News from May 2010
Part 3 - Father's and family vacations
Posted on May 30, 2010 by Pastor Tom
Here’s part 3 of father’s and family vacations. I so appreciate Mahaney’s honest through this. He has a pretty radical approach to a father’s role in vacations. Like this:
“The father must enter family vacations committed to serve, lead, plan, initiate, and work, and do all this with joy. This isn’t your time to rest. Only your wife deserves to rest on vacation (because no one works harder than she does the rest of the year).” Whoa. That’s challenging.
You can scroll down when you get to his page and click on part 3.
http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/Blog/post/Leadership-and-Family-Vacations.aspx
Part 2 - Father's Spiritual prep for vacations
Posted on May 29, 2010 by Pastor Tom
Here’s part 2 of the Fathers and family vacations. Make sure you scroll down and click on part 2.
http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/Blog/post/Leadership-and-Family-Vacations.aspx
For fathers - spiritual preparation for vacation
Posted on May 28, 2010 by Pastor Tom
Vacation season is coming. We put all kinds of time into planning the physical details and logistics of the vacation. But do you ever find that you come back from vacation more tired than you left? Might one reason be because we weren’t spiritually prepared? Here’s some helpful stuff for fathers to lead their families spiritually in the vacation season.
http://new.sovereigngrace.com/Blog/post/Leadership-and-Family-Vacations-(part-1).aspx
Life would be great if only . . .
Posted on May 27, 2010 by Pastor Tom
Do you ever feel like that? “If only this wasn’t going on. If only I was more like . . . If I only I had that.” Joni Eareckson Tada has some great perspective on this. I hope it encourages you today.
Life Would Be Great If Only…
In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
—Colossians 2:9–10
What do quadriplegics (people whose hands and legs are paralyzed) daydream about? Running a marathon? Ballroom dancing? Climbing a mountain? Many of us have scaled down our fantasies. In my weaker moments, I’m tempted to think life would be great if only I were a paraplegic – then I could use my hands. I see paraplegics transfer themselves out of their wheelchairs into their own beds, reach for items in the refrigerator, wash dishes at a sink and quickly sort through the mail. Then old feelings of disappointment start to slink back into my heart.
Even able-bodied people look at others who seem more attractive, smarter, richer, healthier, and who get all the breaks in life. In comparison, our minor defects begin to look like deformities. Thankfully, the Bible has good advice for people prone to compare. Paul tells us we have been given “fullness in Christ.” In other words, we are complete in Him. We have everything. We lack nothing. There’s no need to compare. Once we comprehend this truth, our so-called defects become reminders of how “full” we are – because we have “fullness in Christ.” The inferiority complex releases its grip. We become content.
I wouldn’t be happier if I were a paraplegic rather than a quadriplegic. The fullness of Christ dwells in me, even with my infirmities. Therefore, I will gladly boast as a quadriplegic. After all, you can’t improve on “complete.”
In what ways do you feel incomplete, inadequate, or less than you had hoped? Rather than seeing these as insufficiencies, realize you are lacking in nothing. Why? Because Christ dwells in you. Bask in that knowledge for a few, quiet moments and feel yourself relax into contentedness.
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Lord, help me to keep from drumming up “if only” scenarios in my mind. Fill my thoughts with satisfaction in you and in whom you have fashioned me to be.
A heart diagnosis
Posted on May 19, 2010 by Pastor Tom
It’s really important to have an annual physical check up with doctors. But its more important for us to a regular spiritual heart check up. I found this one quite helpful but hard!
The Greatest Temptation for Those Zealous to Advance Christianity
by Justin Taylor
A convicting quote from Jonathan Edwards, lightly modernized here by Ray Ortlund:
Spiritual pride is the main door by which the devil comes into the hearts of those who are zealous for the advancement of Christianity.
It is the chief inlet of smoke from the bottomless pit, to darken the mind and mislead the judgment.
It is the main source of all the mischief the devil introduces, to clog and hinder a work of God.
Spiritual pride tends to speak of other persons’ sins with bitterness or with laughter and levity and an air of contempt. But pure Christian humility rather tends either to be silent about these problems or to speak of them with grief and pity.
Spiritual pride is very apt to suspect others, but a humble Christian is most guarded about himself.
He is as suspicious of nothing in the world as he is of his own heart.
The proud person is apt to find fault with other believers, that they are low in grace, and to be much in observing how cold and dead they are and to be quick to note their deficiencies.
But the humble Christian has so much to do at home and sees so much evil in his own heart and is so concerned about it that he is not apt to be very busy with other hearts.
He is apt to esteem others better than himself.
—Jonathan Edwards, “Thoughts on the Revival,” Works (Edinburgh, 1979), I:398–400.
God's comfort
Posted on May 15, 2010 by Pastor Tom
My cousin, Doug Stringer, a friend, fellow minister, father and husband buried his 17 year old son yesterday. Words cannot describe the pain and agony he and his family feel. Yet amazingly God continues to work and support them through this time. 1000 people attended the funeral yesterday in support, hundreds of them high school students. In this time of deep loss, let us pray that God’s message of hope will penetrate the hearts of many. My prayer for them and the other family is from 2 Corinthians 1:5 – “For just as the sufferings of Christ flow into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”
I pray the same for your life.
Some pictures from yesterday’s funeral are found here:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Remembering+Jonathan+Jackson+David+Stringer/3030121/story.html
Life is so precious - treasure it.
Posted on May 10, 2010 by Pastor Tom
I just found out my cousin’s 17 year old son was killed in a car accident in Ottawa on Saturday night. Wow. I can’t believe it. A huge reminder to treasure each moment with our kids.
Check here for the last conversation between my cousin and his son.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/last+talk+between+father/3007027/story.html
Remember your Mom!
Posted on May 5, 2010 by Pastor Tom
Mother’s Day is just about here. Talk about a potentially emotional day. For some people, it’s a day of celebration as they think of all their Mom has done and meant to them. For some, it’s a day of mourning, as they remember a Mom who has passed on. Some mourn because they didn’t really have a positive relationship with their Mom. Or some Mom’s dread the day because their family really strikes out in showing appreciation.
But maybe this week, we can thank God for our Mom’s or the person/people He brought to fill that role in our lives. And then we can thank them.