Beautiful Indian Lake

Lillian and I went down to the lake this afternoon. The Wooton Yacht is holding steady and ready for another summer. As you can see, Lillian doesn't love the swing. She signed "help" the entire time she was in it.

Why are we moving again?

For Katy & Seth

There are two readings for 2 Tm 1:12, "I know who it is in whom I have trusted, and am confident of his power to keep safe what he has put into my charge"(NEB) or "what I have put into his charge." Christ has all the power needed to keep anything safe. What He gives me, or what I give Him, He can take care of. I can rest in perfect assurance, having that kind of coverage.
And--come to think of it--have I anything to put into his charge that He has not first put into mine? It all comes to the same thing. "What hast thou that thou didst not receive?" (1 Cor 4:7 AV).
Paul was writing from prison, where he was powerless to help those he loved or to look after things he cared for. No matter. He knew the One who is never powerless. He was sure of his power to keep.
____________________________________________________________

Title: Power to Keep
Author: Elisabeth Elliot
Book: A Lamp For My Feet

Happy Mother's Day

28Ascribe to the LORD, O clans of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
29Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
30tremble before him, all the earth;
yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
31Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
and let them say among the nations,
"The LORD reigns!"
32Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
33Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
34Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
I Chronicles 16:28-34

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__f7iesZSCI

The christian faith is not moralism.

The Christian faith is not moralism. Yet, we can (wrongly and dangerously!) pervert the Christian faith into this, in our homes and our churches. Our lists of "do's" and "don't's" can become the sum and substance of our understanding of the Christian faith, and in this self-esteem saturated culture, this ends up redounding to the glory of the "self," not the glory of God. So, we need (all of us, Christian parents and children alike) to understand glorious theological truths --

who God is in his eternal fullness as the triune God,
who God is as Creator of all that is,
who we are as created in his image,
what sin is and has done to us,
why Christ came, who Christ is,
what he accomplished,
how we receive the benefits of his work on the cross,
what God provides for us to grow as his people,
what these communities of faith called "churches" are and what they contribute,
and what hope we have for life now and forever

-- to provide the substance for what the Christian faith is, the faith that then is to be lived out in ways that reflect the character of God and his claims on our lives.

Only when moral teachings flow out of a correct understanding of the character and purposes of God and a relationship with him by faith in Christ can we see how our lives are meant to be transformed by God's work within us, reflecting his character and redounding to his glory above all else.

Bruce Ware, "Big Truths for Young Hearts"

Tripp

Jesus didn't give you his grace to make your kingdom work.
He gave you his grace to invite you to a better kingdom.


True,
Pure,
Perserverant,
Biblical love
is not formed out of duty. It is formed out of gratitude.

Paul Tripp

Duck Robe

When Lillian was very small, Lew celebrated one of her growth milestones with a little gift. She finallly got up to 8lbs, so she got a bath robe. Today, when she got out of the tub, the outfit I wanted her to wear was in the car. Yes, in the car. I have been putting my laundry in a suitcase every time we have to show the house. So, I could outfit the family right out of my trunk! Ah, the joy of having a house on the market. While I ran out to the car to collect Lillian's attire, she enjoyed some time in the play room caring for her babies while wearing her duck robe.

An old song

In a little while,

We’ll be with the Father;

Can’t you see him smile? (ooooooh....)

In a little while,

We’ll be home forever,

In a while....

We’re just here to learn to love him;

We’ll be home in just a little while.

"In A Little While"
Amy Grant