Practicing w/Photos & Links

Ah ha! My blog mentor, R Dixon showed me how to add photos. Let's try it out.
There they are! Elise and Caleb getting jiggy wid it at the Jimi/Janyl wedding. Okay, how about a link? I subscribe to BreakPoints daily email broadcasts for insight and formation of my worldview. Thanks Rob!

Musical Beds

There was clean unfolded laundry all over my side of the bed so I lay down on my wife's side to read. I fell asleep. I woke up around 2 a.m. and saw that she was asleep in the living room recliner. Figuring she would eventually want to go our real bed I went into the guest room to sleep. Our 4 year old son wet his bed so he hopped into the spot in our bed I had vacated. When my wife finally headed to real bed she saw her spot was occupied by a drying halfling so she also headed to the guest room. Just as she was settling in with me at about 5:00 a.m. we saw our 2 year old daughter heading out of her bedroom and down the hall into our room. We weren't in our bedroom; only our son was. Our daughter found us, climbed into the guest bed with us and sent me to get her some warm milk. Musical beds. By the way, who's on first?

Fear and Loving in Las Vegas

This past Sunday was Launch Sunday at my church. For the first time in years the entire congregation was together for one service to launch us into the Fall. I am grateful for each of the ministry staff leaders. They spoke from theirs heart to us. One pastor said, "I've come up with one word that captures what we need more of in our church. Fear. Fear of God." If fear means to honor, worship, trust and serve our one true God in love and joy then yes, Amen, crank up the fear. If fear means to try and honor, worship, trust and serve our one true God out of duty then no thanks. He went on to say that worship is not about us, it is about God. I'm sure he was aiming at the complaining hearts we so easily drift toward but I felt some important counter comments were in order. John Piper in his book Desiring God makes the point that worship is for us . . . and the glory of God . . . together! Removing our self interest from worship or the whole of Christian life makes Jack a dull dutiful Christian. God invites way more of us than just our duty. He offers abundant life! God, not Snickers, truly satisfies. He invites us to enter into His joy. Trying to worship God without self interest is like kissing your spouse simply because you are supposed to. How flattering - thanks for smacker . . . I guess! My wife wants a kiss freely given in love, joy and honor. And, the more I enjoy her and the kiss the more she is wife-glorified. What a complement to her! What joy for me! Win win! God is most glorified when we find our joy in him for that is what he wants from us - freely given love, admiration and surrender. What a compliment to God when we worship with our hearts full of joy not just self-mustered duty. In a Kingdom way, Jesus invites us to be selfish. Whoa . . . that sure sounds heretical but it is true. Is fear what we really need more of? Maybe, depending on the definition. What I say is that we need Christians to be more selfish. For when we are most satisfied in God He is most glorified.

Water Fight at the Pink House 

Rock Band or Sermon Title?

Caleb smelled Kirsten's hairspray and said, "You smell stinky like beautiful." What a phrase; sounds like a rock band or song title or a way to somehow encapsulate the smell of our sin and the beauty of God's grace.