thetwocentcrockpot

Marriage Announcement

2007-05-12T09:32:00.000-04:00

Well friends, the time has come... thetwocentcrockpot has grown up and gotten married.

"Who did the crockpot marry?" you may be asking...

Well, thetwocentcrocpot found a lovely little female blog to marry called Racooney Where Are You. The two of them are now happily residing at The Daily Burns (www.thedailyburns.com). So, come check out the couple at the new happy home.

"So, what will become of the crockpot?" you ask...

Well, he is a happily married blog, so I doubt you'll see him around these parts anymore. However, he really wants to continue to hang out with you... so, go visit him at The Daily Burns.

Thanks for a great 2 years. Mad thanks to those who even have us bookmarked. We'll see you on the new blog...

coffee...

2007-05-11T09:18:00.000-04:00

First, starbucks... I don't like starbucks. They over roast their beans and the coffee isn't that great. Now, that is not to say that, in a pinch, I wouldn't go to starbucks... but I'd rather not. Well, while my objection is mostly taste related, some of my Christian brothers and sisters have found another reason to avoid the chain. I find it interesting that, if you read the article, you'll see that see that while Starbucks did run an "anti-god" cup, they also ran a "pro-god" cup by Rick Warren. Which, by the way, was quite a sermon to pack onto a starbucks cup.

Second, WORLD CUP IS CLOSED!!!! This is a travesty! Truly the best cup of joe in Richmond (or at least near the office) is gone. To be replaced by what? Some joint called "crossroads." The note on the door says they will serve Rostovs coffee (did I mention that I can get Rostovs coffee from Rostoves - 4 blocks away) and Maggie Moo's ice cream (15 blocks away) ... Sheesh. Not to mention that they just painted the outside this hideous orange/yellow color. Oh, what to do? World Cup, why have you abandoned us?

I'm depressed... I think I'll get some coffee.

get ready...

2007-05-10T18:13:00.000-04:00

Something big is coming... and soon...

arg...

2007-05-08T20:44:00.000-04:00

so, I didn't learn my lesson... I tried AGAIN to convert to new blogger and set up a three column blog... just ended up looking like... uh, bad. So, I've also been playing around with wordpress... take a peek and let me know if you like this better. As for usability, wordpress is working pretty nicely. I don't know... what do you think:
thetwocentcrockpot.wordpress.com

new blogger is annyoing...

2007-05-08T10:16:00.000-04:00

For the second time I have attempted to migrate from classic blogger to new blogger and have, again, returned to classic. In the end, new blogger is just to hard to tweek the way I want to... which is sad because I really want to give the crockpot a facelift and clean up the side navigation a bit... I might just have move the crockpot to wordpress... who knows... sheesh

please excuse the mess...

2007-05-08T09:26:00.000-04:00

Ok, I am in the process of trying to convert my blog into a three column blog in order to pack it full of twocent goodness... so, it may take some time, but I think it'll look and function much better when we're finished. Until then, please excuse the mess...

three thoughts...

2007-05-03T12:17:00.000-04:00

So, I was reading the Gospel according to John this afternoon and was struck by three things in John 1:43-45

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

First - Jesus made a decision.

If ever there was a lesson that Christians needed to learn, this is one of them... Make a decision. Time and time again I meet Christians who love Jesus, who pray, who seek to glorify God, and who just can't make decisions. Now, I am not saying that one should flippantly make decisions, especially major life decisions, but at the end of the day you have to make the call. So, pray, submit you plans to God and to people you trusts, and for goodness sake make a decision.

Second - Jesus found Philip.

In some ways this relates to what I just mentioned. See, Jesus' decision to go to Galilee was not arbitrary... instead, he was on a mission that involved finding a very specific person. And guess what, Jesus found him.

Third - Philip got it wrong.

We always do this... Jesus does something and we try to take credit for it. Clearly Jesus found Philip. However, moments after this encounter we see 'ole Phil running to tell his friend Nate about what had just happened and he says, "We have found..." Sorry Phil, Jesus found you. That's just the way it is.

So, the take-away... Make a decision, fulfill your mission, and stop taking credit for Jesus' work.

time to laugh...

2007-05-03T08:08:00.000-04:00

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery... so, what does that make impersonation?

I don't know, but this is FUNNY!

i like checking the mail...

2007-05-02T09:51:00.000-04:00

I really like to check the mail. I think it is the anticipation that something really good or surprising might show up. Maybe a letter from a friend, a gift, a check, or a magazine. Now, I know that there are lots of un-fun things that come in the mail too, like bills, but I am willing to deal with the weeks and weeks of bills for days like today...

I wasn't able to check the mail yesterday. So, this morning I took a peak in the mailbox on my way to the car. Much to my surprise there was a package from the Westminster Bookstore. I was surprised, as I didn't remember ordering anything. I thought that Jenn might have bought something, but I assume she would have told me. So, after a brief debate in my head I decided to open it. Then, with great joy in my heart I saw a book that I had been eyeing for a couple weeks, Edmund Clowney's, "How Jesus Transforms the Ten Commandments."

Honestly, if I had a list of books I wanted to get right now, that one is in the top three. But no one knew that... I haven't so much as mentioned the book to anyone. Inside was a letter from the Westminster Bookstore. They were thanking me for my support of the Westminster Bookstore via their blog partnership program. WOW!!!! THANKS WTS!!!!

Now, let me say that the book was a great gift and I appreciate it tremendously. However, gift or no gift my book links have and will always take you to the Westminster Bookstore. The fact of the matter is their prices are always the best, they have flat rate $5 shipping, and dang it, I want to go to school there... So, there you have it.

Again, Westminster Bookstore, thanks for the book... it's just what I wanted... and you can bet that there will be a post coming soon with my two cents on it. Thanks.

lessons from turducken...

2007-04-30T11:09:00.000-04:00

Ok, first, what (not who) is "turducken?"

Well, as the name implies, it is a chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey and then cooked.

So, what brilliant individual came up with this, I have no idea. But I was thinking today that I'd like a truducken of my own. See, there are three things that I would really like to see all stuffed together into this life I live.

First I'd like to start with the outer shell (the turkey) with a job in vocational ministry that provides an adequate and stable income. I'd then like to stuff this job with moving my family into the fan (the duck). Finally, inside all of this I'd like to stuff finishing my graduate studies (the chicken).

Now, each of these things might be fine on their own (much like turkey, duck, and chicken) but, much like the inventor of the turducken, I get a feeling that having all three stuffed together might be even better.

When I look at my life right now, I get the feeling that my turducken might be impossible. But, then again, I am sure that the truducken inventor might have had similar feelings. I'm also sure he had some doubters on the outside.

So, what to do? I don't know... but I am getting hungry.

To Robert and Erin...

2007-04-26T11:44:00.000-04:00

Robert and Erin,

Never have I met
two people like you
and rarely have I cared
so much as I do.

There are few who have faced
the trials you’ve seen;
thieves, moths, and vandals
and death’s vicious sting.

In all you have faced,
many have watched so amazed
as your hope in the Christ
shines bright through the haze.

And truly that’s why
I love you so much,
for I see in your lives
how to hope and to trust.

To hope in a King
who sits on his throne.
To trust in a God
whose love can be know.

You’re more than great teachers
mother, father, or friends,
you are lovers of Jesus
from beginning to the end.

My prayers through these months,
“God’s glory you’d declare,
from generation to generation,
to Owen your heir.”

This prayer has been answered
and in glory he rests,
before our great King,
so happy, so blessed.

With this joy we still mourn
and Owen we miss.
There is not much in life
that will be harder than this

But our hope is in Jesus
who conquered the grave.
Death is no match
for this king who can save.

It is he who will hold you
and he who will see
that through this great challenge
victorious you’ll be.

And Owen’s short life
will not be lost over time.
Instead it will declare
God’s gospel divine.

Owen will speak
of the God who does care,
of the God who did make him,
and the God who hears prayers.

Owen will speak
of Jesus the king
to a world that is dying
and must hear this one thing.

But how shall he speak
and how will he tell?
It will be through you
and the life that you share.

Owen was well born
and a warrior most true.
He gets that from his parents
they’re pretty tough too.

I close with this thought,
I learned it from you.
To God be the glory
In all that we do.

For from Him and through him
and to him is all.
To him be the glory
and joy for us all.

============

You are our dearest friends and Jennifer and I truly love you.

Owen Greene - Well Born; Warrior...

2007-04-24T21:39:00.000-04:00

The following is the email I sent to my friends and family tonight. I have no other words:

Friends and Family,

I really don't know how to do this and I know that a phone call is so much more appropriate, however, I don't feel like I can muster the energy or heart to do it. So, please excuse the medium.

Today was a joyous and sorrowful day. Owen Greene was born this morning. Things looked promising early on as he was able to breathe on his own. Robert and Erin had the opportunity to spend a few moments with him before he was rushed to the NICU. Throughout the day his condition grew worse and worse. In the end Robert was allowed to hold his son at which time Owen's heart beat faded. As my mother so beautifully put it, "he passed from his earthly fathers arms into his heavenly fathers." Now we join the Greene's in mourning.

I thank you for all your prayers and the many people you have shared this story with. Please continue to pray for Robert and Erin as they walk through this dark valley. If you wish to share a word of encouragement or thoughts of condolence, please visit Robert's blog and click on "leave a comment." I believe that it would mean a lot to them to hear from the many strangers who have held them close in their hearts all these months.

Again, thank you.
_ryan

owen greene update II...

2007-04-24T17:15:00.000-04:00

As of 3:30 p.m. Owen's condition has moved to unstable. He is retaining CO2 which means his blood/gas levels are not good. Please pray.

I'll continue to post as new info becomes available.

owen greene update...

2007-04-24T13:46:00.000-04:00

The following information is what we know at this point:

This morning Owen Greene was delivered successfully via C-section. Upon delivery he was breathing on his own, kicking, crying, and weighed in at just over four pounds. He came out a little blue but mostly pink. Robert and Erin were able to hold him and spend a little time with him before he was taken to the NICU (newborn intensive care unit) for examination. While in the NICU he was intibated (given assistance with his breathing) and his condition is regarded as stable.
Erin and Robert are together in the hospital room and are doing well.

Please remember that we must continue to pray because we are not out of the fight yet. There are many miracles to fight for. Please continue to pray for the healing for his heart, kidneys, and bladder. While we pray, let us rejoice in the victories of this morning and continue this journey in faith.

PRAY FOR OWEN...

2007-04-23T09:55:00.000-04:00

My friends, Robert and Erin, of whom I have written you before, have a really big day tomorrow. Their son, Owen, is scheduled to be delivered by c-section at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Short of a miracle from God, it is likely that Owen will not live very long. The Greene’s have had a long a difficult journey that has led to tomorrow. In this journey they have become very confident in God’s goodness and sovereignty. Robert and Erin have expressed that they feel prepared in their hearts for whatever may happen. They believe that much of this is due to the many people who have prayed for them and this situation. At this time, however, they ask that everyone spend their times of prayer for them directed in asking Jesus for the miraculous healing of Owen. They are aware of the situation and are confident that, if the worst were to happen, God is in control and will be gracious with them. With this peace in their hearts they ask that less prayers be offered for them and that many would be offered for Owen’s miraculous healing.

For all the readers of thetwocentcrockpot, I am asking that you fast breakfast (skip the meal and pray) tomorrow morning and join me in praying to the King of all creation for Owen. I believe that God is well able to confound the world by delivering Owen in perfect health.

Here is Robert’s blog where you can get the latest update:
www.cultivatethesoul.com/blog/

2 Corinthians 1:9 - Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

Solo Deo Gloria
_ryan

thanks chris...

2007-04-23T09:15:00.000-04:00

I received this from my friend Chris in an email.

I took this from a biographical sketch on Thomas Hooker. A key puritan in the US... look at his perspective in death...

In 1647, Hooker became ill during an epidemic that was spreading across the country. On his deathbed, he communicated to Thomas Goodwin that his "peace was made in heaven and had continued for thirty years without alteration." A close friend said to him just before he died, "You are going to receive the reward of all your labors." Hooker responded, "Brother, I am going to receive mercy."

Common to all men, upon death, we need mercy above all things... for the best we have to give falls gravely short of what is required.

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
Acts 17:30-31

We will be judged according to the standard of Jesus... Of this standard we all fall short, even Mr. Hooker. Thankfully, God has granted that through faith in Jesus' atoning death we are actually credited with his (Jesus') perfect life.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26

I thank God that he is "just" AND the "justifier." As the hymnst say, "my hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name."

VT...

2007-04-20T09:24:00.000-04:00

Five days have passed since the shooting at Virginia Tech. It has been a long a draining five days. I can only assume that it has been much longer and much more draining for those closer to the situation.

At times like this I wish I had something profound to write... but words still fail me. I find that all I have done and all I can do is simply turn my heart toward Jesus and ask him to be King.

For those who might be interested, several of my fellow campus ministers went to Blacksburg on Tuesday. They simply went with the desire to be there for the students in whatever way they could. This link will take you to a record of their thoughts and observations.

Finally, I just read VT's policy for students regarding the remainder of the semester. I must say that the administration of VT should be praised for their tireless efforts in dealing with a situation that falls into the category of "worst case unimaginable." Even in reading something as mundane as a "policy" you can sense the genuine concern of the administration for their students.

team greene...

2007-04-16T08:39:00.000-04:00

Please keep my friends, the Greene's, in your prayers over the next couple weeks. Their son, Owen, is scheduled for delivery on the 24th (several weeks earlier than anticipated). For those who don't know the seriousness of this, please check out Robert's blog. He'll fill you in on all the details.

In fact, do me a favor and pray right now... I know that I have a tendency to forget all the things people ask me to pray about... so, just stop reading, close your eyes, and petition the King of Kings to rule over his creation and bring perfect health to young Owen Greene (aka, "the next handsome Greene man").

Thanks.

no email friday...

2007-04-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

Here is a fun new video about one company that banned email once a week... the result... people actually had to talk to one another. I laughed out loud a couple times. Like when the guy realized the person he emailed with, whom he thought was across the country, was actually across the hall... HA!

What a crazy world in which we live... said the man on his blog...

campus ministry...

2007-04-12T11:12:00.000-04:00

It was a strange thing today when I discovered something that I knew would eventually happen, has in fact, happened.

Harvard has a full time, endowed, humanist campus minister. He serves along side many religious ministers in Harvard's Chaplaincy.

There are so many things that I don't understand about this, and yet, I am in no way surprised. Like I said, I figured this sort of thing would eventually happen, but it seems strange when it does. I mean, surely the next step is the atheist campus minister... Now, that would make for an interesting chaplaincy meeting.

Sheesh...

in the news...

2007-04-12T08:58:00.000-04:00

I read a really good (and quite well written) article on the urban development of Richmond and the impact it is having on low (and even middle-class) residents in the city. It has some really interesting history lessons and good insight and perspectives on what is going on.

There was also a great sidebar story that shows another interesting perspective on all the re-development going on.

where's burns-o...

2007-04-10T14:24:00.000-04:00

It's like where's waldo, only you have to find me:

Play Now

.

stuck in a tube...

2007-04-08T16:57:00.000-04:00

So, the other day I had the opportunity to have my first MRI. I also had the opportunity to have several needles stuck into my hip and some dye injected into my labrum. The whole experience was a bit odd. For those of you who have had an MRI, you are familiar with the whole experience. You lie down on a metal slab and get rolled into this tiny little tube and are told, "don't move." I found myself thinking, "how in the world do big people fit in this thing." I mean, I know that I'm a skinny fella. I also know that there are more than a few people in the world who outweigh me. So, does this machine expand when a bigger person come in... if not, WOW... that would be really, really awkward.

Anyway, since I was in this machine, not moving, I had the opportunity to just think... which, by nature, I really like to do. (As a side note, I just took a test called strengths finder 2.0 which classified one of my strengths as "intellection" which apparently means I am the kind of guy who would like to be stuck in an MRI tube so that he can just think.) Anyway, it was fun to just think about God, and life, and the frailty of the human body. I began to think of how amazingly complex my body is and how a simple rip in a piece of cartilage could cause so much pain... not only that, but this cartilage has been perfectly fine and functioning without error for 28 years... and much of my body is that way... for 28 years, most everything has worked the way it was created to... Seriously, that is pretty amazing.

So, anyway, I finally was released from the tube and hobbled, ever so slowly, out of the hospital. Today I found out that there is, indeed, a small tear in my labrum (contrary to what the first doctor told me at the hospital) that was likely caused by a slightly odd shaped bone in my hip. So, not entirely sure what that means, but I go to the doctor on Thursday for a follow-up.

In conclusion, I'd like to recommend that everyone have an MRI at some point. The experience was really interesting and I think you'd enjoy it... unless you are claustrophobic... in which case I simply recommend you stare at a white sheet of paper held 4 inches from your face for about 20 minutes and have someone make a loud clicking noise while you do it. Either way you go, let me know what you think about during the experience. I'm interested to hear...

I'm dreaming...

2007-04-07T06:56:00.000-04:00

(to the tune of White Christmas)

I'm dreaming of a white Easter.
Just like the ones I used to know...

Ok, seriously, this is freakish. All I wanted all winter was a couple of nice snow days. So, now that I have offically put away all my winter clothes and busted out the shorts and sandles, THIS HAPPENS.

Well, happy day before EASTER!

Sheesh.

twocent book review...

2007-04-06T12:43:00.000-04:00

The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World

I picked this book up on a whim and have been rather pleased with the purchase. For those who want to get a gist of the Reformation by looking at some of its key figures, then this book is for you.

Beginning with Martin Luther and the 95 thesis, Nichols take you through a myriad of moments, documents, and people surrounding initial years of the Reformation.

One thing that I enjoyed about this book was that it was really approachable. This book in not intended to be an in depth study of the reformation, but rather a really great introduction for the every-day-joe. It was an enjoyable and easy pre-bedtime read.

In all, I'd really recommend this book for anyone who in interested in understanding the Reformation but doesn't want to read a graduate level book. This book is approachable, understandable, and enjoyable. Well worth checking out.

good friday...

2007-04-06T12:20:00.000-04:00

My heart mourns and rejoices on this great and terrible day. It is this day that we Christians look to the cross of our King and stare at the awful penalty of our sin. The judgment and destruction I so truly deserve as one who has committed treason against my King has been poured out upon Jesus.

For those who would like to take some time to meditate on the cross during this Good Friday, I recommend what I hold in my heart as the greatest sermon I have ever heard. Check it out here.

On this Good Friday I encourage and challenge you to wrestle with the King who was murdered that you might be pardoned. You and I have turned our hearts from worshiping the King of heaven and chosen to worship worthless things, and more particularly ourselves. We spit in the face of our creator on a regular basis. His response is to come and take the wrath we deserve for these actions.

My glorious king, thank you for your mercy extended to me. Cause the world to see the glory of the cross that they might truly understand the joy of the resurrection. To you be glory in the earth forever.

-----
After making this post I stumbled across this quote on another blog and found it very worthy of inclusion here:

To put it bluntly and plainly, if Christ is not my Substitute, I still occupy the place of a condemned sinner. If my sins and my guilt are not transferred to Him, if he did not take them upon Himself, then surely they remain with me. If He did not deal with my sins, I must face their consequences. If my penalty was not borne by Him, it still hangs over me. There is no other possibility.--The Cross in the New Testament by Leon Morris

lazy or busy...

2007-04-05T08:08:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm not sure which it is, but I have certainly been one of these when it comes to being consistent with my posting. I've had several posts on my mind lately that I hope to roll out this week... One is chronicling my "take your son to work day," one reviewing the book "The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World," and one... uhhhh... great, now I can't remember the third one. Oh well, we'll be lucky if I get these first two out.

Wish me luck.

the excuse...

2007-04-01T21:07:00.000-04:00

Ok, so it has been a long time... sorry about that. I was away last week at Campus Harvest and then had to stick around for the Every Nation Campus Ministries Staff Summit. Both events were really great. I have still not had time to thoroughly decompress all the information I received. Though I haven't processed through it all, I can certainly say that I have a refreshed enjoyment of campus ministry. Working with college students is both a joy and honor. I am as convinced as I have ever been that by changing the campus we are changing the world.

Well, now you know I am alive... check back later this week... I'll do my best to do the same.

couple things...

2007-03-21T22:42:00.000-04:00

Ok, first, check out this great message by my friend and hero, Robert Greene. I think the title on the link is incorrect... I think it is supposed to be called, "Facing the Facts of Uncomfortable Grace." If it weren't so late and I so tired, I'd fill you in on the gist... but my bed calls to me, so go listen to it for yourself. Liten well, take notes, and think... If you do so, I believe you will find the same reward in it as did I.

Second, I picked up a book on a whim the other day called, "The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World." It is a really easy read and covers, breifly, the lives of many of the great characters of the reformation. If you want a quick, easy, and very enjoyable read on the reformation, I highly recommend this one. I'm on chapter 3 now, so I'll let you know more later.

Thirdly, I've been walking, ever so slowly, through "Overcoming Sin And Temptation: Three Classic Works By John Owen." While I would love to post my thoughts on what I've learned thus far, at this point it can be summed up in this:

Be killing sin or it will be killing you

Finally, I really enjoy blogging... It reminds me of when I was a DJ on the college radio station at Georgia Southern (WVGS 91.9 FM). I talked a lot (probably more than I played music) and I found it funny that I was in a room with a microphone, esseientally talking to myself... I mean, who listens to college radio in south georgia... None the less, I really enjoyed it. Similarly, I love sharing my two cents here... is anyone listening? Who knows... but what else am I going to do in this room by myself with a keyboard in front of me...

10 reasons I think I'm older than 29...

2007-03-13T16:06:00.001-04:00

1. Grey hairs are blossoming on my head
2. I use a nose hair trimmer
3. 11:00 p.m is considered a "late night"
4. I find myself complaining about music a lot
5. I have life insurance
6. I have a will... or at least I'm working on one
7. My hip has been giving me trouble lately
8. I think Lincoln Town Cars are sweet
9. I take about 20 vitamins a day
10. A night on the town consists of dinner at 6:00 p.m. and then going home and sleeping.

Yup... I might just be an old man...

On the up side, I have a smokin hot wife who makes me feel younger than I really am. So, that is pretty sweet.

pink dress Jesus...

2007-03-13T08:18:00.000-04:00

Many thanks to Anthony Bradley who wrote a great article on the Resurgence website (click here to read). It is much in line with my ramblings about Jeff and his chainsaws. So, if you didn't like that entry, stay away from Anthony's.

Along those lines... sort of... I read this post by Dr. John Piper yesterday and was moved to tears. The article is his recounting of the recent death of his father. I am grateful to Dr. Piper for sharing such an intimate moment with me and for reminding me of the great call, responsibility, and joy I have in raising my son to treasure Jesus above all things.

Dr. Piper, Thank you.

my other job...

2007-03-12T15:04:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of all things bloggish (aka. narcissistic), here is a link to the site I finally built for my web development company.

expectation without presumption...

2007-03-05T14:36:00.000-05:00

So, the sermon at church on Sunday was a challenge to me. While I am not sure if it had a title, the gist, as I heard it, was the examination of your expectation.

For me, I generally don't like the concept of "expectation" in the Christan world... I think this is mostly due to my history of being in a more charismatic realm where the common question was, "what are you believing for (expecting) from God?" To which you'd get all kinds of answers... from healing to a new Mercedes. It was really annoying. So, over time I have grown to dislike the idea of expecting things from God. I guess the problem was I could not reconcile expectation and presumption.

Then, as the sermon went on, I began to realize that expectation is not a bad thing. Expectation is simply the knowing anticipation of that which we know will come. So, as a Christian, you can have expectation, however the limit is in the definition itself. The limit (or protection from presumption) is found in the phrase, "...which we know will come." So, the question we (I) have to ask about expectation is, "do I know it will come?" If I answer yes, then I can be full of expectation for it.

Now, the trick here is to wrestle with the question, "how can I know?" The best answer I have so far is from my notes Sunday morning,

We can only know what has been revealed to us. Those things which God has given us to know, these we can expect.

So, how does God reveal things to us? Right, the scriptures. So, if God has made know to us that something will certainly come, then we can have legitimate expectation for those things. So, with that in mind, I sat out to jot down a few of my expectations... gospel expectations.

Gospel Expectations:

Expectations for my family:

I expect that God will be my God and the God of my family (Genesis 17:7, Acts 2:39, 1 Corinthians 7:14)

Expectations for struggles in life:

I expect that I will have tribulation in this world, but Jesus (my help and hope) has overcome the world (John 16:33)
I expect that God will use my trials and struggles to aid others (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

Expectations for my relationship before God:

I expect that God will forgive me of my sin (1 John 1:8-9)
I expect that I can not get to God by my own effort but that he will have to come get me (Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:1-10)
I expect that the result of the above will be seen in good works that he has prepared for me before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 2:10)

Expectations for my livelihood (aka, money):

I expect that if God has clothed the flowers of the field and fed the birds of the air, then he'll take care of me (Matthew 6:25-34)
I expect that if I am rich or poor, hungry or well fed, that I will be more than ok because of Jesus (Philippians 4:11-13)

Expectations for evangelism:

I expect that I can not reconcile anyone to God, but that God will cause the seeds that I plant and water to grow as he sees fit (1 Corinthians 3:5-7)
I expect that only one message will change people's life and that is the only message I have to offer them (1 Corinthians 15:1-11, 1 Corinthians 9:16)

So, what about you? What are you're Gospel expectations? Drop some in the comment section. The list I just gave was only a start for me. Like I said, I haven't had any expectations until now... But I'm starting to get excited about the idea of gospel expectations. So, please share some of yours.

real men carry chainsaws...

2007-03-04T08:28:00.000-05:00

This is Jeff. Jeff has a handlebar mustache, wears cammo pants, has a sweatshirt that says something about mud bogging, drives a truck, and he carries a chainsaw on his hip. Jeff is my newest hero.

We've had a dead tree in our front yard for about a year now and the other day Jeff came over to take it down. Now, there were lots of people who had stopped by and given us a bid on how much it'd cost to remove the tree. They all talked about bringing in a boom and crew to get it down (the tree was right next to the power lines). But not Jeff. With a Marbrol on his lip he sized up the tree, strapped on some leg spikes, fired up the saw and got to climbing.

This one man wrecking crew climbed 40+ feet up a dead pine tree and brought it to its knees. I must say that it was amazing to watch as Jeff hung from the trunk, sans helmet or goggles, and hacked away.

I sat in my living room for over an hour staring (with my son) at this amazing feat. When it was over Jeff hopped off the tree, takes a few final hacks, threw his gear in his truck, lit another Marbrol, and cracked open a beer. He surveyed his destruction and walked my way, ready to collect his pay. As he handed me the bill I felt that, for Jeff, part of the pay was the satisfaction of being a man... a man with a chainsaw... actually two chainsaws.

I wonder what Jeff would think about most of the churches he'd walk into on any given Sunday. I wonder what he'd think about if he walked into my church on Sunday morning. Would Jeff meet the Jesus of the bible who also had an affinity for wood? The Jesus who put in long hours as a carpenter. The Jesus who never had a chainsaw, but was more of a man than Jeff or myself could ever be. The Jesus who was man enough to climb a tree, not with ropes but with nails... and not for his own ego or to make some money... but to pay for my sin and Jeff's sin. I hope Jeff meets Jesus. I think there is something about the Jeff's of the world that we need in the church.

While I don't know if I'll ever see Jeff again, I can but say a prayer for him and get back to raising my own little man to know Jesus and show His strength and glory to the world, including the Jeff's.

two years of two cents...

2007-02-26T22:31:00.000-05:00

So, little did you know, but yesterday thetwocentcrockpot celebrated two years of slow cooking goodness. That's right, two years ago yesterday, thetwocentcrockpot was born.

Well, for those who haven't been with us for the whole two years, here are some of our highlights:

In the two years I've reviewed a few books posted some random thoughts and offered more than a few cents on theology.

In the two years I've talked a great deal about coffee. There was the infamous brugo saga (part 2, part 3) that consumed far too much of my life. I found some coffee I really liked. I even had coffee with the Governor... well, sort of.

I celebrated the birth of my daughter, shared the humor of my son, and celebrated my beautiful wife.

It has been a fun two years and I look forward to a few more down the road. So, for those who wonder, "what exactly should I get a blog on its birthday?" the answer is simple. How about a comment... just let us know you're there and love us.

Here's to two more years... Cheers.

How can it not be well...

2007-02-19T10:50:00.000-05:00

This, of course, is rhetorical... to be read, "how can it not be well?" with an emphasis on the not. This morning I was singing a hymn (again, offkey) and was overcome with the joy in the realities I was singing.

Here are verse 2 and 3 from "It Is Well With My Soul."

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul.

My sin (O the bliss of this glorious thought!)
My sin, not in part, but in whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul!

It is verse 2 and 3 that allow you to sing verse 1 with any real confidence. Wow, as my friend Ben would say, "that's a god piece of chicken." You'll have to ask him what that means because I have no idea.

It Is Well with My Soul - Horatio G. Spafford, 1873

A compliment that got a smile...

2007-02-16T09:26:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why, but I don't really react to compliments too well. I guess I feel that most of them aren't really genuine and are given out of some sort of obligation or lack of anything better to say. As a preacher (at least occasionally) I often get the, "great message" compliment. I know the person is being encouraging and might actually mean it, but part of me wants to call the bluff and say, "really, what in particular was great about it?" I usually chicken out of that reply due to the fact that I am scared they might not have an answer. So, all that to say, probably to my detriment, I don't really react to compliments.

So, the other day I was in the basement with my son and I was playing guitar and singing while he played the drums (he's 2 and I only know 7 chords so it wasn't anything amazing). After a while I picked a The Family Worship Book which has about 60 hymns in the back and began to sing some of those. About that time Asher ran upstairs. I can only assume that it was my off key singing that sent him to flee. So, as any good father would do, I continued my singing and followed him upstairs (It's my house and I'll sing off key wherever I'd like).

At that time Jennifer was cooking dinner. I finished whatever hymn I was on and stood there quite content. I then told Jennifer that I would really like to attend a church that sung hymns... and not just modern upbeat versions of them, but rather, straight hymns with an organ or piano accompaniment. I told her, "I really just love hymns." To which she replied (and this gets to the compliment part of the story) "...as all good reformed men do."

Even as I write it here it makes me smile. Why, you ask. Well, I guess it is this... My beliefs in who God is run very much in line with those of the reformed faith. So, my wife was affirming that:

She knows what reformed people believe (that is sexy)
She knows I belive what reformed people believe
She thinks I am good
She thinks I am a good reformed man

It was nice... It actually made me smile. I can't remember that last time a compliment made me smile. I think it is number 4 that makes the biggest impact. See, I try on a daily basis to live my beliefs in the context of my family, my relationships and career. I look at great men like Jonathan Edwards, John Calvin, John Piper, and so many others and say, "I want to live lives like these guys... good reformed men."

So, Jennifer, thanks! I love you. While I am no Piper or Calvin, I do have this one thing in common with them... I have an amazing reformed wife who brings me great joy. Thanks for being there for me.

twocent note to self...

2007-02-14T21:47:00.000-05:00

I just took some NyQuil, so no telling how coherent this one might be...

I don't know about you, but, on occasion, I have the tendency to judge my life by other people. For example... I look around at other people I admire and think, "what all did they accomplish before they turned 30?" The answer is typically much more than I have accomplished in the same span of time (though I do have 10 months left to catch up).

I guess the two sides of the coin are:
heads - I'm am inspired and challenged to work harder to be the man I want to be.
tails - I'm not supposed to be the people I admire... I'm just supposed to be me.

I think I was most impacted in this area by something I read by Josh Harris (no, not I Kissed Dating Goodbye). In an interview he was asked what he thought was the greatest challenge facing young church planters today. His answer was, "Mark Driscoll." He went on to explain that Mark is an amazing individual and has done and is doing some very amazing things with church planting. But Harris went on to explain that so many young church planters look at Mark and think, "yeah, I want to be that." When, as Harris put it, "the world couldn't handle two Mark Driscolls."

The thing is, we each have our lives to live. I'm not Mark Driscoll. I'm not John Piper. I'm not Robert Greene. I'm not Raymond Goodlett. Looking at these guys (and many others) should not make we want to be more like them... rather I look at these guys and actually want to be a better me.

May God help me.

2 cent review...

2007-02-13T16:15:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I got some books the other day from Westminster Bookstore online (best prices anywhere). I was shopping specifically for a new book out that is a compilation of 3 works on sin by the great Puritan, John Owen. My main reason for looking into the book was that John Owen is the namesake of my good friend's son, Owen. Owen isn't born yet and has a lot of challenges that we are all praying about, but I wanted to know a little bit more about this man for whom my friend would name his son... So, while I was there I stumbled across a series of booklets call The Basics of the Reformed Faith Series. The booklets were inexpensive and the topics were intriguing, so I went ahead and picked them up as well.

Today I finished two of the booklets but specifically wanted to comment on this one, How Our Children Come to Faith. I must say that Stephen Smallman is an amazing communicator. I find that most of the books I read seem to be written to people much smarter than myself. However, reading this book I found myself thinking, "wow, this is so easy to understand." Smallman, in a very pastoral manner, takes the time to communicate biblical truths in such a way that the reader can take the material and really gain a greater faith and hope in God for their children.

While I was greatly encouraged in the content of the book (parents, pick this one up) the manner in which Smallman gets the content to you was so impressive. Strange as this might sound, but reading this book made me want to be a better pastor. See, we often like to impress people with how much we know (or flip the coin and we desperately try to hide our ignorance) and in doing so leave people wondering what in the world we are taking about. Smallman, with the heart of a true father encourage parents to rest in God's covenant faithfulness for their kids.

My hope is that I can not only have greater faith and assurance for my children, but also that I might care for others enough to commuicate truth to them in a manner that they can understand.

update...

2007-02-06T15:56:00.000-05:00

The last post (about me reading again) is a lie.
I feel like I've been on crusie control for the past 3 months.
I think I might want to turn off the crusie control, but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to hit the breaks or hit the gas to turn it off.

In unrealted news, please check out my friend's blog. There is a short list of people (alive or dead) that I can say that their words have actually changed my life. Robert is one of them.

www.cultivatethesoul.com/blog/

2 cent books...

2006-10-09T08:53:00.000-04:00

Since withdrawing from my Pauline Epistles class due to the chaos of my life (birth of my daughter, broken arm of my son, flooding of my basement, etc...) I have not read a book in about a month now. Well, I am finally back in the saddle again. For all those who wonder what is in that black bag I am always carrying, take a peek over there -->

seriously...

2006-10-03T20:22:00.000-04:00

This is not a set up... our son is learning to use the bathroom and he likes his privacy. So, we put him on the toilet and then he tells us "bye-bye." We stand outside and wait for him to say, "all done" and then we go get him down.

So, the other day he was taking a little longer than usual. After a few minutes we peeked in and this is what we saw... seriously, this was not set up at all...

mornings and money with spurgeon...

2006-09-26T08:30:00.000-04:00

On occasion I read from Charles Spurgeon's book "Mornings and Evenings." Last sunday I was particularly impressed by his entry, as it was quite appliciable to me and my life at current. I would say the great challenge for me is to truly trust the Lord for my provision and not lean so heavily on the trust of my own ability to make money. The clincher for me was torwards the end of his entry. I highlighted, below, the part I've been thinking about a lot lately.

If you've ever struggled with wondering how you are going to get by materially, take a moment to read Spurgeon's thoughts on the matter. May it refresh you as it did me.

Enjoy:

Mornings and Evenings by Charles Spurgeon (Morning, Sept 24)

"For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him."
Ezra 8:22

A convoy on many accounts would have been desirable for the pilgrim band, but a holy shame-facedness would not allow Ezra to seek one. He feared lest the heathen king should think his professions of faith in God to be mere hypocrisy, or imagine that the God of Israel was not able to preserve his own worshippers. He could not bring his mind to lean on an arm of flesh in a matter so evidently of the Lord, and therefore the caravan set out with no visible protection, guarded by him who is the sword and shield of his people.

It is to be feared that few believers feel this holy jealousy for God; even those who in a measure walk by faith, occasionally mar the lustre of their life by craving aid from man. It is a most blessed thing to have no props and no buttresses, but to stand upright on the Rock of Ages, upheld by the Lord alone. Would any believers seek state endowments for their Church, if they remembered that the Lord is dishonoured by their asking Caesar's aid? as if the Lord could not supply the needs of his own cause! Should we run so hastily to friends and relations for assistance, if we remembered that the Lord is magnified by our implicit reliance upon his solitary arm? My soul, wait thou only upon God.

"But," says one, "are not means to be used?" Assuredly they are; but our fault seldom lies in their neglect: far more frequently it springs out of foolishly believing in them instead of believing in God. Few run too far in neglecting the creature's arm; but very many sin greatly in making too much of it. Learn, dear reader, to glorify the Lord by leaving means untried, if by using them thou wouldst dishonour the name of the Lord.

the solid rock...

2006-09-08T09:31:00.000-04:00

The past 10 days of my life have been pretty crazy. Between Asher's broken arm, Grace's birth, our flooded basement, my car acting up, almost being crushed by a 200 lb generator, having to buy a 200 lb generator and setting it up in the middle of tropical depression, shattering a glass door with my elbow, ripping out our carpet, watching my wife and son go stir-crazy spending several days trapped in our living room, spilling gas in my basement and fumigating the entire house for 12 hours, stepping on a carpet tac strip with my bare foot, and countless other little things, I have been trying to consciously focus on Jesus and the power of the Gospel to overcome my situations.

As I was sitting at my computer the other day the hymn, "the solid rock" popped into my head. I can't say I knew all the words at the time, but after reading them I was filled with faith and hope. It has been a great source of comfort for my soul to meditate on these words:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus name.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

Edward Mote (1797-1874)

Thank God for men like Edward Mote and the bible based, grace filled, faith building hymns they penned. My our generation produce men and women who will again write songs like these.

our amazing grace

2006-09-03T19:58:00.001-04:00

check out the newest addition to the family:

http://www.ouramazinggrace.com

altoids... curiously strong

2006-08-21T07:06:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had an altoid breath mint? They are small, powerful, and can be somewhat overwhelming. I thought about altoids this morning as I was reading 2 Thessalonians. In chapter 2 we see a picture of the strength and overwhelming nature of Jesus.

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
2 Thessalonians 2:8

Two things in this verse cause me to stare in awe-some wonder at the conquering king, Jesus.

1. Jesus can kill people by merely breathing on them. Now, I am in NO way trying to be funny here. Think about this. In the surrounding scriptures the Apostle Paul is talking about a "man of lawlessness" who is doing some pretty bad stuff. I imagine the "man of lawlessness" to be a pretty bad dude. But, whatever strength this man might posses, though it might channel all the hosts of hell, it can not even stand up to one breath from the mouth of King Jesus. WOW! I love that.

2. Not only does one simple exhale of King Jesus kill his opponent, but the mere fact that he shows up on the scene will bring his opposition to nothing. I think of this in terms of the scripture that says, "the mountain melt like wax before him" (Micha 1:4). In the presence of mighty King Jesus, none can stand. His opposition is made to be no opposition at all.

To all those who have an image of Jesus that is weak, effeminate, and inadequate... Meditate on this verse and hail the king of all creation, the glorious and majestic, the powerful and mighty, the great and awesome... the conquering King Jesus!

speaking of creating a universe...

2006-08-20T16:48:00.000-04:00

If you are going to create a new universe (see post below), I recommend that it have talking monkeys like these http://www.careerbuilder.com/monk-e-mail (have fun with this one)

Get your own "universe in a tube"

2006-08-20T16:18:00.000-04:00

Ok, I didn't understand most of the article, but the title and first paragraph were, alone, worth posting the link here. Thankfully, when you create a universe in a laboratory and mess with space and time it will actually cause "no harm to the fabric of our universe."

WHEW! Now that is good to hear.

My question is, "if you shake the universe and then open the lid, will it fizz like a coke?" If it does, I bet all the other scientists will point and laugh at you.

the f-bomb

2006-08-12T22:22:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so today, I came as close to dropping the f-bomb as I have ever come in about 7 years. It was sometime after I hit a water line in our downstairs bathroom and sometime before I finally located the valve to shut the water off. Running frantically through the house I had to consiously think about not saying the f-bomb knowing my little son was somewhere in the house. I am sure he did, however, hear some other choice words.

Let's just say today has been a challenge. All I can assume is that the Apostle Paul must have been a home owner who had a basement bathroom like mine... surely, this is the thorn in the flesh that is so commonly debated. For me, it just makes sense.

Anyway, I've been to lowes 3 times, home depot once, target once, and spent close to 6 hours in the smallest room in my house... and it still isn't finished. Maybe this is why I have put off finishing this bathroom for over a year.

Anyway, Jenn has finished putting together the towel rack and it is time for me to add this final piece. So, fare well my friends, I am heading back in... you might want to put your fingers in your ears for this one.

my brain is on fire...

2006-08-10T16:46:00.000-04:00

I am currently reading "Paul: An Outline of His Theology" but Herman Redderbos. I freely admit that the only reason I am reading it is because it is assigned reading for a class I am taking. It is, I think, the most mentally challenging book I have ever read. My professor offered no help when he said, "it was written by a PhD for PhD's" Uh... yeah... I'm a BS.

In realted news, here are the words that Ridderbos used today that I had to look up:

- Antipode
- Assimilable
- Syncretism
- Philologists
- Lassitude
- Architectonic
- Predilection
- Paraenesis

Reading stuff like this is supposed to help me get smarter, but most of the time I just feel dumber.

more how-to help...

2006-08-09T09:21:00.000-04:00

A while back I posted a link to help us all with the oh-so-common problem of how to survive a sword fight. Well, today I received more help for life that I felt obligated to pass on... namely, how to survive a freestyle rap battle.

Also, before you go to the link above, please be aware of the following warning that I pulled from the page:

"Spit" as used in the context of this article is a synonym for rapping, not the forcible expulsion of saliva from the mouth. Please do not practice the latter kind of spitting; it does not make you look nearly as cool.

in over my head...

2006-08-07T17:33:00.000-04:00

Well, I am up to my eye-balls with work, school and family... which is probably why I am writing a post right now... It seems that I often look for ways to avoid doing the things that I really have to do (like read 1,000 pages for school).

The truth is, it is just the getting start that is hard. Typically, if I can just get the ball rolling, I can plug along and get-er done. I guess that is where my problem is... If I get this ball rolling, then I have to read for the next 33 hours of my life and with a daunting reality like that looming overhead, I just cant find the heart to give the ball its first push...

maybe I'll push it after dinner... maybe.

WOW!

2006-08-02T22:11:00.000-04:00

Yeah, it took 1 day for my books to arrive (see the post below). YES, I said ONE day. I coudn't be happier... well, you know what I mean.

BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS!

2006-08-01T09:58:00.000-04:00

Ok, haven't posted in a while, for that I apologize. School, work, family... just been busy. However, I will try to get back in the swing of things.

For all those who love books, check this out! Prices are the best around and $5 flat shipping. This is seriously dangerous for all you book lovers... it sucked me in for $65 this morning. I bought the following books:

Shepherding a child's Heart (bought 2 so Jenn and I can both study)
When Life and Beliefs Collide (bought 2 too)
The Family Worship Book (current issue I've been thinking a lot about)

Finally, many props to the Todd (I think it was Todd) at RTS who let all the virtual students I spent a week with know about this bomb-tastic website.

Read-on Friends!

quick 2 cents...

2006-06-08T09:58:00.000-04:00

Elwoods started carrying a new coffee brand and I am pretty pumped about it. The company is Counter Culture and they are pretty passionate about doing coffee right... they go as far as to say in their promotional material "Counter Culture has heart, passion and a moral conscience." While I find that a pretty bold statement, these people certianly try to do thing the right way.

AS far as the coffee goes, my first try was Peru Norte and I really enjoyed it... I would go as far as to say that it is my current favorite coffee. Today I picked up Rowanda Karaba and can't wait to give-er a brew in the morning. Will let you know if it lives up to the hype.

i feel like a sissy...

2006-05-31T14:29:00.000-04:00

Our good friend Pat Robertson shows us that, while he can’t always control the muscles in his mouth, the ones in his legs are apparently quite the opposite: Click Here

In related news, I am pretty sure that I haven't been to the gym in over 2 years.

the interesting code...

2006-05-05T14:04:00.000-04:00

wow, two posts in one day...

Anyway, I have been reading some different material online in regards to Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code in preparation for a lecture that I will likely be giving in relation to the book and movie. While most all the critiques are along the same line, pointing out the historical inaccuracies, I came upon this incredibly insightful analysis of the book.

The review was written by Jed Walker, Director of the Every Nation School of Campus Ministry in Nashville TN. If you are into the whole 'Da Vinci Code' dialogue, I believe this would be a refreshing breath of fresh air in a conversation with a lot of repetition.

two cent earl...

2006-05-05T09:18:00.000-04:00

Ok, I watch My Name is Earl. In fact, I watch it every week.

The first time I saw a commercial for the show I thought, "man, who would watch this crap?" Then, one fateful thursday night when there was nothing on the other 10 channels we get, I stopped on the show. After the first night, I was hooked.

As I have watched the show I always walk away saying, "what is it that I like so much about this show?" I mean, the whole premise of the show is that Earl is working to "right" all his "wrongs" under the supposition that if he does good where he did bad then he will be rewarded with a better life. This is all motivated by his belief in karma, which Earl seems to ascribe deity.

Now, my problem is that this is clearly unbiblical. The problem lies in the fact that, at its root, the list is self serving. Earl's motivation is that he wants a better life... He goes down his list, righting his wrongs, mostly because he doesn't want bad things happening to him anymore.

This is the problem of having a life that has not dealt with the Cross of Jesus Christ. At its deepest level, the center of your actions are focused on yourself. This is true in both the religious and non-religious world. In religion, self is at the center. You do work to please a God so that you can receive a reward (paradise, enlightenment, nirvana, etc).

This stands in stark contrast to Christianity. In Christianity, God is at the center of all. Contrary to the misconception, the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ is not for you to enjoy a life of eternal bliss. The sacrificial death of Jesus is for the redemption of people who can never redeem themselves so that God's grace in Jesus might be glorified (Ephesians 2:7). John Piper is one of the best contemporary scholars on this concept. Piper points out that God's glory and our joy are closely related... such that, our greates joy is when God gets the glory he has ordained that he receive.

When one has received the gift of salvation is Jesus Christ, he or she then is transformed (not by their actions like Earl) but they are transformed as a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). When this occurs, something very amazing happens. Men and women are motivated to show this transformation through outward works. The difference between these works and Earls works is what is at the center. For those redeemed by God in Jesus, the center of their actions is not themselves, but God. Their good works (righting wrongs) is not to earn favor with God (for he has already given them his favor freely, apart from any work) but instead, they are full of joy and their good works are showing the reality of the change in their life.

A great example of this is found in Luke 19. We see a tax collector named Zacchaeus. After encountering Jesus, his life is transformed. The result is his making restitution to those he had stolen from. The restitution was not to gain Jesus' favor, for Jesus had already show him favor by choosing him. The restitution was out of a heart transformed by an encounter with Jesus.

See, Earl's problem is that the very thing that motivated him lie, cheat, steal, etc is the same thing that motivates him to do good things. In the end, he is looking out for himself.

But, I guess I watch it because I have hope for earl. See, Earl's greatest strength is that he is humble. well, sort of... I guess humility is marked most clearly by looking out for other and not yourself (Philippians 2:3-11)... but compared to say, the nerds at the OC or the Apprentice, it is refreshing to have a TV character that isn't annoyingly prideful. While his theology is off, Earl might just get it someday... Maybe some day he'll add to his list, "exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man" (Romans 1:18-32).

luke fans unite...

2006-04-24T15:58:00.000-04:00

For all the Luke Barrett fans out there, he has managed to update is blog with a some pictures and 2 videos. So, take a moment to check it out. The pics are pretty impressive... we're talking magazine quality. Also, it is pretty amazing what he can throw together with his digital camera that take 30 second clips and a laptop that isn't a mac... I must admit I am impressed indeed.

baby burns #2...

2006-04-18T17:01:00.000-04:00

So, we went to have an ultrasound today and discover the sex of baby burns #2. Before you get too excited, we are going to keep this little surprise to ourselves as long as we can... so the mystery continues for you.

Now that you know that I am not going to reveal the sex, I wanted to make my initial observations on finding out vs not finding out. I would say that Asher's birthday was one of the single most incredible moments in my life. I still get awestruck remembering the room, the sounds, the emotion... and then there HE was... not she, not it... HE! That was an amazing moment that I believe everyone should experience at least once. So, when we found out about baby #2 we talked about the option of finding out. I was against it initially as the first time was so amazing. However, I knew that Jennifer really wanted to know and truthfully, so did I. The decision was finally made and today was the day...

As we drove into the hospital, I wondered what it would be like... would I cry like I did when I saw asher? Would Jenn cry? Would I have a flood of emotions? Would I be disappointed if it was not a boy? Would I laugh if it was a girl? I had no idea what to expect.

We entered the room and the ultrasound was pretty run of the mill with the ultrasound-ninja taking pics and making notes about all kinds of stuff. As the ultrasound progressed the moment of truth came. We directed our gaze at the screen. The nurse pointed out things to us. We saw the baby's cute little face, hands, and feet (the feet were the most distinct and amazing... 10 little toes)... and the the lady said, "and here is one leg and the other, and here is its bottom and between..."

And there it was... We knew who baby burns was. I sat there for a moment thinking, "wow. we are having a ____." I didn't feel the flood of emotions... I mostly felt like, "where are the emotions?" After the nurse walked out I prayed for jennifer and the baby, thanking God for making it just the way he wanted and in my heart treasuring the prayers for our baby. We gathered our stuff and headed out the door.

As we walked to the car, I was mostly sad that I did not 'feel' anything... THEN, like a wave, Jennifer and I both started to cry... It was then that I realized what is so special about finding out... For, the baby is no longer just "a baby" it is _______.

On the way home we just smiled and talked about the baby and it was so much more... real... I could see in my mind, looking in my rear view and seeing Asher and his _____ sitting right next to him. It was (is) so amazing.

So, is finding out better? no... just different but no less special. If I had it to do over again, I'd still find out... but only because I have had the experience I had with Asher. Please don't get me wrong, I LOVE KNOWING! It is so amazing. But my two cents... don't find out on the first one and after that... fielders choice.

Right now, I just cant wait to hold him... or her... or them... HAHAHAHA!

good-friday thoughts...

2006-04-14T10:19:00.000-04:00

For those who are unaware, today is good-friday. As I sat at my desk this morning, I took time to read through the gospel accounts of Jesus' trial and crucifixion (Matthew 26-27, Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23, John 18-19). I have to admit that I often find it difficult to truly grasp what happened that day. Not that I can not mentally understand the facts, but I find that I don't grasp the weight of the account. I feel guilty that, as I read, I do not feel in my heart the emotion and passion that I think I should. I mean, this is the crux of all history. This is the panicle of all creation. Yet I read it and am not move to tears... The injustice, the mercy, the power, the humility, the pain, the joy, the sorrow, the peace... the paradox of Christ's suffering and my freedom... He receiving all I deserve... It is just so amazing. How can this story become commonplace? It becomes so normal that its weight and gravity decline in my heart.

Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of The Christ, helped many (myself included) understand what that day was like. Watching the movie was truly a helpful moment in my walk as a follower of Jesus. To see and face what the physical aspect was like for Jesus allowed me to gain better image of the true pain experience by Jesus. That said, I would have to say that the time I most felt the weight and reality of the events of good-friday was listening to a sermon on the substitutionary attonement of Jesus by Pastor Mark Driscoll in Seattle, Washington. Along with the physical aspects, this sermon allowed me to meditate on the spiritual reality that Jesus bore in his body on that cross... namely my sin. If there was only one thing that you did on this day to meditate on Christ's crucifixion, I would recommend listening to this sermon.

In conclusion on this good-friday... remember that the goodness of this day is at the expense of the greatest injustice ever committed... God, perfect and holy, taking the punishment I deserve. In truth, I (and we) all deserve the wrath and destruction of God. But, because of his goodness and mercy, he has, for us who believe, taken this upon himself.

To my savior and king I am ever grateful. I am no longer my own, I am now and forever wholly yours.

grace and peace to you...

2006-04-03T16:50:00.000-04:00

I am currently studying the book of Philippians. The other day I noticed that I tend to just glance over the first couple verses of the epistles (books of the bibles that are letters). My unconscious logic was that the introductions are typically very similar... "my name, to your name, something spiritual that sounds good." and my thought, to some degree, was, "yeah, yeah, how ya doing... lets get to the good stuff."

As I glanced past it in normal fashion I was cut to my heart that I would regard any portion of God's Word as mundane... I mean, if Jesus was sitting at the table with me I would undoubtedly hang on every word and syllable from his mouth... Yet, as I sit with Bible in hand, I indeed have Jesus sitting with me... speaking to me... So, I repented for my apathetic reading of scripture and took time to meditate on God's word in verses 1 & 2 of Philippians:

1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

As I took my time to read this introduction I began to wonder about grace and peace. I looked up the greek words using studylight.org's interlinear study bible. I was awe struck by their definitions:

Grace: the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.

Peace: the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.

WOW, I thought... Is there anything more I could want or need in this life and grace and peace. See, the point is that to skim scripture lightly and not allow its depth and beauty to penetrate and transform your soul is to do a great injustice to yourself and to the Lord... Would you tell Jesus to "...just skip to the good stuff"... No, for indeed all His words are the good stuff. May we take the time to listen and be transformed.

MySpace post...

2006-03-31T14:20:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post for all you MySpace people out there:

Click here if you are a MySpace user

you welcome,
_ryan

Still alive...

2006-03-28T15:47:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am alive, well sort of. After an amazing Campus Harvest conference, Jennifer and I are still in NC at the Every Nation Campus Ministries staff summit. We have been going non-stop since friday morning and it is starting to wear on us (and Asher... what a little champ)... Anyway, the summit has been amazing. The humility and sincerity of pastor Jim, pastor Ron, Pastor Bret... WOW! it has been so refreshing to hear from them and be strengthened, encouraged and released to serve God in our callings.

I wish I could write more, but I must go read a little bit before tonight's session. To all the VCU readers, I miss you and can't wait to be home. Have fun tonight with Pastor Robert. Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ... or Christ Jesus our Lord ;o)

thank-you NPR...

2006-03-23T20:31:00.000-05:00

So, on my way home from work I listened to a piece on NPR about a new movie coming out called "Snakes on a Plane"... seriously... To top it off, it stars Samuel Jackson. I am thinking of Passenger 57 meets Anaconda. I can't think of a lamer movie... However, it has already managed to get a cult following on the internet that actually led the producers to re-shoot the movie adding stronger language and nudity, bumping the rating from PG-13 to R. Let me get th is straight, you are on a plane full of snakes and suddenly you want to get naked... Hmmm, makes sense.

Seriously... in the words of the teacher from Billy Madison, "...we are all now dumber. I award you no points and my God have mercy on your soul."

twocent vacation...

2006-03-22T21:21:00.000-05:00

So, jennifer and I got away for a little R&R last weekend.
We snuck away to a little bead and breakfast outside of Charlottesville.
Here are a couple pics:

This is the bowling ally we almost went bowling in on Saturday night. We ditched it after waiting 20 minutes for a lane and tried to find and arcade... after that failed we tried to find a place the GPS system called "Planet Fun" unfortunately, planet fun must have been lame because it is no longer there... or anywhere... So, we went to dairy queen for blizzards.

Saturday afternoon we went to the Blue Ridge Parkway and went hiking on a fun little trail. The waterfall was worth the trip (and $15 that the us government extorted from us for entry to the park)

This is the fireplace in our room. We were glad that it was still cold enough to run the fire. We slept with it burning both nights... mmmmm, fire...

Man, we are goooood lookin!

This is where we ate breakfast every morning. Let me tell you, whether you like them or not, the grits were AMAZING!

Just a fun pic I took.

In case you were unaware...

lessons from coach freakley...

2006-03-22T20:38:00.000-05:00

This fella here is Ben Freakley. For those of you who have had the opportunity to hear the a long version of my Christian journey, this is "the roommate" who came back from Texas all fired up about Jesus to live in a party house with 5 other college guys and "needed a ride" to church every Sunday. Thanks to this guy (and God's grace) I got hooked up with some people who really helped me learn what it means to live a life committed to Christ. For that reason, he has always had a special place in my heart.

Well, over the years our paths drifted and I have tried to keep tabs on him from time to time. Today, thanks to the wonders of the internet, I discovered that he was named the head coach for the VMI (Va. Military Institute) mens soccer team. I am so proud of him...

I have not met many people who love the game of soccer as much as this guy. In college Ben attempted to walk-on for the GSU soccer team and was cut 2 times (might have been 3)... but he was passionate and tenatious and, despite the jokes from his friend (me included), he continued to work hard and eventually the coach asked him to join the squad. After a solid playing career, Ben was asked to join the coaching staff at GSU as he worked on his masters in sports management. From there Ben went on to be an assistant coach at Univ of South Carolina. Then he got his big break to take the head coaching job at Erskin (a small Presbyterian DivII school). When he got there he didn't have much to work with and I believe he recruited something like 16 freshmen his first year. It was amazing the work he did in such a short time there. There is no doubt that he took his passion and knowledge of the game and poured it into those young men. In his second year, even with such a young team, there was a dramatic improvement.

So, now he is off to VMI and I am thrilled for him. On the school website Ben is quoted as saying, "VMI has such a great history and reputation of building tomorrow's leaders. I believe soccer is another avenue of teaching the values of leadership, honor and integrity, which is a philosophy that I follow as a coach." No doubt, this in not a PR major (he's also the reason I changed my major to PR) just saying the right thing... he really means it, and that, I have no doubt, is what makes him a great coach.

So, what is the lesson to learn from coach freakley... Don't quit, even when you're laughed at. Work hard, have honor, have integrity... be passionate... and be willing to be a person that changes other people's lives (personally, I'm glad ben was).

because you need to know...

2006-03-21T11:23:00.000-05:00

I found a useful website today that I wanted to pass along. This specific link is to a page that I feel is particularly applicable to all of us... I mean, who doesn't need to know how to ............

funny stuff for theologians...

2006-03-20T14:36:00.000-05:00

There are three types of funny... Stuff that is funny because of what is said, stuff that is funny because of how it was said, and funny because of who said it... this one falls into the last category.

"After the reading of Scripture, which I strenuously inculcate, and more than any other ... I recommend that the Commentaries of Calvin be read ... For I affirm that in the interpretation of the Scriptures Calvin is incomparable, and that his Commentaries are more to be valued than anything that is handed down to us in the writings of the Fathers -- so much that I concede to him a certain spirit of prophecy in which he stands distinguished above others, above most, indeed, above all"
-Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609)

OK, maybe this will help you see the humor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobus_Arminius

twocent education...

2006-03-10T15:51:00.000-05:00

Ok, I had a request that I actually follow through with my post about the education system that was brought on by 2 NPR stories I heard... While I heard the stories a while ago, I remember that one in particular delt specifically with the evolution vs intelligent design debate. After listening to the story I was annoyed in general because the issue, I think, is more about how we teach children. See, you can teach evolution all you want or you can teach ID all you want, but what I really want is to see a student who actually knows how to think about what is being presented and be able to wrestle with it and come to a conclusion on their own... I mean, lets be real, evolution is a theory. If that is true, then you must not only teach the student about the theory, but also how to analyze it and come to personal conclusions based on evidence given.

I think the problem is that we don't teach children to think... we teach them to regurgitate. This pissed me off (best way to describe it) when I was in college... There was nothing I hated more that a COLLEGE student asking, "will this be on the test?" Who cares! You are at the university to THINK for goodness sake... god forbid you actually wrestle with an idea or concept just for the sake of learning something... Instead, we have classrooms full of people who are only seeing a piece of paper and are willing to accept anything a professor says, so long as it will be on the test. OH how I long for the day when students will fill their test with the "wrong" answers because they really believe they are right... not only that, but they can articulate why it is right and are willing to humbly fight for their conviction.

I could rant more, but here is the deal... if you are a college student stop being lazy and start to think, ask, learn, wrestle...

Less than 1% of the world population has a college degree... that puts you in a very elite group... DO NOT WASTE IT!

twocent art...

2006-03-09T19:34:00.000-05:00

So, if you've ever been to our house, you have seen this print hanging gracefully above our fireplace. My good friend James Thomas Howell from Atlanta is the artist of this and several other pieces in our house. If you'd like to see more of his work, you can visit his blog. If you like his stuff, then hound him with emails to post more of it online... The kid can spit it out, I think he just needs some loving, ego stroking, motivation to get it online.

Jim, we love you! Feed us art!

another twocent book review...

2006-03-08T19:49:00.000-05:00

2.895 out of 4 crockpots

Before I picked up this book I had never heard of James Philip or the church Holyrood Abey... However, by the end of the book I felt like I should have. The book is a collection of contributions from individuals who have been impacted by the ministry of James Philip during his years as pastor at Holyrood Abey in Edinburgh Scotland. Phillips passion and dedication to the expository preaching the entire scripture, prayer, and care for people in and out of his congregation has had an impact far beyond what human eyes can see.

The book is divided into 4 sections. 1) the making of the man 2) the holyrood years 3) the wider mission 4) perspectives: biblical, theological, church-historical. The first three section deal a lot with Philips and his impact on people's lives. That last section deals more in depth with the principles that Philips applied in his life and ministry. As a minister, this book was an encouragement and challenge. As with the last book review (the supremacy of God in preaching) I was challenged to keep the scriptures and Christ at the center of my preaching. To deviate is to do injustice to the position and call of a preacher. Along with this conviction, it was great to hear the response of people to the preaching of scripture. Story after story was about how sitting under the expository preaching and teaching of the bible changed people's lives forever. I found myself saying, "I've never heard of this guy, but I want to be just like him."

While the book is great, it is easy to get lost as the writers often go from story telling to teaching/point making mode. The last section really throws you if you aren't prepared to shift gears to strictly theological reading. That said, like any book, you just have to roll with it. While this book isn't going to be one that everyone rushes to the store to pick up (since most stores don't carry it) I'd still recommend it to those who have some free reading time to fill... Actually, it'd be a good beach book... Something to inspire, entertain and educate you all in one happy binding.

The plague...

2006-03-03T17:27:00.000-05:00

Sorry for not posting in a while. The plague has rested on the burns household for the past month. I've been sick three times, jenn a couple and asher some... most recently included Asher's first visit to the emergency room (see pic)... that, on top of work and my studies... basically, I have plenty of excuses, so cut me some slack. I did post a new book review above, so check that out. I 've been reading a lot lately and actually have two more reviews I'd like to post eventually... till then...

Bru... oh forget it...

2006-02-23T09:31:00.000-05:00

As the faithful readers know, I have been quite vocal about my dislike of my new coffee travel mug from Brugo. For those who are interested, I simply wanted to share another trial it presented me...

This morning, as I poured my coffee in the mug (yes I use it still... mainly because I lost my good mug and the replacement was crappy)... so I poured my coffee and started to tighten the lid... the only problem was the lid kept spinning. It took a moment before I realized that the lid was not spinning, instead the metalic rim was spinning due to the fact that the glue that holds it on lost its glue-y-ness. I just had to laugh at that point... the mug I thought couldn't get worse, actually got worse. So, I am officially starting my quest today to find a new mug... so all you coffee drinkers out there, if you have the bomb-digity travel mug, let me know cause I'm in the market...

the Brugo saga continues...

2006-02-22T11:07:00.000-05:00

While I still stand by my review of the Brugo coffee mug (here) I wanted to let you read the reply that was posted on my blog by the inventor of the Brugo. I appreciate his honesty (and the fact that he stopped by the crockpot in the first place). So, in honor of his efforts and his public relations prowess, here is his post:

1 Comments:

At 4:18 PM, http://www.brugomug.com/ said...
Hello All, Well its been a long couple of months . Let me tell you. I am the inventor of Brugo. I have been paying close attention to all the comments, good and bad. Your both right!!! A few years back I set out to make a coffee mug that addressed every problem that a coffee drinker faces in his daily travels. I came up with the PTZ( Perfect Temperature Zone) concept. By separating 1.5 oz's of coffee from the main content, it would cool your coffee one sip at a time. This would take the wait off the front end, keeping your coffee hotter for the life of the cup. I also wanted to make a fashion statement with my mug. On Sept 1,2005, I had the first working prototype, By Nov 1 I had made 1200 to test and do some focus groups. Somehow, Without asking for it,A mug made it to "Mens Health Magazine". They put it in their December Tech Guide Issue as a "Top 100 Product" for 2006. One week later, "Good Morning America". Holy Cow!!!!!! What do I do now?? Within a week, Running my company by myself, 15000 mugs were sold. Scrambling to figure out what to do.I did the best I could. I ordered mugs to fill orders and had them airfreighted in at a loss. I am not looking for sympathy. I feel that Brugo customers deserve an explanation.The mugs that were rushed in, although good, could have been better.Customer service at the time was no where near what it needed to be. We stand behind our product and are continuously improving PTZ technology. To anyone who has had problem, I do apologize and would like to make it up somehow,please call me or Email me. 1-877-brugo-go. Keep on posting your thoughts, It makes us work harder at getting better. Sincerely, Spero Pavlos President JolexUsa Posted by: Spero at February 17, 2006 08:32 PM Post a comment

twocent politics...

2006-02-20T23:36:00.000-05:00

OK, first things first, I am not a political know-it-all. Also, I just finished listening to 4 hours of lectures on ecclesiology and it is almost midnight... So, take my two cents as just that...

Anyway, I read an article in Time the other day that got me thinking. The article was about the freshman senator, Barack Obama, and his rise to fame amongst the political landscape. While his political career is still quite young, many are pegging him to be the first black president. He has already said that he does not intend to run in 08, but many speculate that anything after that is open game.

The thing that struck me about the article was the sense of "game" that was about Obama and politicians in general. Everything they do (I know not everything) is a calculated move to position one's self for a better, more powerful position. My problem with that is I want "public servants" to have me, their constituent, as their motive... See, it seems to me that the government is designed to serve the people... Police and armed forces are formed to provide the citizens protection, education systems are designed to help educate and empower the people, courts are established to help govern the people... all these are, to a degree, the byproducts of the government. So, my problem becomes that when issues are brought before congress or the senate and my representative, or any representative, factors into his decision how his vote will impact his next election, or even an election in 10 years... not only that but how his or her vote will rest with his party members... that bothers me.

Actually, I don't mind too much that those thoughts figure into the equation, just how much is the real issue. I believe that our representatives should always be asking themselves, "regardless of what this means for me, what does this mean for the people I sit here representing." If that is not the lions share of the equation then I am greatly saddened and disappointed.

So, the question remains, can a person can make a career out of politics and keep the focus on the people. I wonder how many politicians are in anguish about the votes they make because they have waded through the out-working of how their vote effects people like me and you. I would say, saddly, they may be in anguish, but more likely it because of how their votes will effect themselves and not you.

1 Peter 5:2-3 says, "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock." oh that God would raise up politicians that fit that bill...

twocent flu...

2006-02-20T10:40:00.000-05:00

Sorry for not posting last week. I came down with the black plague or something like that Wednseday afternoon and it lingered until Saturday afternoon. I'm working right now, so I can't post more than this short snipit, but I want you to know that I have two posts lingering in my brain... one is about the idea of making a career out of politics (spurred by a Time magazine article I read last week) and the other is about the education system in America (spurred by an NPR piece on Darwin vs. ID debate). So, check back later this week for more twocent goodness.

The "urban renewal" of my chin...

2006-02-13T12:10:00.000-05:00

So, a while back I posted about a gray hair that I had found on my head. It was an odd moment, but I basically forgot about it... until yesterday morning, when shaving my face I saw, almost glowing, in my ghotee, a WHITE hair... Now, this was just a strange feeling... looking at my face and seeing a white hair. See, on my head it seemed, well, a bit normal. But for some reason, seeing a white hair on my chin was really odd. I find myself staring at it every time I am near a mirror, as if to see if it is still there or if the lighting was playing tricks on me in the last 4 mirrors I looked in... Inevitably, it is still there each time.

Now, mind you, I don't have a problem with white hairs on my face or the reality that some day all the hairs on my head and face could turn white... it is just, well, something I didn't really give any thought to until it happened... I wonder when more of his white friends will move in... will my face slowly play out the 'urban renewal' that is happening throughout richmond... will my chin be the next Carry Street? Will all the diversity of my chin, with its brown, red and yellow residents, slowly dwindle away as more and more white hairs take over. It is kind of sad... But maybe there is hope... maybe just a few whites will show up... and the diversity will simply increase as a new resident joins the neighborhood of my chin... As with Cary Street and the other like it, for my chin only time will tell.

twocent book review

2006-02-11T10:26:00.000-05:00

4 out of 4 crockpots

There are lots of books that you will read in you life that will give you good information. There will be books that cause you to think and ponder great issues. Then there are books that will change your life. The Supremacy of God in Preaching falls into the later category.

With an amazing blend of practical and theological, historical and modern, timely and timeless, John Piper delivers a clarion call to all those who would stand to preach and teach God's word. The call is back to the bible and to Jesus Christ. With the eloquence and humility of a man who has truly internalized the message he brings, Piper challenges young and old to a higher standard in our preaching.

While I could continue here to give you a more technical review, I would like to focus more appropriately on the impact the book had on me. Namely there were two things that this book did for me. First, it reminded me that above all things, the hearers of my messages need to gaze upon the Glory of God in the face of Christ. Our preaching is not a means by which we are to encourage people to "hang in there" or "6 ways to be happy"... Our preaching is to exalt Jesus Christ who is the only way to hang in there and the 1 and only way to be happy. Anything less than preaching satisfaction and suffiencey in Jesus Christ alone is a disservice to those who listen. As Piper puts it, "the goal of preaching is the glory of God and the grounds for that preaching is the cross of Christ."

The second great impact of this book on my life was that of encouragement. As one who stands in front of people to glorify God through the teaching and preaching of his word, there is often occasion for discouragement. It is our hope, as preachers, that our hearers will be impacted by the words of Christ and caused to grow in passion for him in life. However, we often can not see the usefulness of our preaching, as we can not watch the outworking of all the lives around us... So, for me, it was of GREAT encouragement, when at the start of his book, Piper says, "that the true usefulness of our preaching will not be know to us until all the fruit, on all the branches, on all the trees that have sprung up from all the seeds we have ever sown have ripened of the sunshine of eternity" (p. 22). For me, this was a healthy reminder that I carry close to me every time I open my mouth.

In conclusion, this book is highly recommended for anyone who plans to, or is currently, in vocational ministry. For those who are not, I think that it is equally important due to the reality that we are all preachers... heralds of the King. For some we stand in pulpits on sundays, others stand behind coffee counters, others in board rooms... Regardless of your case, we must always keep Jesus Christ as supreme.

Screw your courage...

2006-02-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

I have wanted to make this post since earlier in the week but have been held up by one thing or another... so, lets see if it is still as fresh in my mind...

Last Sunday I went to church to hear Robert Greene finish his series on what would happen if we stopped going to church and started being the church. While Robert is not much of a sermon-title-giver, I would say that the title was "Screw your courage to the sticking point." A little more palatable than my entry title (which I assume might not go over well on a sunday morning). Anyway, the reference to screwing your courage to the sticking point is from Macbeth. In a critical moment in the story Lady Macbeth is laying into her accomplice who is starting to chicken out when she challenged him to "screw his courage to the sticking point." The sticking point is a reference to screwing the tension on your cross bow to the perfect point where you have optimum control and power to kill your target. The concept is that when your courage is locked in to that point where it is supposed to be, then you will find success.

The application to the Christian life is that Christ is our sticking point. When we are in the midst of chaos, confusion, doubt, ect... it is that moment that we must screw our courage to the sticking point. We must fix our eyes upon Jesus "look full in his wonderful face. And the things of this world, they'll grow strangely dim, in the light of his glorious face."

This was the case for Peter when, in the midst of a great and perilous storm, he see Jesus walking on the water... As all hope was lost he screws his courage to the sticking point (he fixes his eyes and hope on Christ) and walks on the water to his king. However, we know that Peter began to look away from Jesus and pay a little more attention to the waves than Jesus and instantly found himself swimming in the sea.

I think that Robert said it best when he said that we must screw our courage to the sticking point that we might take gospel risks. I think this is true. Believers, with eyes and hope set on Jesus, are willing to do and undergo anything for the sake of their King because their security is not in the moment but fixed wholly on Jesus...

To the bloggers of the world...

2006-02-08T12:05:00.000-05:00

For all you bloggers, facebookers, and myspace-ers... I read a good article this morning in the Times Dispatch by Mark Holmberg that you should check out:

Click here to read the article.

Are you kidding...

2006-02-06T15:22:00.000-05:00

I have to get this one off my chest real quick... I have the worst luck with coffee mugs. I was at Ellwood's the other day picking up some bison meat for chili (super-bowl chili). I passed by the coffee section and saw that they had a very basic, stainless steal travel mug. I figured, since my Brugo mug was useless (see review) I'd pick this one up. This morning I filled it with my freshly brewed coffee and was on my way... no sooner had I sat in the car than I realized that the lid leaked (both our of the spout and around the base)... the kicker was in the parking lot when I accidentally dropped the mug and the lid popped off spilling all my beautiful coffee on the gravel... needless to say, that mug is now in the garbage...

two cent movie review

2006-02-05T14:46:00.000-05:00

3.5 Crockpots on a 4 crockpot scale.

I took Jenn to see this flick on our last date night. After grabbing some burgers at Red Robin (bacon, egg, cheese, onion straws, bbq sauce, and tobasco burger!!!) we headed to the movie. The crowd was thin, which is always nice and we got good seats in front of the rail even though the previews had already started. Thinking this was just another under-dog movie (ie. Miracle, or that one about the high school baseball coach who had a 98 mph fastball) I was thoroughly pleased with the depth of the movie.

Chronicling the trials of 7 black men playing division I basketball in the mid 60's, this film was an excellent balance of nail biting basketball games and the harsh reality of the challenges that this team encountered on their trip to becoming the 1966 Nation Champs.

I haven's seen many movies in the past couple years worth recommending, however Glory Road is a definite exception. As a bonus, stick around during the credits and you will actually get to hear what some of the real life players on the '66 team have to say about their experience.

Luke is cool

2006-02-03T10:14:00.000-05:00

While I am aware that thousands of people flock to this blog to keep tabs on my great wisdom and insight into life, I would like to direct your attention to another blog I feel is worth keeping track of. My dear friend Luke is heading off to a two year stint in Madagascar to help a local village... uh... design and implement gravity-fed water systems and other water/sanitation projects... anyway, go ahead and add http://lukejpbarrett.blogspot.com/ to your list of places to spend countless hours not doing what you are really supposed to be doing... like work or studying... cheers.

"one need not always travel far to explore the world - it is sometimes closer than is seems"
- monsieur barrett

The Governor Drinks Decaf... hmmmm...

2006-02-02T09:29:00.000-05:00

So, I don't know what this says about his leadership skills, but I have first hand knowledge that the governor of the great commonwealth of VA drinks his coffee decaf. How do I know this you ask? Well, about a week ago I decided to redeem a Dunkin Doughnut gift certificate I received for Christmas. Before entering the building I noticed four 'suits' get out of a white suburban and enter before me. As I walked in I had that,"hmmmm this seems odd" feeling. One of the guys certainly had the 'scoping the room for snipers' look about him. Then, at the counter I hear "decaf coffee and whatever these guys want, I'm payin." As he turns I look at him and have that "I think I know who you are but I'm not going to say anything just in case I am wrong" feeling. On my way out I see several people walk up and shake his hand... at that moment I realize, yup, that's governor Kaine.

So, as I revisit the moment, here are my thoughts on the whole encounter. 1) He picked up the tab for his fella's... that's pretty cool (unless he's just going to take the receipt back to the accounting department and make it a business expense)... 2) he ordered decaf. I don't know about that... I mean, my grandmother drinks decaf... take it like a man! strait up regular, no cream, no sugar! 3) he was riding in a white suburban (tinted windows and all)... how cliche. 4) I had a glazed sour cream doughnut that morning... it was good. 5) I really wish I had something worth saying to him... unfortunatly, I did not, and my chance to change the world or be mentioned in his Democrat Response speech passed by... I can hear it now... "and while I was in Dunkin Doughnuts the other day a wise young man said..." Oh well...

Friends... drink it black (but not in a brugo... see post below)

Brugo... More like BruNOgo

2006-01-23T20:29:00.000-05:00

Ease of use: 1 Cockpot
Heat retention: 1 Cockpot
Doing all it saidit could do: 1 Crockpot
Style: 3 Crockpots
Overall Coffee Experience: 1 Used, Greasy, Nasty, Crockpot

Price: $24 with shipping (ground)

crockpot Scale:
4 = Like a perfect potroast
3 = The roast isn't bad, but need a little salt
2 = Looks like the dog will be eating well tonight
1 = How can you ruin a potroast?

Let me begin by recommending that you visit www.brugomug.com to learn a little more about the mug I am reviewing. For me, after visiting the site I was prepared to pay any amount of money necessary to have the revoloutionary new mug. Below is a recounting of my experience and an explination for my rating of the mug (see above).

Here is the gist... this mug is supposed to deliver the perfect sip of coffee. However, the problems with this mug are so many that I honestly, I can't go into all the details. The short end of things is that the mug does not retain heat well, it leaks (even when in the lock position), the 'sip' that is provided in the 'tip and sip' feature is an amazingly small sip, the shipping on the mug is only available as ground and takes 2-3 weeks, and the help department is only mildly helpful (assuming you can get your email to go to a real human).

In all, the whole experience from ordering to drinking my coffee has been a disappointment. I have resumed using my busted up nike coffee travel mug that, even though broken, works much better than the Brugo... final conclusion: don't waste the time or money (or take the Brugo concept, perfect it, and then sell me the mug... I'm waiting).

On the road again...

2006-01-19T12:23:00.002-05:00

So, I shall attempt to resume my blogging activities without using the phrase, "well, it's been a while since I've posted anything here." or any of its derivative forms... but I guess that, since I just put it up there, I have failed at my attempt... regardless, the crockpot has been turned back on and I hope to have some tasty morsels to throw in and let simmer for a while.

I do have several things that I would like to discuss, however I will refrain for the moment so as to not fall into the common trap of not posting for a while and then posting all my thoughts from the past 8 months... So, for today I simply recommend that you visit www.marshillchurch.org and navigate to Downloads -> Sermons -> Christ on the Cross then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Christ on the Cross Continued then scroll to the message at the bottom of the page. The message is on the Sacrificial atonement of Jesus. I listened to it this morning and was moved to tears as I contemplated the work of Christ for me on the Cross.

For now, that is all. Check back later for my not-so-spiritual review of my new coffee mug from Brugo. It arrived yesterday and, believe me, I have a lot to say about it...

Coffee Recantation

2005-09-19T11:39:00.000-04:00

Ok... I must officially recant my former statements about World Cup. I was wrong (mostly). The parts about annoying music and scantly clad women still hold true, yet World Cup has won my patronage for several reasons:

1. They often offer a selection of organically grown coffee. While I used to to like my coffee doused with a heatly dose of chemicals and pestacides, I have recently decided that these chemicals, which were designed to kill anamials of one persuation or another, might indeed be bad for me.

2. $1 coffee. That's right. Simply bring your own cup and it is only a buck. Now that is hard to beat.

3. Music isn't always annoying. In fact, it is usually good when I go in... I'd say 90% of the time. That's an A (but barely).

4. No smoke. Just a preference at 7:30 in the morning.

All that said, I officially recant my public defemation of World Cup. I openly encourage its patronage and invite you to join me in a pestacide free, $1 cup of coffee.

World Cup is Still Lame

2005-03-22T12:37:00.000-05:00

So I went to world cup again... mostly because I didn't have cash on me and knew Puddin' Heads doesn't take plastic. So I get my oversized cup of coffee at Starbuck's price and take a seat in a corner table. As I take out my bible to read the crowd starts to pour in and the volume reaches slightly irritating levels... the music turns to some rock/punk mix. I look across the room and see photos of some frontal nudity and I wonder to myself... is this for real? Yup... it is frontal nudity hanging on the wall. I pause to think, am I the only one who realizes that there is a naked woman on the wall? Conversations continue, children sit with their soccer-moms and play with the crumbs of thier overpriced bun cake... A VCU security officer sips his coffee while techies like myself soak up the free wi-fi... The trendy art kid with his $10 salvation army sport coat with patches on the elbows slings his $125 deisel bag over his sholder and I wonder... is this for real? What a strange parallel universe exists in World Cup. I can't decide if I hate it or if I need to stay here longer... One thing is for sure, I gotta change seats becase the topless woman is starting to wig me out...

Rainy Morning

2005-03-14T10:10:00.000-05:00

I must admit that I really like raining mornings. I guess it is easier to like rainy mornings when you have a really good life. I would imagine that if life was harder, rainy mornings might bother me a bit... However, I have to admit that I have it pretty good. I have a wife that loves me and works to understand me. I have a son that sleeps through the night and doesn't cry that much. I have a great roof over my head (and will soon have a great basement under my feet). I have two cars to get around. I have money in the bank. I have food in the fridge. I have money for 'every good work' that God places before me. I have great friends. I have inlaws that help me with my school expenses. I have parents that stand with me in everything I've ever done... For all that I have been given in this life, I am most grateful to God, who has acted according to his grace to give me far, far more than I deserve. May I never take it for granted or think that which I have been given is mine at all...

Don't see that everyday...

2005-03-10T10:25:00.000-05:00

So I was going about my normal morning ritual at starbucks. As I sat reading my Bible and meditating on the being of God, I see a camotion out of the corner of my eye... I look up in just enough time to see a hawk fly right into the front window of the store with a resounding THUD. Not sure if I really just ssaw that happen, I watched as the hawk flew around to the other side of the building and across the street where he perched on top of a vacant building. He (or she) has been there for about 15 minutes now and I can only assume that this bird is shaking off a tremendous headache. In a final bit of odd-ness, I can see an outline of the hawk on the window (it was apparently a dirty bird... or had dandruff). What a weird event...

Apocalypse now

2005-03-08T18:08:00.000-05:00

Ok, today’s sign that the end is near:

I was talking to a student (whose name shall remain anonymous) this afternoon. The student was informing me that her professor openly declares to her class that she is a relativist. Now, in life, you ocassionaly run into someone who might who claims to be a relativist, but when really pushed, they’ll collapse under the pressure. However this professor has somehow managed to hold tight to her relativism. This student actually said that the professor announced to the class that “there are no wrong answers in her class.” WELL OF COURSE THERE AREN’T! There CANT be! If everything is relative, then when she said I have to write a paper on subject xyz, I can turn in a slice of American cheese and she’ll have to give me an A… however, what does that A ‘mean’? I could answer all her questions with the number 5 and they’d have to be right… but what is 'right'

Now, here in lies the thing that makes me want to vomit up my granola bar… This lady is a university professor who is supposed to be helping to equip the future leaders of our nation. What a screwed up world we would have if this professor’s life outlook and philosophy were to become the norm of society. It just doesn't work...

In the words of the principal from Billy Madison, “Mr. Madison (mr/ms Professor), what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

Folly

2005-03-07T11:55:00.000-05:00

So, last night I preached at Paideia for the first time. My text was Ephesians 4.25-32. In general, I feel good about the evening. However, I must admit that preachers are quite susceptible to insecurity following any given sermon. The fact is that we have been entrusted with a great task in preaching... we are to stand before a group of people and expound on what God has revealed about himself in scripture and how that relates to us. It is a monumental task that should be taken with great trepidation for the mere fact that there are a lot of people who will simply believe what you say. The fear in my heart is that I stand and declare something that is not true to the nature and character of God... even in subtle things... As I reflect on last evening I run through the sermon in my head (I'm scared to listen to the cd) and I ask myself, "Was I true to the Word? Could I have said something better? Did I labor too long on a point? Did anyone get it?" Just as I am on the brink of thinking that I should, for the safety of all mankind, never preach again, the gentle word of God rings true in my heart, like a tuning fork adjusting my internal pitch of fear to that of faith... "in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe." Ahhhh what comfort the word of God brings. In the wisdom of God he has chosen to use frail and fallible men (like me) to preach the message of the cross and see lives transformed. While I might not have spoken with eloquent words, or I might have made mistakes, the reality is that I attempted, with every fiber of strength of mind and heart, to preach accurately God's word. I trust that He is more than able to take my folly and save those who believe.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
~ romans 11.34-36 ~

C3

2005-03-02T18:07:00.000-05:00

So I am here at C3 for the first time and am really impressed with what all is going on. I highly recomend you drop by and check it out... Tell 'em Ryan sent you (this won't really do anything, but it'll be cool). It is a really nice space that you can just go and hang out. They have lots going on, so check out their site: www.c3va.com

Coffee, Art and Cool People

2005-03-01T18:07:00.000-05:00

First things... well, first.

I went to World Cup to get coffee today. I unashamedly admit that it was for the sole reason that I knew they had free wifi. That said, I must admit that World Cup is lame city! The atomosphere was cramped and, while I like techno as much as the next guy, it just doens't work well in highly caffinated, tight spaces. I couldn't deiced if my headace was related to the caffine, the music, or the fact that I had to put my computer, watch, phone, coffee and book all onto a talbe 20 inches wide while everyone that tried to sit next to me bumped it causing intense fear to shoot through my body at the possability that my new computer might die from an unintentional drowning... Puddin' Heads RULES!

Secondly, I have been inspired lately to art. I know 'art' isn't a verb, but that is the best I got right now... I admit that this desire has been spurred on by my friend michelle who has started a non-profit called C3 (www.c3va.org). Check out the site and you too might be inspired to be cool...

I gotta go, world cup is making me insane...

Great Mercy

2005-02-25T10:25:00.000-05:00

So, As you can see from the previous post "elect exiles" I am reading 1 Peter this morning... thanks to my new computer's wifi, I can noe post my thoughts on my morning meditations without leaving the comfort of Starbucks...

Anyway, as I continued to read on in First Peter, I was overwhelmed by, what Peter calls God's "great mercy." In verses 1-6a of chapter 1, Peter expounds on the greatness of this mercy. As I read this scripture I am overcome by the reality that I do not deserve the grace of God. The sin that stained my very soul caused an immeasurably great chasam between me and God. However, through the greatest act of mercy, HE caused us (I being part of us) to be born again... not only that, but we are born again to a living hope. I don't know if this does anything for you, but there is a fire in my heart that burns stronger when I think about the reality of this verse. Then I continue and see that our inheritence in Jesus is "imperishable, undefiled, and unfading." WOW that is good stuff. Then it is toped off by saying that all this is being guarded by God's power... Truley, God's mercy is great beyond what I deserve or, at times, can truly comprehend.

Elect Exiles

2005-02-25T09:54:00.000-05:00

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion... according to the foreknowledge of God the Father..." ~ 1 Peter 1:1-2

So, the question is, "are they elect and exiles" or are they "elected to be exiles." Do you even see the subtle difference? I would surely lean toward the latter. However, while Peter's audience is surely suffering as natural exiles in the dispersion, in fact, aren't we (Christians) all essentially elect exiles. We have all come from a world and are now, strangely, strangers within it. Gently walking in the tension of the already and the not yet.

Just thinking bout it this a.m.

Grey Hair and a Postmodern Simpsons

2005-02-23T09:19:00.000-05:00

I've been sitting on this post for a while now. The main reason is that this week is crazy as I am trying to cram two months of seminary classwork into 1 week... while I'll probably blog about that later, let us focus our attention on two very important recent events.

The first event is the discovery of a grey hair on the right side of my head, about one inch above my ear. While jennifer has informed on several occasions that she has found grey hairs on the back of my head, this was the first one that I found for myself. I guess I kind of had the "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" mentality. It jsut seemed so sureal to look in the mirror and see this silver hair glistening amongst all his dark brothers (is hair male or female???). While I am not opposed to grey hair in general, I jsut feel like 27 is a bit young for it to begin to creep in... oh well, I guess time will tell how serious the situation is.

The second event was the uber-postmodern Simpsons episode last sunday. Normally I miss out on new Simpson episodes because of church, but this week I was able to catch it. The main gist was that Bart told a lie that got Milhouse's dad arrested and Chief Wiggim promoted. Lisa and Principal Skinner began to try and search out the truth and ultimatly discovered the lie. ONe of the characters (can't remeber which) basically said, "well everyone is happier because of the lie, so why expose it?" then the show ended. Jennifer and i both looked at each other and said, "did it just end like that?" There was no resolution or and "to be continued"... it just ended. I'm sure that there was a lot more to make mention of, but I'd have to watch it again... maybe I'll catch the re-run some day... it'd certainly be worth watching again.

Drywall is Lame

2005-02-23T09:18:00.000-05:00

I guess it isn't so much drywall that is lame in and of itself... It is more the process of hanging and mudding drywall that is lame. I'll be pretty happy when my basement is finished. We'll probably throw a party if it ever happens. You'll be invited I'm sure.

Pete & Repete

2005-02-23T09:17:00.000-05:00

It seems like every time I want to post something to my blog, I am in starbucks... this has led me to believe that I need an Apple G4 Powerbook. I know this might seem like a quantum leap in logic, but, hey, whatever it takes to justify me getting a Powerbook seems logical enough... Like, "it is cold outside, I need a Powerbook" or "I sure do breath a lot, I need a powerbook."

Anyway, in order to post something of some value to someone somewhere, I shall reign in my vain Powerbook prabblings and try oand focus on useful thoughts... mmmmmm... ok.

So, I've been reading 2 Peter for the past couple days and I must say that it has been quite rewarding. I would say, up to this point I considered myself a 1 Peter kind-of-guy, but this 2 Peter stuff is fla-vo-riffic. I will keep today's observations to one speciffic point that I really enjoyed, and that is chapter 1 verses 12-14

Therefore I intended always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. (italics mine)

The thing that I like about this is that Peter is saying, "hey, I know I always say the same thing... I know that you know it.... I know that you understand... but I am going to repete it again. " I think that, often, Christians think that once they hear or learn something that is all there is to it. However, I have found that, for me, I am most encouraged and challanged when I sit in on a class that teaches the foundations of the faith... Is it because I do not know the foundations or that I do not have them established in my life? No. It is that I need to coninually remind myself what it is that I believe so that I might be able to take them to others.

May I (and others) never get to a place where we believe that we are in a place of maturity that, when we hear something we have heard before, we tune it out because, "oh, I already know about that." Truly this scripture nails home the importance of repetetion and the need we have for it.