So what's up Doc?

Doc says Grace could be born tomorrow, she could be born in 3 weeks, or anytime in between. Should Grace tarry in the womb much longer, I may try to get Lindsay a warehouse employee back-support belt, the kind with suspenders.

I was thinking earlier about related issues within this birth saga. Lindsay's level of discomfort and horizontal expansion [which I'll call "A"] are directly proportional to our excitement for Grace's arrival [B]. A and B increase together.

For me, the proportional increase of A and B are merely correlational, whereas for Lindsay there is a causational component (i.e. B increases as a result of an increase in A), though the rise in B for Lindsay certainly has a whole host of other reasons. To simplify: "Get out Grace!!!I'm getting huge and will soon need a crane to help roll me over in bed! Plus, I can't wait to meet you face to face."

On Church Community

[This is something I wrote for our church's monthly newsletter]

Open Doors

When I walk through my neighborhood I often think about the fact that it’s called a community. It seems the primary reason for calling it such is that my neighbors and I happen to live in the same geographical location. Considering that so many of us don’t even know what our neighbors look like, let alone actually know them personally, in what sense is it a community? It seems closed doors are reflective of closed lives.

What then is the meaning of community for our church? Is our community based on the fact that we all congregate in the same location on Sunday mornings? True, being together in the same place plays an important role in community, but that’s only part of it.

Com- is a prefix that means together or with. Unity means oneness. Essentially, community means oneness with others. In one sense, our Christian community is a present reality. It’s based on our acceptance into the eternal family of God by his grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We’re united with believers everywhere because we’re members of Christ body, the Church.

But in another sense, Christian community is something that must be entered into through personal relationships with other Christians. These must develop for there to be oneness with other believers in the local church.

In his prayer to the Father in John 17, Jesus said, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Jesus prayed that his followers would know the same kind of relational oneness that he experienced with the Father. The Bible tells us that the Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father. Jesus prayed that we would know the same kind of love for each other. And this love will be a powerful witness for a lost and dying world. Not only should we enter into meaningful relationships with one another for the good of the Christ’s church, but also for the sake of a watching world in need of salvation.

Sadly, our world doesn’t value what Jesus prayed for. Our culture in particular values the individual over community, self-reliance over humble recognition of our need for others, and the pursuit of one’s personal ambitions at the expense of sacrifice and service to others.

More married couples are foregoing having children, seemingly because they love their freedom from having their lives constrained by family responsibilities. People avoid making their needs known because they don’t want to be viewed as “charity cases” or lead others to think that they’re incompetent. Like contestants on “The Apprentice,” people, in order to get ahead in life, practice a cut-throat, do-whatever-it-takes-to-advance-yourself strategy even if it means trampling the trust and dignity of others.

These are but a few of the symptoms of a culture of self-absorption. But Jesus calls his followers to cut against the grain of self-rulership. We’re called to enter under his rule together; to strengthen, support, and love each other as brothers and sisters of the same family; and to build a community in which we serve one another and move out together in the world to help bring others into this community of Christ.

According to Jesus, anyone and everyone is our neighbor. We see the faces of our neighbors on Sunday at church. But do we know them? True, we’re already a community by virtue of our relationship to Christ. But we also need to grow in community—in oneness—because this was Jesus’ prayer for us. Let’s ask God to answer that prayer in the life of our church. And let’s be willing and ready to move into each other’s lives when God starts opening up the doors.

Wild Child Terrorizes Village of Smurfs

Toddler pictured here after gleefully tromping through the Smurf village and eating Papa Smurf and Smurfette.

Actually, my neice Sydney had a great time eating her birthday cake on her first birthday. She needed a bath afterward, as you can see.

Quotes from The Confessions of St. Augustine

I'm currently reading The Confessions of St. Augustine. I'm moved by his candid and eloquent re-telling of his journey toward Christ. My theology textbook describes Augustine as "the greatest Latin theologian and the towering figure of Christendom's first 750 years." Here are some excerpts that have struck me. Granted, I'm not giving their context, but I think that for the most part they're understandable.

"If you find physical pleasure in earthly experiences, use the occasion to praise God for these gifts. Turn your love not on the pleasures but toward their Maker."

"Proclaim this message, that sinners can only be carried to the Father after they go down into the valley of tears. You do not speak out of God's Spirit if you feel such a fire of sympathy for the lost that you do not tell them the truth."

"From You I now learned that nothing is any more true because it is eloquent. Nor is anything any more false because it is explained through inelegant lips."

"I did not yet hold to my Lord Jesus Christ. I had been humbled, but I could not yet find my way to the Humble. Nor could I yet discern what lessons this lowly teacher would give. Your word, the eternal Truth, far above the higher parts of Your Creation, raises up the meek. He came into this lower world to build for Himself a lowly habitation of human clay. He was abased to find such as would be subdued and bring them over to Himself. He heals their swelling, and nurtures their love so that they might go no farther in self-confidence. Rather He seeks those who will become weak, seeing before their feet the Divinity who became weak by taking our coats of skin. He was wearied that the weary might cast themselves down upon Him and be lifted up in His rising."

Prego Pics

"Lindsay, Full of Grace"


"Wonder-twin powers, activate!!"

Celebratory Toddler: "Oh Yeah!!!"

This is my niece, Sydney. She is stinkin' cute!! She's doing her uncle Tom's trademark intentionally geeky celebratory cheer.

Thanks, Kipper.

That's what I'm talkin' about.

personal sharing

I've had something on my heart that I want to share with you, my friends and loyal readers. I'm going to go mow the lawn now.

Something Smells Good in the Kitchen

Somethin' smells good in the kitchen.

I guess I'm technically a blogger now

I've never blogged before, but I read blogs. Maybe I'll try this for awhile. If more than 1 person reads this in the course of one month, I just may continue.