Making the Most of Every Opportunity

I read another amazing post  by Rachel Jankovic about motherhood (see my previous posts for more I've learned from her here and here .) and want you to read it too. Here are a few quotes from her: "Our culture is simply afraid of death. Laying down your own life, in any way, is terrifying. Strangely, it is that fear that drives the abortion industry: fear that your dreams will die, that your future will die, that your freedom will die—and trying to escape that death by running into the arms of death..." "But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to to the cross. To death. So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.  Death to yourself is not the end of the story. We,...

Today, Jesus' death just seemed so strange and radical to me.  All his closest friends run away terrified that He is letting soldiers attack him (Mark 14). He lets t he soldiers lead him away (15:16) and the rest of their battalion come gang up to mock him, strip him, and beat him (16-19). And He did nothing ! He just took this beating and looked so foolish to them.  He couldn't even carry his own cross to be killed because he was that weak from it all (21).  Yet, once on the cross, when offered the wine with myrhh (which would ease the pain), he didn't take it (23). So he's clearly weak, yet chooses to takes the full brunt of the pain .  Everyone walking by mocked as well and shouted at him to come down from the cross and prove himself (30). The chief priests and scribes said loudly that he couldn't save himself (31-32). Even the criminals hung with him reviled him (32). He looks so foolish to everyone. And He doesn't defend Himself or prove Himself. So ha...

Is sin ever good? The short answer is no. Though God certainly allows sin and uses people’s sin for our good at times. Sin may not be good, but, seeing our sin is beautiful. You really don't have to teach sin. My youngest, Caleb happily went back and back to pull on our blinds (as I would say "no." and move him away) as soon as he could roll on the floor. Jimmy used to run away when we’d say come and went through a painful few months of defiantly coming out of his room well after we had put him to bed for the night over and over again.  One thing I really love about sin being exposed so easily in Jimmy is how it gives him a chance to see it. Though I don't remember anyone teaching me that I was good, I grew up actually believing I deserved love and was good (oh my). As we discipline Jimmy when we see these sin snares he runs to, he sees over and over again how he can't measure up. But it doesn't end there with him not measuring up. That's the beauty of...

Do you ever follow the links people post on their blogs? I did this week (thanks Justin Taylor!) and I read a really cool sermon series by John Stott that drew out 2 Timothy in new ways to me. He shows each Chapter as a call to the gospel.  A call to:  1) Guard the Gospel (Ch. 1) 2) Suffer for the gospel (Ch. 2) 3) Continue in the gospel (Ch. 3) 4) Preach the gospel (Ch. 4) Here's one glimpse that stood out to me from his 4th sermon: "the Bible is the handbook of salvation; it is simply full of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament foretold and foreshadowed him. The Gospels told the story of his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. The book of Acts described how Christ through his apostles continued to work to preach the gospel of salvation and to found the church. The Epistles displayed the full glory of the divine-human person of Jesus and of his saving work. The book of Revelation portrayed Christ sharing the throne of God and promised us his final vict...

Woh-  This morning I read C. J. Mahaney's blog and have been searching and praying  ever since. Am I passionate foremost about the gospel? I spend a lot of time talking/reading/learning about parenting, marriage, and social justice... Those are good and necessary to preach/teach, but always in light of the gospel... Praying my passion is Jesus alone!!! " If I have learned anything in 35 or 40 years of teaching, it is that students don’t learn everything I teach them. What they learn is what I am excited about, the kinds of things I emphasize again and again and again and again. That had better be the gospel." - D. A. Carson