The Vanishing Mind

Across the years of my pastoral ministry ... I have noted two regrettable "vanishings." I am reminded of the first every time I look in the mirror or see myself in a photo. The hair that once totally covered my head has been vanishing for some 25 years or so. I have resigned myself to my hair loss ... and in fact, enjoy the low maintenance hair style that I now sport (my remaining hair is dry as soon as I turn the shower off!). No "bad hair days" for me!

The second "vanishing" concerns me much more. It is the vanishing of the mind. Increasingly people in our culture are disengaging their minds - and this includes the majority of people who attend what we would call "evangelical" churches. People no longer discuss what they "think" about life. Instead, people talk about how they "feel" about things. Now I am not opposed to emotions ... and engaging them in the various arenas of life. But it is troubling to see how the emotions are given such high prominence in the decision making process that we undergo each day.

For this reason, I was thrilled to see John Piper's new book (just came out on September 15th). The title is Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God. In the book's introduction, Piper talks about the fact that the ultimate goal of our lives must be to glorify God (and Scripture most emphatically makes that point!). Piper then goes on to say the following:

"The way we glorify him is by knowing him truly, by treasuring him above all things, and by living in a way that shows he is our supreme treasure (see Philippians 1:20-21; Philippians 1:23; Philippians 3:8). Therefore, the main reason God has given us minds is that we might seek out and find all the reasons that exist for treasuring him in all things and above all things. The more we see of his surpassing greatness and knowledge and wisdom and power and justice and wrath and mercy and patience and goodness and grace and love, the more we will treasure him. And the more we treasure him, the more he is consciously and joyfully glorified. The point of this book is that THINKING is a God-given means to that end."

I am looking forward to reading Piper's book. I, for one, want to discover more reasons for treasuring God above all else!

Thanks for stopping by. . .

pj

But That's not in the Plan!

Plans. We all make them. Seek to implement them. Hope to realize them. But often our plans don’t quite work out the way we hoped. When I was a senior in high school, my plan was to go off to college and major in chemistry and become a chemist. Gladly, that plan did not work out. When Sharon and I got married, our plan was for me to work our first year while she finished college. Then she would work full-time while I attended seminary, after which I would seek a pastorate. At that point we would begin a family. That plan lasted ten months. Our first born, Emily, came along during Sharon’s spring break of her senior year. I could go on … but I think you get my point. No matter how well thought out our plans might be – there are no guarantees that they will come to pass.

Not so with God’s plans! His plans are set in granite. What God purposes WILL happen! No ifs, ands or buts about it! In Psalm 33:11 we read, “But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” I don’t know about you – but I find a lot of comfort knowing that God’s plans for this world (and for me!) will one day be a reality! Why? Because when you read the finally chapter of the good Book – you will see that in the end, “Jesus is going to win!” So in the midst of this world’s ongoing turmoil, take heart in that! A better day IS coming!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Elmo Attacked

One of my 17 month old granddaughter's favorite "character's" is Sesame Street's Elmo (as pictured on her bib). Not only does she have an Elmo bib, she also has an Elmo tee shirt, an Elmo book, and Elmo DVD and a stuffed talking Elmo. She loves her Elmo. And she's not alone. There are millions of other children who also love Elmo. But the beloved status of Elmo did not deter a thug in Winter Park, Florida from attacking Elmo. That's right. A music store hired a man to wear an Elmo suit as some sort of sales promotion. According to police, a man approached "Elmo" around 3 PM this past Saturday and began throwing punches. "Elmo" fought back. He was able to fend off the attacker - breaking a few fingers on the assailant's hand in the process. Officers who were called to the scene and were able to break up the fight. Fortunately no children were in the store at the time (how unsettling would that be for a young child .. to see Elmo in a fight?). Yet children unfortunately and far too often witness something that is much more unsettling - Mommy and Daddy fighting.

Now it is inevitable that married couples will encounter conflict in their relationships. This is due to the fact that we are imperfect beings. When two imperfect beings live together under the same roof - there is bound to be some disagreements. Most are small ... but there are some that can rock the foundations of the relationship. But no matter the size of the issue causing the tension, Christian couples must learn to deal with conflict in a biblical way. For some thoughts on how to do so .... check out the following article, Five Keys to Resolving Marital Conflict (http://www.crosswalk.com/1202713/). Your children need the security that comes from a harmonious relationship between Mom and Dad.

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Train Up A Child

Yesterday we (my wife, son and his wife and my daughter) decided to have a bit of fun with my son-in-law Ryan (who is a stout Eagle's fan). Since my family are all Pittsburgh Steeler fans (we lived in Pittsburgh for five years prior to living here in Lancaster), we decided to wrap our new little addition to the family in a Steeler Terrible Towel. So while he was out of the hospital room, we took the towel supplied by my son and his wife and did the deed (a dastardly deed from Ryan's perspective)! Of course, when Ryan saw what we had done, he responded just as we had hoped. Later I posted a pic of Jack wrapped in the black and gold on my Facebook page ... and it managed to generate a few comments which only added to our fun (but looking at Jack's face, you have to admit he appears to be enjoying the moment!).

Proverbs 22:6 talks about child rearing. In fact, it may very well be the most quoted verse about parenting. But far too many parents view this verse wrongly. They see it as an iron clad promise from God. And therefore, when their child reaches adulthood and strays from the Faith they have been taught - the parents grow frustrated and angry. That anger is often directed at God. After all, they had done their job as parents. They had trained their child in the way he or she should go ... and yet their child as an adult went a different way! So in their minds they did not fail, God did! He failed to deliver on His promise.

But God never makes an iron clad promise to parents that if they do this and that - that their children will follow in the Faith. The proverbs in the Old Testament book of Proverbs are not promises. Rather they are "truisms." General principles about life that, for the most part are true. But there are exceptions. And when the exceptions come in the realm of parenting, the exceptions are down right heart breaking!

I once heard James Dobson, found of the pro-family ministry Focus on the Family make a statement that should prove helpful to all Christian parents. He said that most Christian parents take too much credit when their kids turn out well ... and too much blame when they don't. Those are words worth thinking about!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Waiting for Baby

Right now I am sitting alone in a hospital coffee shop. Just a few hundred feet away, behind a few security check points and a closed door my youngest daughter is in the final stage of labor. My wife is with her along with her husband Ryan (when the midwife showed up and announced that it was time to push, that was my cue to exit- which I did most willingly - although part of me would like to be present to greet my grandson as he enters the world - but just a small part :)!!!

As I sit here sipping my coffee, a lot of questions are meandering around inside my head. What will "Little Slugger" (my wife's and my name for our yet-to-be-named grandson) look like? Will he have a lot of hair (won't need much to beat out Papa John!)? What color will his hair be? What will he weigh? How long will he be? Will he arrive waving a Pittsburgh Steeler terrible towel? :) But most pressing is the much more heavy question: Will he arrive healthy? That is THE question that tends to haunt most expecting parents (and grandparents). For good reason. There are no guarantees. The hospital promises good care - but cannot promise a healthy baby. All the prenatal care is a good thing but cannot assure a healthy newborn. But this is true of the world we live in. We are faced with uncertainties every day. So how do we handle these? The answer to this question is of utmost importance. For how we deal with life's uncertainties will go a long way toward determining the quality of our mental, emotional, physical and
spiritual well being.

So how should we handle the ups and downs .... the uncertainties of the world in which we live? Consider the following Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:7, John 14:1, Psalm 56:3, Proverbs 3:5-6. All of these passages encourage us to trust God. And why not? Is there anyone who loves us more than our all-powerful Father in heaven? He sent His Son who, on the cross, went through hell for us so that we don't have to! Is there any greater love than that?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

PS - In case you did not hear, little John David Aument arrived safely and healthy yesterday at 12:40 PM. Thanks be to God!

The Costly Lordship of Christ!

I love to read. At any given time, I am probably reading a half dozen different books. One of the books I have been re-reading recently is the excellent book by Kevin DeYoung, The Good News We Almost Forgot. The book is a collection of devotionals that DeYoung wrote as he spent a year going through the Heidelberg Catechism, a 16th century writing that is among the world's most published works. This catechism is based in part on the ancient Apostle's Creed, an powerful statement of faith of historic Christianity. If you are looking for a good read that will stretch your faith and warm your heart - I HIGHLY recommend this book.

In his devotional titled, His Son Our Lord, DeYoung writes the following:

"Remember too, His lordship was also costly. Jesus Christ didn't establish His authority by taking prisoners, executing judgment, and shedding the blood of His enemies. He is Lord because He shed His own blood, bore God's judgment, and set the captives free. He purchased our bodies and souls with a commodity far more precious than stocks or bonds. He redeemed our lives by loving us enough to lose His own." (The Good News We Almost Forgot, p. 73).

Wow - that's a heart-gripping thought!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

P.S. - For those of you who attend Grace, be watching for more information about an exciting learning initiative coming to Grace in 2011 which involves this book by DeYoung.

Waiting for THE Phone Call!

Yesterday, as my wife and I were driving home after spending part of my day off sitting by the banks of the Cheasapeake Bay, she offered up a rather vocal and rather loud yawn. I almost jumped out of the driver's seat! "What's wrong?" I asked with more than a little urgency in my voice. "Nothing, dear. I just yawned." After calming down, my wife was quick to point out that I have been a bit "on edge" the past few days. She's right. I have been! Why? As many of you know, my youngest daughter Kate is expecting to deliver her first child any day now. Every time my cell phone rings I find myself thinking, "This is it! The baby is on the way!" You'd think after having gone through this three times with my wife that I'd be an old pro at this! But nope! The thought of the "baby" of our family having a baby of her own causes me great excitement and joy one moment and fear and trepidation the next!

So all this to say ... if you email me, call me, talk to me anytime in the next few days and I don't appear to be "all there" in my response - it's because I'm not. Please pray for me, that I can stay focused on my tasks. But more importantly, please pray for Kate and her husband, Ryan - and of course the little guy we have been affectionately calling, "Lil' Slugger."

Psalm 127:3 "Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him."

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj