major problems in our life. When those problems can no longer be hidden we tend to hide ourselves.

How refreshing it is when those that are hurting swallow their pride and come to God--and his people--for help. How satisfying it is when God's people can swallow their pride and show Christ's love for the broken and contrite.

It's the Very Esteemed Bailey to you! (or should it be Apostle of Humility?)

I heard about the Universal Life Church yesterday. They've ordained over 20 million "ministers" since 1959. Ordination is free and anyone can be ordained no matter what you believe or even if you believe nothing. This sounds like a silly, almost humorous, idea, so where's the harm? Sadly, there are many needy people who respect and are willing to follow someone with these credentials not knowing that it's easier to be ordained in the Universal Life Church than to get a prize from a box of Cracker Jacks. This is especially a problem among inmates.

Here are the titles currently "available":
Abbe , Abbess, Abbot, Ananda, Angel, Apostle of Humility, Apostolic Scribe, Arch Deacon, Arch Priest, Archbishop, Arch cardinal, Ascetic Gnostic, Bible Historian, Bishop, Brahman, Brother, Canon, Cantor, Cardinal, Channel, Chaplain, Colonel, Cure', Deacon, Dervish, Directress, Disciple, Druid, Elder, Emissary, Evangelist, Faith Healer, Father, Field Missionary, Flying Missionary, Free Thinker, Friar, Goddess, Guru, Hadji, Healing Minister, High Priest, High Priestess, Imam, Lama, Lay Sister, Magus, Martyr, Messenger, Matriarch, Metropolitan, Minister of Music, Minister of Peace, Missionary, Missionary Doctor , Missionary Healer, Missionary of Music, Missionary Priest, Monk, Monsignor, Most Reverend, Christian Mother Superior, Mystical Philosopher, Orthodox Monk, Parochial Educator, Pastor General, Pastoral Counselor, Patriarch, Peace Counselor, Preacher, Preceptor, Priest, Priestess, Prophet, Psychic Healer, Rabbi, Rector, Religious Preacher, Revelator, Reverend, Reverend Father, Reverend Mother, Right Reverend, Saintly Healer, Scribe, Seer, Shaman, Sister, Soul Therapist, Spiritual Counselor, Spiritual Healer, Spiritual Warrior, Starets, Swami, Teller, Thanatologist, The Very Esteemed, Universal Rabbi, Universal Philosopher of Absolute Reality, Universal Religious Philosopher, Vicar, Wizard.

Seeing Double

The agency in Alabama that placed Faith with us called today. They asked how soon we could be ready to adopt again. They have two sets of twins and one other baby all due in the next couple of months. And there are no families to place these children with! How can that be?

One major reason is race. These babies are all either bi-racial or full African-American. While adoption-minded families wait for years for a Caucasian or Chinese baby, very few families are open to children of darker races. It would be great if Christian families would get beyond race issues and take these children into their homes and thus into the Church.

Home visit done

Today we passed a significant milestone towards our next adoption. Our adoption agency performed what's called a home visit with us. This consists of completing a checklist to ensure your home is safe for a child. It also gives the social worker an opportunity to observe the quality of the family life.

I've heard of home visits where there was broken glass strewn throughout the yard and dog droppings all over the carpet--not a place for a child! Our visit today went smoothly. The next step occurs on Monday when the social worker will interview Kristin and me. After that she should complete our homestudy within a couple of weeks and then the fun begins!

An approved homestudy is the "admission ticket" to get our family portfolio in the hands of birthmothers across the country. So it looks like by May our next adoption will really heat up.

Thinking biblically about physical fitness

Spring is starting here in Albuquerque, and despite the allergies I think it's wonderful. This time of year we often think more about our bodies and what kind of shape they're in. For many this can be a consuming thought. One Bible teacher I heard recently (I can't remember who) made a point along these lines worth sharing.

For Christians, our physical fitness goal is to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). We are not to be fit as an end in itself, or to impress others sensually. We are to be fit so that we can serve our neighbor for Christ's sake. Physical fitness is of some value (1 Tim 4:8); it enables us to work hard in caring for others. A father needs energy to labor honorably at the office and then come home and teach the children and love his wife. A mother needs to be in shape so she can keep up with the children and still be enthusiastic when her husband arrives. A single person is to be in shape so he can serve others in need while meeting his other responsibilities. You get the idea.

We are to be living sacrificies. May this principle become the next workout craze!

Ear Gate Update

I spent another week in the Mojave desert last week. I was cut off from the Internet but kept my iPod charged and got through some notable audio material.

For those interested in a Forrest Gump view of the last 50 years or so of struggles to restore a faithful Presbyterian witness to the South, Mickey Schneider's lectures offer an insightful first-hand account.

If the recent movie Amazing Grace piqued a desire to know more about William Wilberforce, Ken Myers reads a definitive essay by John Pollock on how this man literally changed his times.

Converse with Scholars interviewed the editors of the recent reprint of three of John Owen's works, demonstrating that Owen is a physician of the soul that Christians should schedule an appointment with.

9Marks interviewed Joshua Harris on his ministry within the Sovereign Grace movement and explained why he should be read by more than 13 year old girls.

Parent Perks

You have to know what to look for, but if you do there are lots of perks to parenting. Two from today stand out.

First was hearing my youngest daughter (18 months old) wake up in her crib singing Holy, Holy, Holy in baby-talk. The second was taking my youngest son (4 years old) up to the large sports field/track on base, taking off his bike's training wheels and telling him that all he has to do is "go fast and straight." He hit a tree head-on, crashed into a sprinkler that popped off his shoe which landed on the sprinkler head and sprayed us all over. But within 30 minutes he was able to bike home without his training wheels and proudly tell his mom! He has been beaming since.

The difference 3Ps make

The respected Scottish pastor, John Murray, once asked a new charge the difference between a lecture and a sermon. The new pastor smartly deferred to his senior for the answer. Murray said that 3Ps make all the difference: a personal, passionate, plea.

These 3Ps are also what turns our testimony into evangelism, our Bible reading into devotion, and our thoughts into prayer. Don't forget the 3Ps.

Optimistic parenting

Al Mohler wisely says, "optimism may be naive, but pessimism is atheistic." When it comes to parenting, optimism is called for.

Kristin and I were talking last night that our evening was pleasant because there was less bickering among the children. We thought, could it be that Eli is growing out of that? How wonderful that would be! And if he does outgrow it, then that means the other kids can, too!

Today showed us that none of our children have matured past the point of selfish conflict yet, but there is no reason to think that they won't. God is able to change their hearts, as he has ours, and so we pray with confidence and look forward to a day of peace to come.

Evangelizing next-door neighbors

I was given an opportunity just a few minutes ago to proclaim the gospel to my next-door neighbor. We have known each other for a few years but have never been close. I find it harder to evangelize people that live close to me (e.g. family, neighbors, co-workers) because of the consequences that sharing the gospel can bring to relationships that you have to live with after you share the gospel.

Admittedly, I was reluctant in turning the conversation with my neighbor back to the gospel again this afternoon. I was able to say more today than I have ever said to him, touching on the holiness of God, my sin, the perfect sacrifice of Christ, and how that changed my life.

His response was essentially "I will stay how I was raised." He mentioned that other faiths have tried to convert him, but he finds it best to stay with the views of his parents.

I feel that our conversation was pretty natural and that it may continue in the future. I will pray for what to say and boldness to say it.

Bloglist updates

I added some new links to some friends and other good ministry blogs. The Overbeeks are friends, church-family, and neighbors. Titus 2 Talk (on womanhood), Unashamed Workman (on pastoring), and Desiring God blog are all favorite sites. You can find the links on the right-hand side of your screen.

Amazing Grace

Kristin and I watched this movie last night. Here's what I enjoyed most about it:

Christian faith should lead to action carried out consistent with that faith (compare the abolitionist leaders of Britain to those of the U.S.) .

Young adults (under 30) can be principled and mature, and when they are, they effect powerful change in the life of others much older.

A pastor can have a life-long effect on the youth that he pastors (John Newton was William Wilberforce's pastor as a boy)

The actor who played John Newton was very powerful

There were a couple of things I didn't like:

From what I understand of Wilberforce's life, the movie should have had even more of an emphasis on Christianity as the cause for ending the slave trade in Britain.

Hollywood continues the myth that immodest dress is required for a woman to be attractive.

Satisfied

The last two Wednesday evening services have been especially powerful. As we work our way verse-by-verse through Hosea, we've come to this arresting passage (Hos 13:4-6):

But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.

It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.

Pastor pointed out that without God we are without hope and marveled at how God suspended the laws of nature for over a generation to bring his people through the wilderness (water from a rock, bread from heaven). But once redeemed, his people extinguished the memory of their redemption. God's people couldn't abide the blessing of prosperity, and went from blessing to apathy. Those blessed by God are always at risk of forgetting Him and being satisfied with the blessings. Not that there's anything wrong with the blessings themselves, the issue is a sinful, deceived heart. A heart that turns from the only source of all that's good, the only source of true delight, to craving things that can not satisfy.

You make the application.

(the messages can be dowloaded here)

3 cheers for swimming pools

The children were so excited about being signed up for swimming lessons yesterday. Lessons begin in 3 weeks, but why should that stop them from getting ready now?















Funny that they weren't as excited when the new spelling curriculum arrived today.

When you've had a bad day

John Piper was in Phoenix recently for a pastor's conference. I wish I would have attended. His sermon on the centrality of God in the feelings of a pastor is especially helpful to me. Here's a dose of good medicine for remedying a case of the blues:

A pastor whose heart is thrilled with God even when his kid is not walking with the Lord, his marriage is troubled, church is declining, the giving is small, sickness is real, is one of the most powerful testimonies of the value of God in the world. What could show the value of God more than that! But if he goes down with everything else, God must not be sufficient. The message of satisfaction with God through trouble is a loud, clear witness to a weary people that God is enough. "Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also", I've got God!

Know your enemy (part 2)

The first part of this short series pointed out how our nation’s enemies have learned to be lethal yet stealthy. The same tactic, I’m convinced, is being employed against the American church, against us. Rather than lions and gladiators, modern-day foes of the church are largely unrecognized, yet effectively marginalizing us into nominal Christians.

To fight against an enemy, you have to take notice of it, to consider it a deadly foe indeed, and one that is to be destroyed by all means possible. An unexamined life can not fight against sin. Rather you must labor to be acquainted with your particular enemy. What are its ways of attacking? When does it usually prevail?

For instance, one of my enemies is anger (in the form of frustration with my family). This sin is prone to attack on Sunday mornings as we're getting ready for church and time is running out. If I haven't prepared for its attack it will almost certainly prevail and spoil my family's worship that morning.

The point here is you must examine your life. This should be part of your private worship. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you your enemy, its methods and wiles. This is the beginning of the warfare. "If you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body you shall live." Romans 8:13

Know your enemy (part 1)

I remember as an Air Force cadet, before the end of the cold war, our training classroom had a large poster titled "Know Your Enemy." And on that poster was the emblem of the Soviet Union. Knowing our nation’s enemies was simpler back then.

What was true for Cadet Bailey, also holds true for your life as an American Christian.

For hundreds of years after Christ, Satan brought to bear against the Church obvious enemies: Gladiators. Lions. Crucifixions. Burning stakes. But the blood of the martyrs was seed; seed for the spread of the gospel. And so Satan, like our nation’s enemies, changed his tactics. The enemies to the Christian life in our culture aren’t so plain anymore. They don’t come loudly or visibly; they’re almost undetectable as they marginalize God’s kingdom on earth by lulling us into being nominal Christians. Know your enemy. It’s against this backdrop that I want to speak to you about your zeal for discipleship in a few posts.

Dr. Goodluck's question

Kristin had her physical yesterday, another part of the adoption process. Her physician, Dr. Goodluck, went through the procedure and as he was about to sign the adoption paperwork he asked Kristin if she has any other children. When Kristin responded, he paused, brought his face very close to hers and asked, "why are you doing this?"

Sometimes babies just show up without much planning (or any, like Eli). But in our culture, when you go out of your way to add multiple children to your family, you are being radically counter-cultural. I like what another adoptive father, Pastor John Piper, said recently,

Few things bring me more satisfaction than seeing a culture of adoption flourish at Bethlehem. It means that our people are looking to their heavenly Father for their joy rather than rejecting the stress and cost of children in order to maximize their freedom and comforts. When people embrace the pain and joy of children rather than using abortion or birth control simply to keep children away, the worth of Christ shines more visibly. Adoption is as far as possible from the mindset that rejects children as an intrusion. Praise God for people ready to embrace the suffering—known and unknown.

"No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy"

To encourage one another to be more faithful in our spiritual disciplines, our church recently kicked-off covenant groups. In our first meeting, I read an article by the first Princeton professor, Archibald Alexander, where he points out how making specific plans can help us grow in grace.

Another powerful cause of hindrance in the growth of the life of God in the soul is that we make general resolutions of improvement, but neglect to extend our efforts to particulars. We promise ourselves that in the indefinite future we will do much in the way of reformation, but are found doing nothing each day in cultivating piety. We begin and end a day without aiming or expecting to make any particular advance on that day. Thus our best resolutions evaporate without effect. Is it at all strange that that person who on no day makes it his distinct object to advance in the divine life, at the end of months and years is found stationary?

Each person in our group was to make some specific plans as a beginning in the fight against the flesh. By now those plans have made first contact with the enemy and I wonder how many have survived. The fight against sin is constant, so if your original plan is lost, plan a new one. As Gen Patton has said, "a good plan today is better than a perfect one tomorrow."

Let charity begin at home

A prayer for the family,

"Forbid that I should fail to show to those nearest to me the sympathy and consideration which Thy grace enables me to show to others with whom I have to do. Forbid that I should refuse to my own household the courtesy and politeness which I think proper to show to strangers. Let charity today begin at home."

John Baillie

Pride and Prejudice

Each year at Valentines we set aside a few evenings to enjoy the BBC production of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. First, the disclaimer. This is no girly book or girly movie, although it is a favorite of the girls in my family. As a matter of fact, one of Austen's purposes is to point out the folly of mushy, sentimentality in relationships. Through fascinating characters, some witty, some terribly silly, Austen effectively illustrates the basis for good and poor marriages. This movie (the BBC production!), or better yet, the novel, is a useful tool for teaching singles about marriage.

One millisecond

In order to update our adoption portfolio, we had Kiddie Kandids take some family portraits this morning. The pose and facial expressions lasted about 1 millisecond. Faith was clingy and scared of the camera, the others were wiggly, and Dad was kinda grumpy.

0.6%

That's last year's growth of the denomination that my church represents. We failed to keep up with the rate of population growth in this country. Over eighty percent of PCA churches had less than 5 adult baptisms last year--mine was one of them.

In a recent sermon, Richard Pratt of Reformed Theological Seminary gives several reasons for the lack of growth in the PCA. Mainly, it boils down to self-centeredness. It's apathy for others and --although we deny it-- for God, and a desire for our own ease and prosperity.

When we fail to evangelize not only does God's kingdom in our local church not grow, but also God's kingdom around the world suffers. Because we do not evangelize our churches are too small to do much of anything about reaching Muslims, or Russians, or illegal immigrants, etc, etc.

Dr. Pratt thinks the solution is to evangelize our neighbors, co-workers, and family. I think more will be required to make any difference. We ought to evangelize those in our immediate circles, but we also need open eyes to see unreached mission fields in our environment. For instance, today at the base park I noticed many of the on-base dorm residents walking over to the base exchange. It reminded me of a college campus. Would a RUF-type ministry be effective in reaching the on-base, single military population? It's something to pray and think about.

One Woman at a Time

TIME has an overall favorable article on Crisis Pregnancy Centers, including a focus on Care Net and a PCA pastor. Kristin has been volunteering in one of the Care Net facilities here in Albuquerque for a few months and has brought home some startling stories.

Planned Parenthood is just down the hall from Care Net. Last week a young girl came into Care Net and showed Kristin her pregnancy test results, which was stamped with the Planned Parenthood logo. This young girl's visit to both places illustrates the battle for hearts and minds taking place--one woman at a time.

Bringing the Gospel to Covenant Children

In a short space this booklet persuades parents to take up their role in discipling their children and gives practical and specific ways to go about it. I was convinced that I need to make several changes to our way of doing family worship and reminded of the importance of godly models.

Our church plans to provide copies of this booklet to our congregation.

My mission field

I've been in the Mojave desert this week (Edwards AFB, CA) while my wife has bravely tended a sick kiddo and weathered a snowstorm. My desert exile provides a moment for a brief missionary letter.

Several months ago I was involved in frequent conversations with Mark the Mormon; I've written about him before. He's since moved away, so we've shifted to e-mail. Last week I asked him some pointed questions aimed at awakening him to the significance of the eternal deity of Christ. Mormon theology is wacky in this area and I would like to unravel this theological mess for him. He has yet to write-back, but we can pray for understanding.

I've spent the week with a couple of junior officers that work for me, so I'm faced again with how to evangelise in this situation. I will ignore any government direction to keep my faith private, but I think there can be wisdom-reasons for being careful about evangelizing those you supervise. Tonight I was able to talk about the Scriptures a little with one of the officers. Tomorrow we'll spend 3 hours in a car together. This is a great opportunity, I should spend some time tonight praying for what to say.

Adoption Update

We finished a second portion of paperwork this weekend. This consisted of a lengthy questionnaire about our upbringing, parenting, and adoption interests. Kristin is at work on the last portion of our package which is called the portfolio. This document tells and illustrates our family story. Adoption agencies and birthmothers use the portfolio in selecting an adoptive family.

I've also added labels to all of the past posts on this blog that highlight our first adoption journey. The rollercoaster ride begins once the homestudy is done. Ours should be done by April we hope.

Canons and Buoys

Two simple sayings help me blast away at unbelief and, when my ship is sunk, have been bouys to keep me afloat.

These are daily on my mind and steady me. First, "put your feelings behind you and do the responsible thing." This is an effective weapon against man-pleasing and self-centeredness. The second is like it, "what is required is a long obedience in the same direction" (Eugene Peterson). This is particularly effective against spiritual laziness and reminds me to keep my vows.

Do any sayings serve as canons and bouys in your life?

Oh, the books that would be written!

In family worship last night we finished reading through John's Gospel. It closes with an expression of love to Jesus, that if the disciple attempted to record all that Christ has done not even the world itself would be large enough to contain the books that would be written.

After this reading my 7-year old daughter Grace asked me, "Daddy, how can I believe in Jesus?" Is that not a question that every Christian parent loves to hear? It shows a softened heart, good soil for the gospel. I gently reminded her of the great work that Christ has done in rescuing us from the punishment of our sins. I encouraged her to always trust in what her Savior has done for her and to love Him with all her heart.

What is this blog but another disciple's attempt to record a small fraction of the wonderful things that Jesus has done?

Adoption News

Kristin and I have decided to adopt again, as the Lord allows. Today we turned in the lengthy application which represents about one-third of the paperwork required and Kristin met with the agency. They told her that several of our reference letters have come in which is a good start.

Kristin received advice on the current situation with international adoptions. Since we had a good experience with Faith's adoption, we'll probably stick with domestic. The kids are already coming up with names for the new baby Bailey. Isaiah is hoping for a "Butch Bailey." The parents will be deciding on the name, but we're glad they're excited about this process.

Like last time, I'll try to post significant updates here from time to time. We hope to adopt sometime this year.

Global Domination

There's a meme going around the blogs to self-identify weirdness. That in itself is pretty weird, but so far none of the weirdness that I've read comes close to MY weirdness: I actually enjoy Presbytery meetings. I like Robert's Rules of Order. I even tried to use them at work today! How's that for weird!

One of the highlights of the recent Presbytery for me was the testimony of a silver-haired husband and his wife that are raising funds to go to the mission field. His presentation was simple, when he reads Isaiah 6 he says with the prophet, "Here am I. Send me." It's refreshing to see an older couple turn down the self-centered pleasures of an easy retirement and pursue the real joy of the Kingdom. I know it's a difficult decision to leave behind grandchildren, the comforts of home, and good healthcare. May they receive a hundredfold.

I haven't been blogging lately partly because a different kind of global domination has been consuming the time. I don't think we're playing RISK right; our first game has gone on for about 6 hours and there's no end in sight.

When the Darkness Will Not Lift

Blogs are supposed to be happy places. When people voluntarily display their lives to the world they want the best side to show (unless there's teenage angst involved). But no one's life is good all the time, and for some Christians, there are long stretches of time when there is no joy in God.

This short book (~80 pages in large font and plenty of white space) can help during those dry times. It's a shortened version of another John Piper book about fighting for joy. In this work, he crisply speaks to the place of the gospel in helping those for whom joy stays out of reach. He also addresses the role of medication in the fight for joy. Interspersed throughout are brief sketches of other well known Christians who have struggled with depression--some with happy endings and some without.

This is a helpful book for anyone waiting for God to bring them out of the darkness.

Two examples of evangelism from last night

Yesterday I was flying back from LA. My team and I were having dinner in a crowded airport restaurant when a man asked if he could sit with us. To shorten the story, he's on staff with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and I hoped to get him to share the gospel with my team since I am somewhat limited in evangelizing those that I supervise. After some small talk about FCA, I gave him an easy set-up by asking how he became a Christian. He gave some personal background and then said that "I asked Jesus in my heart."

Later during the flight I sat beside someone I didn't know but lives close to me. We talked for a while about all kinds of things. I prayed for the Spirit's help in making a gospel connection with him. Then I asked him what he thought of the Christian faith. This gave him a chance to talk about his Catholic upbringing and how he has gotten away from it. I was able to respond to him with an explanation of a holy and just God who will punish sin, our dire situation as sinners, the substitutionary work of Christ on our behalf, and the need to repent of our sins and put our full trust in the work of Jesus.

Any thoughts on the difference between these two approaches?

A parable about delight

Three farmers each desired a good harvest. One farmer knew that only God can cause a seed to sprout and so did no work himself. At the end of the season he had only a field of weeds. The second was a lazy farmer; rather than labor for his harvest, he drove to the nearest supermarket and bought canned vegetables. The third farmer labored in season and out and with difficulty brought forth a bountiful harvest.

One worshipper knows that only God can cause a heart to fill with delight and so does no work in preparing for worship. At the end of the service he has little more than he started with. The second worshipper is lazy, he sees no reason to prepare for worship and instead uses his money to find delight elsewhere. The third worshipper knows the great worth of worship and prepared himself thoroughly for it, bringing forth a heart brimming with delight.

Updated: Faith comes by hearing

My last post detailed my plan to listen better to the preached Word. Today, I was holding a squirmy (but nicely quiet) daughter throughout the sermon (on Colossians 1:16) but I was able to jot down at least partial answers to the questions.

What was the opening sentence? "Beloved, it is all about Jesus Christ."

What was the pastor's introduction about? (I didn't listen too well to this part due to squirmy Faith). Everywhere you turn you can see the handiwork of Jesus. Christ is pre-eminent. I think the pastor also made a reference to the heathen religions of the day.

What was the structure of the sermon? Since it's been a few weeks since Pastor Steele preached in Colossians, he began with a review of Col 1:15 and then gave 5 reasons why these matters are true. He also emphasized the covenantal, mediatorial, and doxological aspects to Christ's role in creation.

The main point? Christ has first place in everything, which includes his pre-eminence over Creation. His glory is the purpose for which all creation exists.

How did he deal thoroughly with the text? This was a strong area of the sermon. He pointed out the emphasis items such as "all things" appearing 4 times in the text along with an all-inclusive list of categories that Christ has pre-eminence in (e.g. things visible and invisible, etc). He also explained the different roles of the Trinity regarding the Creation work and how Christ's was pre-eminent. I especially liked the explanation of the mediatorial aspect of Christ's supremacy in Creation and how the Father "stepped-aside" and showcased the honor of the Son. But my favorite part were these phrases (repeated for effect): "Jesus is the Master all creation serves. All creation serves his glory. His glory is the purpose for which all creation exists. His honor is the objective of the created order."

What aspects of the pastor's style was helpful? There were a few illustrations, my favorite was the story from his childhood farm-life and how his dad would often give him undeserved credit for work that really his father did. He compared and contrasted this to the Father and Son's glory in Creation.

What was the application? "You live and breathe for the exaltation of Jesus Christ. But is that your personal, conscience worldview? Do you know a sense of honoring Christ in your life? We, too, were created for Christ. It is an honor and glory to Jesus for us to live for him." We are to do this in each sphere of our life (e.g. Sabbath worship, family, work).

What was the last sentence of the sermon? "You were created for Christ."

Faith comes by hearing this Sunday

I'm looking forward to this Sunday when our pastor is back in the pulpit and I believe will take back up with Colossians 1.

I plan to try to improve my listening by printing out the questions below and filling them in during and after the service. Would it help if you printed this out before Sunday and stuck it in your Bible to use?


What was the opening sentence?


What was the pastor's introduction about?


What was the structure of the sermon?



The main point?



How did he deal thoroughly with the text?



What aspects of the pastor's style was helpful?


What was the application?


What was the closing sentence of the sermon?


HT: Unashamed Workman

Called to the ministry

Many young men attempt to discern whether they have a calling to the ministry; this short read (~90 pages) can help.

Edmund Clowney approaches the whole subject by an entirely different route than those that think in terms of "feeling called". The best way to prove you are called is to be involved in ministering now. Your gifts become evident on the field; are you now ministering mercy to the world and the church with the Word? If not then there is no calling. The calling comes through God's blessings on your active service in the body of Christ.

To miss your calling, follow this three-point program: assume that it begins in the future, decide that you don't know what it is, and sit down and wait for the Lord's call. To learn how to serve Christ tomorrow, you must serve him now. Stir up your gifts and Christ's call will be made clear. God's call to service normally comes in service.

Clowney deals with the issue of vocation and avocation. We are to stick to the positions in which God called us and glorify Christ there. Leisure time ought to be kingdom time, and it is possible for a man's fullest vocation to be his avocation. On the other hand, the way of the cross requires the willing abandonment of any vocation for the sake of the Lord. I think the direction that Clowney is leading us towards is if you are unable to utilize your gifts for ministry in your vocation then it is time to abandon it for full-time gospel ministry.

I recommend this book, and for my local readers, it is available for check-out from the church library.

We Should All Have an Epiphany

Each year Kristin and I exchange gifts and present gifts to the children on January 6th. What makes it different than typical Christmas gifts is that Epiphany gifts are specifically designed to encourage faith in each other.

Here's a portion of an interesting article from Veritas Press on Epiphany.

The Christmas tree is down, the wrapping paper is on the trash pile, and all the decorations have been put away, but your celebration need not stop. For most Christians, now is the time for rejoicing because, beginning with January 6th, the season of Epiphany begins. During this time the church celebrates the offer of the Gospel to the Gentiles. The good news of Jesus’ birth comes to the whole world with the arrival of the Magi (traditionally named Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthazar), representing Europe, Arabia, and Africa, arriving on horse, camel and elephant, and bringing, respectively, gold, frankincense and myrrh to Bethlehem.

And, what does this matter to us today? As Peter Leithart says, “Epiphany, which began on January 6, means ‘Manifestation,’ and the season commemorates the appearance of Jesus to the Magi, the firstfruits of the gatherings of the Gentiles. Epiphany reminds us that Jesus came as the Light of the world, and that we are sent to call the nations to that Light. It reminds us that the mission is not a program of the church, but the very essence of the church. Epiphany season is an exhortation to be an “apostolic” church, a sent out people.”

The Gentiles! Most of us! Epiphany celebrates the first invitation to the Gentiles to become a children of God. Sounds to me like something to celebrate. Sounds like something to remember. Sounds like something to teach our children.

Happy New Year fun

After 48 hours of snow beginning last Friday, we ended up with over a foot of new snow. Yesterday, I piled the kids, a neighbor friend, and our sleds into the van and we went in search of a good hill on base. We found a great one.

2006 in the books

At the end of each year I post the books that I read.

The Democratization of American Christianity; Nathan Hatch
What Are People For; Wendell Berry
Pilgrim's Progress; John Bunyan (a yearly read)
The Name; Franklin Graham (a new Christian asked me to read it)
Meeting God Behind Enemy Lines (a co-worker asked me to read it)
The Church; Edmund Clowney
Help for Distressed Parents; Cotton Mather
A Well-Ordered Family; Cotton Mather
A Quest for Godliness; J.I. Packer
The Family; John MacArthur
Biblical Eldership; Alexander Strauch
A Simple Way to Pray; Parrish, Martin Luther
Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1; John Calvin
Your Family, God's Way; Wayne Mack
Letters to Ellen; Gilbert Meilander (about Christian ethics)
Slave Religion; Albert Rabeteau

Plus 4 or so historical novels that I read to Eli as part of his history curriculum. This served as my fiction reading for the year and was enjoyable.

I'm not satisfied with the amount and scope of reading I do and try to supplement with other ways. I found monergism.com a good resource for preparing to teach, Justin Taylor's blog a constant source of helpful information, and The Way of the Master radio program an entertaining stimulant to evangelize.

I went to jail, finally

After 4 weeks of being "providentially hindered" by lockdowns and snowstorms, this week I was finally able to teach the inmates in a nearby prison. I'm substituting for a couple of weeks while a faithful brother, who has labored here with the Word for several years, takes a break.

To be brutally honest, I didn't look forward to going. Going to a place where you can expect to be scammed, lied to, and maybe even physically harmed isn't very appealing to me. But my friend deserved a break and I wanted to be able to better pray for him and his ministry. So God strengthened me to ignore my feelings and do the responsible thing.

Next to me in the bedroom-sized chapel was a large whiteboard filled with religious terms translated into Arabic. Besides the Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses are also active in the prison. And then some of the prisoners have appointed themselves as Apostles and Prophets. The true Christians in prison are indeed like sheep without a Shepherd.

Before I began my lecture on the 10 commandments one of the men in attendance informed me that he did not like it when teachers preach against other religions; he said, "it tears down my faith." Since I was teaching on the First Commandment ("You shall have no other gods before me") I didn't expect to please him.

The study turned out fine and we had a good season of prayer afterwards. My feelings towards these men have warmed, too. Next week it won't be as hard to go back.

The benefits of serving

When we moved here Kristin and I decided to get involved serving Christ in our community. When we failed to do this in other assignments those times were drier and less content. Isn't that ironic? Contentment eluded us until we stopped focusing on ourselves.

Kristin has been volunteering at the local Crisis Pregnancy Center. Like other mercy ministries in this country, there's mercy given and there's mercy abused. There are those that want free ultrasounds, etc, just because their insurance won't cover them and they don't want to spend their own money. There has even been a woman who called the CPC trying to sell her baby to the highest bidder. Amazingly, she became irate when the CPC wasn't interested in making a wager.

Last week there was a young teenage girl whose mom doesn't let her date yet now has a positive pregnancy test. The equally young boyfriend came in with her and is very scared. The only thing keeping the girl from getting an abortion is the $300 that Planned Parenthood (next building over) charges. So I'm thankful for the free counseling, ultrasounds, and prayer that the CPC provides. It opens your eyes to the needs lying just below the surface in the people all around you.

Worship tips from a 4 year old

At the start of tonight's worship service Isaiah spouted out these important reminders to us:

- Keep your eyes on the pastor
- Don't talk too loud
- Don't pick your nose
- Don't wipe it on your pants when you do
- Don't stick your feet up in the air
- Sing when you're supposed to

As it turns out, he didn't live up to his own standard, except for the picking the nose part (we think). It's hard to keep a 4 year old still on Christmas Eve.

Our secret worship plan for 2007

Kristin and I have decided what helps we'll use next year for our private worship, or "secret worship" as the Confession calls it.


Carson modifies Robert Murray M'Cheyne's Bible reading plan. Each day there are four sections from the Bible to be read, usually each section is one chapter in length. The first two in italics are for family reading. Carson's devotion of the day comes from one of the family's readings and enlightens the reader on the biblical content of the passage with application. The other two chapters are for private reading. If a person reads all four chapters including the devotion, he or she will read the New Testament and Psalms twice and the rest of the Bible once in a year.


This prayer-help was recommended from a Mars Hill audio book. John Baillie (1886-1960) was a Scottish theologian and a Calvinist. His greatest work was this compilation of prayers. It is arranged into prayers for each morning and evening of 31 days, plus extra prayers for Sundays. The odd-numbered (right-side) pages have the prayers, while the even-numbered pages are empty for your own notes. The prayers are a combination of ancient prayers, various Christian liturgies, Scripture, and Baillie's own writing. It is written in elegant King James English, but it is certainly accessible to anyone who can read.

The (snowball) fight before Christmas

We sneaked over to the Overbeeks this afternoon for a kids vs. adults melee.

What third world Presbyterians can teach us

We spent an enjoyable evening with some friends who hosted a family who will soon be moving to the Philippines with Mission to the World. I asked him if his time among Filipino Presbyterians has revealed any blind spots in Western Presbyterianism. He responded with, "the doctrine of the Holy Spirit." We have a hard time believing in spiritual warfare, demon-possession, and the like, but I'm told it's more apparent in the East.

Kristin and I had an unusually tough day today; it was more than just a typical bad homeschooling day. There was a painful phone call, weird bills in the mail that have to be straightened out, and medical bureaucracies that choose today to be obstinate.

We ended the day frustrated and feeling defeated, but also thinking back to last night's discussion that maybe this could be spiritual warfare. If it is, the gospel reminds me that God has a good purpose in these things, too.

Birthdays

Grace turned 7 last month and celebrated with bowling with her best friend.



Eli turned 9 today and celebrated last week with an evening at "Nickel City" and a sleepover with 2 friends.

Monday

A cloudy Monday and a tedious workday was suddenly brightened when I was given an opportunity to present the Gospel to a co-worker who was raised a Unitarian but is now agnostic.

God's providence in these matters is always intriguing. Earlier in the day I walked over to his part of the building to get some info I need for a project. At that moment he was leading a heated conversation supporting a recent Court decision to stop giving special benefits to prisoners for participating in a Christian prison ministry. I did not enter into the conversation, got the info I needed and went back to my part of the building. Later, at the water cooler, he walked up and wanted me to know he wasn't putting down Christianity. This led to a natural discussion about his beliefs; I wasn't surprised to learn he believed that if he is good enough he'll be taken care of when he dies because if there is a God he must be good. Referring to the 10 commandments, I talked with him about God's holiness, our problem with a holy God, and the only solution that we have in Jesus as a substitute for us.

He listened with some interest as I exhorted him to consider the claims of the Bible and its trustworthiness for teaching us what to believe about God and us. What a great way to brighten up an otherwise dull Monday.

Front page for religious feminists

The above-the-fold, front page headline in today's Albuquerque newspaper is "Female Pastors Discuss the Trials and Rewards of Their Chosen Career Path." There is no timely news event that justifies the prominent place in the paper; it's simply a puff piece for religious feminists.

Of course it opens with Galatians 3:28 (i.e. there is no male or female in Christ, we all are one), and how that verse means so much to female pastors everywhere. One wonders how any pastor can, with clear conscience, apply this verse in such an unfounded way. As expected, there is scant mention given to the solid Biblical reasons for excluding women from the pastorate (1 Tim 2:12, for starters). Instead evangelicals and Roman Catholics are portrayed as following tradition--an apparently out-moded and discriminatory tradition.

To understand the Biblical position more fully, check out the Council on Biblical Womanhood and Manhood.

Reproaches or Riches, is that a choice for us?

In an attempt to get back to blogging, I put this post to you in the form of a question.

Consider Hebrews 11:26,

He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

Is Moses' choice -- which included the denial of earthly treasures -- a choice that American Christians should make today? What would this look like? and what doesn't it look like?

Teaching young children to listen to sermons

I've passed Cotton Mather's list of a Father's Resolutions around for years, and still find fresh ways to apply its principles with my children.

The latest example is teaching my older three children (8,7,4) to listen to the Sunday sermon. Cotton Mather says to "single out some Scriptural sentences of the greatest importance...They shall quickly get those golden sayings by heart, and be rewarded with silver or gold, or some good thing, when they do it." Here's how I apply this for a sermon.

Read to them on Saturday night the passage to be preached and single out some key portion telling them to listen for what the pastor says about that during the sermon, and that if they can correctly answer a simple question I will direct to them at Sunday evening family worship they will be rewarded with a special snack at dessert time (food is a great motivator for my kiddos).

For instance, today the pastor preached on Col 1:12, "giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." Last night I asked them to listen for "qualify" and be prepared to tell me what that word means and how we are qualified. Tonight in family worship I asked each of my older children a question appropriate for their age. For my 4-year old it was a simple Yes or No question. For my 7 year old it was to define qualify. For my almost 9-year old it was to explain how we as sinners can be qualified to receive such an inheritance.

They each earned a special snack and I gained the satisfaction of knowing that even little children can listen profitably to a sermon if the parents are willing to do a little preparation and follow-up work.

Strength for the narrow, hard way

Our Lord characterizes the life his followers are on as a narrow path; we are to avoid the wide and easy way that leads to destruction. He plainly tells us that this way is going to be hard, but it alone leads to life (Matthew 7:13-end).

But doesn't he tell us just a little later that his yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matthew 11:30)? How do we reconcile this?

That was answered for me in the sermon last week. Preaching on Colossians 1:11, we learned that God strengthens us for all endurance and patience with joy. Like someone who is carrying a heavy load successfully, God's power enables us to abide under difficult circumstances and strengthens us to patiently deal with difficult people.

The power of God that conquered our sinful soul is available to us in our life of faith as we journey down a narrow and hard way. But remember, few are those that know this way.

Crowding out God with the things of God

We all know busyness. As more things are tacked onto the to-do list (especially this time of year), we realize we're no longer focused on Jesus. Ironically, time with God can be easily substituted by time with church work. We rush through our personal devotion so we can work on our next lesson; we skimp on prayer because our time was spent practicing a musical piece for Lord's Day worship.

B.B. Warfield's address The Religious Life of Theological Students is a helpful reminder of the danger and privilege of routinely handling divine things.

He asks, "are you, by this constant contact with divine things, growing in holiness, becoming every day more and more men of God? If not, you are hardening! If you do not find Christ in the conference room [we could easily substitute "private worship"] it is because you do not take him there with you. If after an ordinary day's work you are too weary to close the day with common prayer, it is because the impulse to prayer is weak in your heart. If there is no fire in the pulpit it falls to you to kindle it in the pews. No man can fail to meet with God in the sanctuary if he takes God there with him. How easy it is to roll the blame of our cold hearts over upon the shoulders of our religious leaders!"

"Do you prosecute your daily tasks as students of theology as "religious exercises"? If you do not, look to yourselves: it is surely not all right with the spiritual condition of that man who can busy himself daily with divine things, with a cold and impassive heart."

Do the work of an evangelist

On my brief trip home to South Carolina this week I was able to share the gospel with someone very dear to me. I've been asking God to make me an evangelist; here are two principles that have come to mind, I believe, as a result of those prayers.

1. Be prepared for rejection (persecution is normal for Christians) but don't underestimate what God may do when the gospel is spoken.

2. Hold together both a love for the person and a love for Christ. Since Heaven and Hell are realities, speaking the gospel to an unbeliever shows true love for them. Also, speaking the gospel is an act of love to Christ because it spreads His glory and increases his fame.

Changing Gods

Why did the English convert to Christianity but not the Japanese (at least, not yet significantly)? Why did African slaves exchange ancestral deities for the Triune God but the Navajo people have not? God's providence in this area is mysterious, but Slave Religion sheds light on the intriguing history of the transformation of the African religions into evangelical Christianity.

It's stunning to consider how thoroughly African religions were abandoned once slaves entered America, but what makes this story really interesting is how God brought the gospel to an enslaved people despite the wicked efforts of many white Christians (who couldn't envision a life without slaves) and many abolitionists (who neglected evangelizing the blacks). Small numbers of missionaries played a significant part, but so did other providential factors such as forced integration with white families and the absence of a continuing diaspora. Within a few generations the hold of traditional African religion was severely weakened in America and mass conversion ensued. To generalize, a whole people group changed their God!

This book (first published 25 years ago, but lately updated) strengthens my hope that heady days of evangelization still lay ahead. No people group is "closed" or too hard to reach with the gospel. As time ticks on more and more amazing histories of God's redemptive providence with whole people groups will be recorded. Let the nations be glad!

Vows

Sorry for the lack of posts here recently. As I transition into active service as a church elder again it's been a challenge to faithfully maintain my other vows (marriage vows, children's baptismal vows, promises to friends and family, and oath of office) and also not lose focus on my personal walk with Jesus. The blog and a couple other things had to be curtailed.

I've been traveling some recently and was able to do some good reading and helpful listening. Here are the general topics: religion of the African slaves and the mass conversion of this people group to Christianity, neighborhood evangelism and persecution, the spiritual life of theological students, and the nature of personal sacrifice.

I'd like to come back and post more specifically on some of this material soon. If any of the topics especially interest you, let me know and that'll encourage me to get started.

Reformation Day 2006

Three things to do today to show gratitude to God for the Reformation:

1. Read your own Bible in your own language

2. Pray directly to God without anyone going in between

3. Rediscover the Gospel today and everyday - the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone!

Children and their grandparents

Does it seem like most of the families around you are waiting longer to start having children? I don't mean that to sound like a universally bad thing, sometimes it makes sense. But many of the people my age (35) that I work with and live around are just now thinking about having children, and I wonder what the consequences are if this is a large trend.

Growing up I didn't know my grandparents hardly at all. This was probably due to the age of my parents when I was born and some past family conflict. My frequent moves across the country have only increased the emotional distance with my extended family. I really don't know what I'm missing, but I think it's probably significant.

I wasn't smart enough to know beforehand that having children in my twenties would allow our parents and our children more years to know and enjoy each other, but thankfully it's working out that way pretty well despite the distance. If we were just now having our first child, like so many around us, I think our parents would be too old to enjoy them in the same way they have over the last decade.

While the age you become a parent might not matter, biologically, as much as it used to, it seems that age still matters very much for grandparenting. Family planning affects more than just parent and child, it strengthens or weakens at least three generations of your family.

"May you see your children's children!" Psalm 128:6

Better late than never

My essay on the Transformation of Islamic Mass Culture was published in the Journal of Political Violence and Terrorism this month after 14 months of edits and revisions. The abstract can be read here. This is my first published piece.

Today after way too many weeks I finished Covenant Seminary's course on Church History (from the Reformation to present). David Calhoun gave the lectures. I had the privilege to take a class with him in person a few years back; he's everything you'd want in a seminary professor. I looked at the other courses they have for free on-line; I think I'll go with Jerram Barrs' course on apologetics and outreach. Kristin and I enjoyed sitting through a different class he taught once before. Calhoun and Barrs share a love for Francis Schaeffer's work. The time they spent with him has clearly shaped them and it is my hope that it will form me.

Supremacy of Christ

May Christ reign in all our lives. This powerful short video may help us see that our thoughts of Christ have been too small and may enlarge them.

The audio for the rest of this message and the other speakers who spoke on related topics is available for free here

I've listened to most of the messages; they're helping me know this massive Christ better.

HT: Barb

Butter fingers

Faith's hair is finally growing back (she pulled a lot out as a newborn). In this dry climate we occasionally rub in a little oil. This leads to a trip to the sink since the oil prefers my hands more than Faith's hair.

As I listened to a great sermon on Sunday about God's grace, I thought that grace must also be slippery stuff; it's so hard for me to hold onto from week to week. As if grace was a greased pig scampering around the pin while I chased hard after it, occasionally touching it but never getting a good hold.

But that's backwards, isn't it? It's me that's greasy, like my hands after I tend to Faith's hair. I realize most Sundays that somehow I've gone and lost my grip on grace again. But the relief comes when I see that it is grace that has a strong hold of me. And I will never slip through His fingers.

Balloon Fiesta Glow-deo

I returned from a business trip yesterday in time to take the family out for our first visit to the famous Albuquerque balloon fiesta. This was the special shape balloon glow. A loveley evening; one I hope the children will remember fondly.

The bad thing about being Presbyterian

Last night I went inside a PCUSA church for a boy scout function. The PCUSA is the large, mainline, liberal denomination; I belong to the PCA which is a much smaller and more conservative Presbyterian denomination. I hate that when people ask me what church I belong to, I can't just say "Presbyterian." To do that may result in an endorsement of the PCUSA church.

I've become familiar with a couple of fine PCUSA churches recently, which had tempered my negative opinion of the PCUSA. But the church I visited last night in Albuquerque rekindled my disdain. The troop met in the sanctuary which gave me an opportunity to peruse their pew Bible and hymnal. Both are of the "inclusive" variety, which means that masculine references about God and man are often replaced with generic terms like Lord and humankind. On the hymnal's page of creeds the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed each come in two versions, traditional and ecumenical. The ecumenical versions are neutered and make other changes that baffle me.

On the way home Eli asked what kind of church that was. I grimaced and told him it was Presbyterian. But that led to a good discussion about Biblical authority.

100 Years and Counting

My grandfather turned 100 on Friday; here's a kind news article about his 83 years of Gospel ministry.

"Add your little bit, and pray that others will be called to add their little bits until it is enough"

Kristin stumbled across a blog that immediately hooked her and now me. A Presbyterian pastor in Oregon is telling the story (as it unfolds) of his travels to Ethiopia to adopt two children from an orphanage. His words and photos are deeply moving. We've written for info about this orphanage since we've been thinking and feeling that 2007 may be the time to adopt one more time.

If you would benefit from a godly dose of compassion in action, read Pastor's Pensees.

My day in prison

I spent yesterday at Torrance County Detention Facility, a multi-level "correctional institution" receiving training for prison ministry. A man in our church ministers here and this class was required for me to join him.

I'd like to share some observations from my day behind bars and rolls of barbed wire. The prison is a business. All the guards, warden, etc are contractors. Security for visitors wanting into the prison was less than the airport. This may explain why heroin had recently been found in the federal cellblock. The saddest part of the day was watching the young children coming to the prison to visit their fathers.

The class was set up by the prison chaplain and was open to anyone who wanted to be trained to minister in the prison. Of my classmates there were 5 pentacostal/charismatic types, one Jehovah's witness, and one muslim. The chapel bookshelves have an unsound selection of Christian publications that mirrors the type of Christians that come to minister to the inmates. Also many of the prisoners there don't speak English (lots of Mexican nationals) and there were only a couple of Christians books and Bibles in Spanish.

Overall, I learned that there is plenty of need for sound teaching from the body of Christ in this prison. Regrettably, the zeal of the pentacostals -- often zeal without much knowledge I am afraid -- has the largest presence.

New Mexico's State Fair

Pictures from the Grand Canyon State

Here are a few photos from our week in Arizona. We stayed in Flagstaff (Luke AFB recreation area) and got to the Canyon twice, once by train. On the drive back to New Mexico we stopped at the Petrified National Forest and the Painted Desert.

Off to the Grand Canyon

I fell out of my normal posting rhythm last week while fighting a bug in Seattle and preparing for a Sunday school class. Posts will be sporadic this week, too, while the Baileys enjoy a first visit to the Grand Canyon. The weather forecast looks like we'll be there just before the snow season starts!

Reason #429 why I love Kristin

All her life Kristin has had a heart for missions in Africa. I love that I have to reign her back and speak patience on this (usually it's the other way around). Due to her Type 1 diabetes she's always been told she can't go. By the way, she also has always been told that she could never have children...in response to that I quote Isaiah with a hearty, "ha HA!"

We are missionaries wherever we are. I'm currently in Seattle and had dinner tonight with a group of large-salaried corporate folks. I'm to be a ambassador for Christ to them, but all they wanted to talk about is getting another drink and toys that I could never afford.

I'm trying to understand the difference between these rich Seattle folks and the dirt poor Africa ones. Seattle has good churches, the Bible in their own language, other Christians to reach them, and very few physical needs. It's the opposite where Kristin wants to be. Orphans are on her heart. Kristin's health is on mine. God has given me an awesome wife and I'd like her to be around as long as possible.

Called to be the scum of the world

"For to _____ to live is Christ" (Phil 1:21). Dare we plug our name in that blank with uncrossed fingers? Is Paul's lifestyle normative for us or not? He was a spectacle to the world, a fool, weak, and held in disrepute (1 Cor 4:9-10). And when he says "imitate me" (vs 16) we receive a divine call to become the "scum of the world" (vs 13), loving our enemies, rejoicing in suffering, serving the least of these, plucking out what leads us to sin, loving Christ more than anyone or anything.

Borrowing a question from this month's Tabletalk, "if you are following Jesus and indwelled by the third person of the Trinity, how can your life not be radical? If the demands of Jesus are so extraordinary, and if you have God inside of you, how come you live such ordinary lives?"

A map for young men questioning their career

Many men I know, especially those early in a career, struggle with job contentment. I have too, but with time I may have gotten a couple blocks farther down that road. A map of how I've learned contentment may be beneficial for those a little behind.

Understand the difference between seeking excellence and seeking glory; the first is your duty, the second is wrong-headed. If you are striving to make a certain rank or position in the company; this may be a pursuit of glory rather than excellence. Col 3:23 speaks of working heartily in whatever you do. So we are not to be mediocre at our work, but excellent. We trust God for things like promotions, assignments, etc.

Second, I consider myself a tentmaker. My career is only part of my identity and serves to provide for my family, neighbors (i.e. defense of the nation) and church. It also provides access to a ripe mission field. Family and church are also my vocations, and they have non-negotiable responsibilities that must not be neglected. Since my job is only one of my vocations I should not expect it to provide complete satisfaction. But when I work diligently at each of my vocations then I enjoy contentment.

Others write more and better about vocation than I do. Martin Luther's revolutionary teachings on this are ably and accessibly communicated in this book by Gene Edward Veith of WORLD magazine and Patrick Henry College.

Labor Day Weekend Hikes

I got in two hikes over a long weekend; one in the Sandias (here in Albuquerque) and the other in the Jemez area south of Santa Fe.

The first set of pictures are from our Sandia climb. If you look close in this photo you can see a nice size prairie rattlesnake that scurried off the trail as we approached and rattled until we passed.













I took this shot of my co-workers 2-miles up on a pedestal at the crest.












This set of pictures is from the Tent Rocks hike in the Jemez mountains. The slot canyon was our favorite part of the trail.

"Wonderful naked guys"...funny things my kids say

Last night during family worship Kristin and I were tickled by Grace's and Isaiah's responses to questions I posed them in all seriousness.

I described to the children a field in which was hidden a pearl of great price. They could either walk past this field because they had others things to do or instead stop what they were doing and focus on finding this most valuable jewel. In the context of family worship and Scripture reading I thought it would be clear that I was describing the importance of listening to the reading of the Gospel. So when I asked the children if they were going to hunt for that pearl tonight, Grace surprised me by forcefully declaring, "NO! My treasure is in heaven; I'm NOT going to look for any jewels on earth!"

A little later in family worship I repeated a question my pastor asked during the sermon that morning. If you only had 5 minutes left to live and all the most important people in your life around you, what would you say to them? Eli and Grace answered as intended, mentioning the Gospel, Jesus, etc. I came to Isaiah for his answer, which was simply, "Goodbye!"

The title of this post comes from today's family hike through the Tent Rocks canyon. As we were making our way back down the trail, which winds through a wonderful slot canyon, another couple was coming up the narrow passageway. The man was bounding up the trail and from Isaiah's height he could only see his upper half, which was "skins." Intrigued, Isaiah loudly blurted out, "Oh, look naked men!" And then as the man came fully in view (and with his girlfriend giggling), Isaiah saw that he was not really naked and so corrected himself loudly, "He has pants! Wonderful!"

I gotta get rid of that shirt with Grant's picture on it!

A simple way to pray

Kristin's father recommended a short book on prayer; it's A Simple Way to Pray which centers on the 34-page letter Martin Luther wrote to his longtime friend and barber on prayer.

Luther was pivotal in reforming prayer, which in his time was largely stale, heartless repetition. He showed how prayer is to be a Word-centered conversation with God by taking the Ten Commandments one day, a Psalm, the Creed, or the Lord's Prayer the next day and use them as flint and steel to kindle a flame in his heart. He would first consider the instruction in each line of these texts and then express his thankfulness to God for giving us such gracious direction to live by. He would then confess that he has sinned against this commandment his whole life in thought, word and action. Lastly, he would petition God with particulars and give every argument he could think of to move God to fulfill his wish concerning this text.

In the midst of such thoughts if the Spirit began to preach in his heart he would honor Him by letting go of this prayer plan; he would then be still and listen to Him. But as Dietrich Bohnhoffer, another famous German Lutheran, has said, "Oh how rare it is to find a soul quiet enough to hear God speak!"