My Daughter's First Love

Charissa will be one month old tomorrow and she has grown and changed so much. It's fascinating to watch her see things for the first time and her reactions to them. We've discovered that she hates wind and tries to hit it away from her. She only wants to be on her tummy when she has the boppy pillow and if she's flat she'll scream her little head off.

But one thing that I never expected was my daughter to fall in love already. I think she developed a crush when she was about 6 days old and by the time she was two weeks old it was a serious love affair. She'll spend hours and hours just staring at him. It's hilarious to watch her when she's fussy and then she catches a glimpse of him she goes silent and her eyes get really big. I've tried to figure out what she finds so attracting in him, but I think he just quite literally lights up her world.

Here's Charissa staring at her love:


And here is her love:


That's right. Our daughter is in love with the lamp. It fascinates her. She just stares at it for hours, which works well for me because it allows me to read and talk to Britt with her being quiet and completely entertained.

Oh I love my baby! She is so entertaining and fun! And I bet she'll only get funnier as she learns to move and talk.


::EDIT::
Tonight when we were at our Community Group Charissa found out that our friends Brian and Julie also have a lamp that is oh-so-nice to look at. I watched her fall for that lamp as well. So apparently her relationship with our lamp at home isn't exclusive!

Conversations With Charissa

One of the things I read in a lot of baby books was that I need to be talking to Charissa on a regular basis. And not just rambling on and on, but having "conversations" with her so that she knows that when people talk there is a pattern of exchanges (i.e. one person talks and another responds). Surprisingly, this is something that is very difficult for me to do and I have to constantly remind myself to talk to her. It doesn't help that she is also extremely quiet unless she's crying so she's not exactly lending herself to conversation. The other thing that makes this difficult is that I don't know what to talk to her about. Someone told me to just dialogue what I'm doing with her, but that's hard too because I don't normally talk about getting dressed. I'm not really inspired to say, "Here comes the onesie! And now we're putting on the dress ... and now the first sock ... and the second sock ..." I do it sometimes - but it's just not my nature to be "cutsie" like that. Don't get me wrong - I love babies and I'm extremely fond of my own, but I've never been that person that gets in a silly voice and talks about their toes. I'm more of the person who says, "Wow ... that was a lot of spit-up! Do you like to spit-up? Is that your favorite hobby?" and other random comments. (I realize that as my daughter grows to be able to understand what I'm saying I'm going to have to SERIOUSLY reign in the sarcasm.)

So what do I talk to Charissa about? Let me give you a few sample conversations we've had this week.

C: WHAAAAA!!!
B: Are you so so hungry?
C: WHAAAA!!! WHAA WHAA WHAA!!
B: You want chocolate milk? I'm sorry but it doesn't come in chocolate.
C: WHAAAAAAAA!!!
B: A pina-colada? No you cannot have a pina-colada either! It'll be a long, long time before you have a pina-colada.
C: WHAAA!!
B: Well I'm sorry that you're upset, but you're just going to have to be ok with regular milk for now.


B: Whatcha thinking about?
C:
B: I have also often wondered why your clothing comes with pockets.
C:
B: I know, I know. What do you put in them?
C:
B: You're right, your pacie is probably the only thing you would be able to fit in there.
C:
B: Hmm ... doesn't fit. So it seems that pocket is pretty much useless.
C:
B: Well thank you! It's so nice that you appreciate me carting all your stuff around for you.
C:


Yes, I do enjoy my little chats with Charissa. For the most part she's a great listener and only occasionally falls asleep when I'm talking to her.

Stay tuned for more totally ridiculous conversations!!

I Need Your Help!

Recently Britt and I have been amazed with the number of babies that are being born at our church. When I got pregnant I was the first of my friends outside of church to be pregnant, and there was only one other woman pregnant that I was close to. Because I didn't know much about pregnancy or how to be a parent and especially not how to afford a child, I read a TON of books. I discovered that about 90% of them are the same and about 50% of what they say is somewhat useless. At least it was for me because I don't have an unlimited nursery budget and I'm living in the real world.

So this got me thinking about how I could help these other young mothers prepare for the arrival of their child. I started assembling the notes I had taken from the books I read into a short packet of information, and then started compiling ways that I had saved money on clothes, diapers, all the big stuff, etc. But then I thought, "I'm only one person that has had one baby (and really recently). I'm sure other people have more experience or different ideas about how to prepare for a baby."

And that's where YOU come in! I would love to hear from as many people as possible about how you saved money preparing for the arrival of your child, what things where really important for you to know, the most helpful advice you heard, what you've learned, what was a good product to have and what wasn't, etc., etc., etc..

I'm really looking forward to compiling this information and giving it to these ladies because I think it would be a huge blessing to them. But it will be much more helpful with your input, so please let me know everything you know about babies!

House Arrest!

The first time that Charissa and I went to her pediatrician they told us that we need to stay away from "crowds" for two months. Their definition of "crowds" includes the mall, the grocery store, church, restaurants, etc. They told us that two months was decided on because that's when Charissa will get her first set of immunizations. That first round of immunizations includes polio, hepatitis, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. All are common illnesses that I fear my child will get at the local grocery store. But as my mom said, "All it takes is one person to lean over Charissa and say, 'What a cute baby!' to infect her with something that could put her in the hospital." So we're being good. We're staying at home away from all the germs. But fortunately for us our church is small enough that we can get away with going. YAY!!

So what do you do when you're under house arrest? Well, let me show you what Charissa has been up to ...


Charissa sucks on Mom's nose ...



She snuggles with her daddy ...


She *sometimes* enjoys tummy time ...


Frequently stares at large white objects (i.e. the walls, ceiling, refrigerator) ...


And mostly she just sleeps ...


On April 1 (exactly two months after birth) we're going to celebrate rejoining the rest of society. But until then we're going to enjoy bonding and getting to know each other. Of course we'd love visitors!! As long as you're not sick or carrying polio, pertussis, or tetanus!

Life is SOOOO Different Now

Baby Charissa is 11 days old today, and my life has never been changed so quickly. Even getting married didn't turn my world upside down the same way having a baby has. But I have enjoyed it immensely! I've learned so much in the last 11 days, experienced new things, and been completely overwhelmed with love. Let me share with you the highlights from my brief parenting life.

1. Love isn't based on what you do - it's who you belong to. I loved my daughter before she was born, and now that I've seen her I love her even more. And nothing she does makes me love her. I love her because she's my daughter. Just like how God loves me because I am His child, despite the fact that I can't do anything to make Him love me. But this is reassuring because both Charissa and I cannot do anything to change the way we are loved.
   
2. Singing hymns can calm the wild beast. When all else fails, Charissa loves to hear her parents sing hymns and praise songs. I am reminded of Saul and how he had David play the harp for him when his spirit was in unrest. I am hoping the similarities end there because I'd rather Charissa not throw a spear at me one day.
3. Squeaks can be the sweetest sound. Since she's too young for talking, or even cooing, Charissa communicates her happiness in little squeaks. I've found that the tiniest little squeak can make my heart melt.
   
4. A feeling of helplessness overwhelms you. Last night Charissa was crying her little heart out and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. She had been fed, she was dry, she wasn't sick, she was in comfortable clothing and yet she still wailed. After about 45 minutes of her screaming I began to cry. There was nothing I could do for her, and yet I would have done anything for her to make her happy. She's so small and fragile and I just long to protect her, but I know I can't do that forever. I've been praying that I entrust my daughter to God because He is infinitely wiser and more capable of caring for her than I.
   
5. Baby kisses make me smile. Now I know that an 11 day old baby cannot really kiss, but sometimes when I have her up by my face she puts her mouth on my cheek and it makes me laugh. She loves her mommy and she's trying to show it!
   
6. Phantom crying will haunt you. There are moments when Charissa is sleeping soundly but I hear crying in my head and I turn to go check on her, only to realize that I'm just imagining it. Sometimes I think that she's crying softly, but still just in my head. Whenever she is crying it's always quite robust so I don't know why I ever think the tiny cries I hear in my head are actually her.
7. A distinct baby smell will permeate everything. Now I'm not saying that everything will smell like poop, but there is a distinct baby smell that will get on your clothes, your hands, your furniture, the air ... and you'll learn to love it.
   
8. Forget the schedule. Everyone says to get the baby on a schedule as soon as possible, and I completely agree. But when your schedule requires a 4:00 feeding and your baby is still asleep and you try to wake her up for an hour, what are you supposed to do? It's nearly impossible to wake a sleeping infant, so you just have to flow with it. As long as she is happy and eats farther apart that every 2.5 hours, I'm ok with it (although Charissa usually waits about 3.5 hours between meals in the day and 4-5 hours at night). I'm sure when she's a little older we'll get on a regular schedule, but for now we're not going to try to add the pressure of a schedule to learning how to be a family.
   
9. Small bodies require large equipment. It's amazing how a 7.5 pound baby necessitates so much stuff. The crib, the changing table, the diaper champ, the rocker, the swing, the bouncy seat, the high chair, the bathing tub, the toys ... and then there's all the clothes, towels, blankets, hats, burp clothes, and pillows! Our once very neat and organized house has been consumed with little pink things.
   
10. All the stories you've heard about explosive poop are true. The first day Charissa was at home her Nana was changing her diaper when Charissa decided she wasn't quite done. Let's just say that there was a load of laundry done immediately. And that the walls had to be cleaned.
    

Oh the joys of parenting! And we've just begun! I'm so excited to see how Charissa grows up and changes our lives even further.

Baby Pictures !!!

Here are some pictures of our sweet little girl:

My Favorite Pregnancy Moments

At 5 days overdue, I have been spending some time reflecting on the last nine months (and five days). Being pregnant has convinced me yet again that there is a God. And a smart one at that. I've probably read 25-30 books about pregnancy and the first year and I just cannot understand how anyone can believe that this all happened by evolution or accident. There is such attention to detail and every step builds on the last one. It's just miraculous. And then there is the fun of the baby kicking! Or moving. Or bumping around. Or dancing to punk music. (And don't laugh - my baby is a big fan of punk and emo just like her mommy). I think that the first time I felt the baby move I fell in love with her. She started taking on personality and gave me clues to what she might be like. And there is always the fun of me coming up with Charissa's opinions - and who can argue with me? She's in me! I should know her the best, so when I say her favorite show is "Friends" you have to believe me.

I have loved being pregnant, but there have been moments when I have not enjoyed it. And most of those have been because being pregnant is an obvious and open invitation for everyone who sees me to comment about pregnancy and babies. Some of which has been good and helpful, but some has just been irritating. I've tried to learn greater patience and grace through it, but I haven't always succeeded at that. For those of you who have been pregnant you can sympathize. And for you others, you're probably thinking "Oh no - I've probably said those things!" Well ... maybe you have. I bet I have. All I know is that I won't say them again!

I want to share with you my "favorite pregnancy moments." Some sound harmless, but keep in mind that I probably hear them everyday I'm in contact with the outside world.

1. "It's so obvious - you're having a boy!" [Interesting, seeing that my doctor said it is definitely a girl.]
2. "You're getting so BIG!" [I've always been tempted to say "So are you!" but I've never actually done it.]
3. "You look miserable." [Well, I was feeling fine but now I do feel miserable. Thanks.]
4. "You know, none of your clothes are going to fit in another month or so." [Is that an offer to buy me a new wardrobe?]
5. "Are you excited?" [Nope.]
6. "Looks like you've put on a little weight." [Seriously?]
7. "Oh look at your poor legs! They're swelling to look like tree trunks!" [That has got to be the nicest thing anyone has ever said about my legs. Thank you.]
8. "Why, I can't even tell you're pregnant!" [I'm 6 months pregnant! Do you think I'm just fat in weird places?}
9. "Still pregnant huh?" [Why no! I had my baby and then immediately began stuffing my shirts to look pregnant again because it's so cool!]
10. *On the phone* "Did you have your baby yet?" [Sure did! And I was so disappointed about it that I decided not to tell anyone about it.]
11. "You should name your baby ____" [Our government is a democracy. My family is not.]
12. "You ever think about labor and how much it's going to hurt?" [Gee, I thought when God said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children" He was just kidding around!]
13. "Wow - you sure do have the 'pregnant glow!'" [It's hot in here and I'm sweating. In fact I think you have the "pregnant glow" too.]

Ahh ... the memories. Sure has been a fun nine months. I just can't wait for the next phase to start. Of course then I'll probably have to put up with things like, "Pregnancy weight sure is hard to lose, isn't it?" and "Your boy is so handsome!" I really am afraid of what I'm going to say when someone calls my beautiful baby girl a boy. God give me grace!

Please continue to pray for us as we enter into our last DAYS of pregnancy!!

The Servant Song

We are travelers on a journey, fellow pilgrims on the road;
We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear.

Sister, let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant, too.
Brother, let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant, too.

I will weep when you are weeping, when you laugh, I'll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow, till we've seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven, we shall find such harmony,
Born of all we've known together of Christ's love and agony.

We sang this song at our church service last Sunday morning and I've been thinking about it a lot since then. As we sang the first line I began pondering who I was being a "fellow pilgrim" to and who were mine. What an incredible task! To walk alongside someone through all the trials, tears, laughter and song! We think about this when someone gets married and they vow to love the other in "sickness and health" - but when I came to faith no one said to me, "You know, you are now to walk alongside your brothers and sisters in Christ through all circumstances."

I want to be a fellow pilgrim though. God has definitely softened my heart in the last year to want to be there for someone else in need. And I guess that stems from my desire for someone to be faithful to me in their friendship through all the ups and downs my life brings. And I'm learning what it means to be there for someone when they need to laugh, or cry, or be silent, or be fed, or ... when you need me to help you host a dance party (the last one might be a stretch for most of you, but would probably bless my husband tremendously).


I'm glad God planned for the Christian walk to be one with fellowship. I couldn't do it by myself. So thank you to all those who have helped me, are helping me, and will continue to help me. I pray that I can increasingly become someone who is a faithful friend.

New Family, New Gifts, New Year's

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2

My wife and I traveled to visit her parents two weekends ago, and God used it to bless us far beyond what we could ask or imagine. We were overwhelmed with their generosity and kindness toward us, especially after such a trying (engagement, wedding, newlywed, pregnancy) year. Her parents displayed the goodness and grace of God in their overflowing gifts for us, and we were humbled to remember that God does this for us every day. He is the one who showers, rains, waterfalls His grace upon all believers in Christ forever, and that is exactly why He has saved us (Ephesians 2:7).

So we praise God for the E and F families, and we praise Him even more for His overwhelming riches in Christ Jesus.

CHRISTmas in New Bern

So we had the privilege of spending Jesus' birthday time in New Bern, NC, with my mother, stepfather, brother, and aunt. We thank God for them and the good time He gave us with them.

Our long weekend with them included baking cookies and desserts, playing basketball, taking the dogs for a walk, making jokes, eating big dinners, going for a carriage ride behind a large horsie, practicing the Treece family tradition of the "grab bag," sleeping a lot, opening many presents (especially those for our daughter), participating in a God-centered worship service at Temple Baptist Church, and playing a spirited game of pictionary.

We had a blast! We love you guys!

To Movie Or Not To Movie? - Movie Reviews

I've been thinking for a while about posting some regular movie reviews, since my wife and I go see and rent quite a few. They make for good storylines, conversations, and dates, if well-chosen. Many evangelicals, especially the more "fundamental" or "conservative," shun movie-watching. They think it "unholy" to participate in such things, as if holiness comes mainly from abstaining from certain things. That thought is gnostic and wrong, but I certainly have that strand of thought in the backlog of my mind. By God's grace, I am learning to be schooled by His Word on this one. Some Biblical pointers:

• God created all things, including artistic media, emotions, pictures, and words, for His glory. "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer." 1 Timothy 4:4f
• Seeing something evil does not constitute participating in that evil, especially in art. Isn't that our assumption as we read Biblical narrative?
• We ought, however, to hate that which is evil, in movies and all of life. "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." Romans 12:9
• We know, too, from experience that we struggle with certain things depicted in movies - things like immoral sex, foul language, crude joking, robbery and greed, slander, gossip, drunkeness and substance abuse, anger and violence, and many other things that spring from our hearts, as Jesus says in Mark 7:21.
• So we must choose and watch movies (like everything) very carefully, knowing that it is not the art or entertainment that is sinful, but our own hearts and our specific sin struggles.

Now we're ready to review. On to the movies!

Newer
"How To Eat Fried Worms"
This is a great movie - fun, energetic, realistic, and hopeful. I can't remember the last movie that reminded me so well of middle school (and almost made me want to go back!), plus there is really nothing objectionable in this movie, unless you have a weak stomach. The eating-worms-all-kinds-of-ways jokes never get dull, either.

"The Illusionist"
This movie was interesting and entertaining. Midway through, I found myself wondering why it hadn't ended yet, but not in a bad way. It kept us guessing in a different way than most magic/murder/heist movies do. The love story, apart from the obvious fornication, was sweet, genuine, and winsome. Many would object to the movies use, almost commendation, of magic, but the reaction of the on-film audience gives us a distance from the truth-or-deception scheme that remains helpful throughout. We still found ourselves happily surprised at the end.

"Invincible"
A pretty typical sports movie - your average, down-and-out, working-at-a-bar-part-time dude gets a chance to play for the big, hometown, down-and-out team, with relatively amazing results. Even though this plot has already been pretty well beaten down, I found myself rooting for Vince Papali, even if all the details weren't accurate. It's a rare movie that makes you want to move to Philadelphia, hang out with the down-and-outters, and play football in a muddy little field late at night.

Now on Video
"Rumor Has It"
An interesting modern American coming-of-age, finding-yourself story told through the eyes of the wishy-washy, flimsy-handed morality that appeals to postmodern relativists. The romantic comedy storyline is tried and leaves the view feeling empty in the end. I certainly wouldn't watch this movie with any children around, but it does have some beautiful shots and landscapes.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"
Hmmm, dark and disappointing. Lot's of good, weird material but without the spunk of the first installment. I'd skip it and wait for the third.

Random/Old
"Gettysburg"
Good movie, great acting, good history lesson for my high-school-history-forgetting self. We especially like "Dumb and Dumber"s Jeff Daniels playing a serious role as a professor-turned-Army captain.

"Chariots of Fire"
Great movie. The film spends too much time on the arrogant, barely likable runner Harold Abrahams, and not enough on the Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell (for whom the movie is best known), yet it still packs enough of a God-centered punch to leave an impact for years to come. And it makes you want to get out and just . . . run.

"Almost Heroes"
Chris Farley and Matthew Perry are funny, very funny. Much of the subject matter is inappropriate and offensive. You make the call.

Roses and Mr. Clean?

For our Sunday afternoon of enjoying each other's company, Britt and I went to the Arboretum to walk around and see what was still alive. Amazingly, a lot of flowers were still there and the trees were beautiful. And like every time we go to the Arboretum together, some lady is walking around in a wedding dress.

But the most interesting event of the walk was at the rose garden. We were smelling all the roses that were somehow still managing to survive through the cold when we stopped at a flower named "Mr. Lincoln." We smelled it and Britt says, "Wow - that's really strong. Like perfume or something." I smelled it again and said "No ... it smells like cleaning products ... it's Mr. Clean!" That's right - there is a flower that smells exactly like Mr. Clean.

So the next time you use Mr. Clean, instead of saying it smells like cleaning products, you can say, "Wow - my bathroom smells like fresh roses!"

Posters

I thought we could start posting some pictures on here to let you know what we are up to. Here is a poster I made at diy.despair.com of myself and my best buddy, Stephen Day. Yes, I make these posters while I'm waiting for other stuff to load at work. It really isn't very hard. Actually, I made this one at home. That's how much fun it is.

B & B Day

Well, Lil B's birthday is next week, so I took her out for a birthday date today. We went to:

• The NC Museum of Art, then
• Bojangle's, then
• The NC Museum of History, then
• $1.50 Theater to see "Barnyard," then
• Pier 1 Kids to get CJ some toys

Highlights were some of the photos at the art museum, eating Bo's fries, laughing at costumes and the movie, and spending (down to two cents) a $50 gift card (thanks, Romit!). We had a great day enjoying God's world and His gift to us of each other.

BrittTreece.blogspot.com

Big B has his own blog! He's over here now. It's named, "Take Hold of One Man," after Isaiah 4:1-4, and obviously referring not to Britt, but Jesus Christ. Come check it out.

You can still catch us both here, but this site will now have more pictures, laughs, and updates, and less preaching . . . well, maybe, but not much less Bible. We love Jesus too much.

Make Your Own Posters

This is absolutely hilarious if you like to match pictures with words in the style of despair.com.

Ten Facts about the "Prosperity Gospel"

1. The "prosperity gospel" is destructive.
"But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction." 1 Timothy 6:9

2. It is deceptive.
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." 1 Timothy 6:10

3. It is decisive. You either believe in the things of this world, or you believe in God. One or the other.
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." Matthew 6:24
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." Psalm 20:7

4. It is decrepit.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

5. It is decreasing.
"And the world is passing away, along with its lusts; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 2:17

6. It is declarative. Believing in this false gospel says something about your faith.
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15

7. It is defective.
"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life?" Mark 8:35-37

8. It is delightful to sinful ears.
"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching, for the time will come when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." 2 Timothy 4:2-4

9. It is deductive. That is, it takes away from the truth of the Gospel.
"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve." 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

10. It is defeated. The lies about the Gospel are already finished off.
"As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:5
"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!" 2 Timothy 2:8-9

The Sovereignty of God in Prayer

"I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company."
Romans 15:30-32

Pastor John Piper in last week's sermon, recounting an older sermon on the same verses:

"In response to prayer, God changes human wills! Otherwise, they're ain't no point in praying! . . . Prayer assumes the sovereignty of God over human wills. The sovereignty of God over human wills is not a problem for prayer, it's the basis of prayer!"

I had a great conversation with a loved family member this last week on this very topic, and this thought should get some more discussion going. For the record, this is exactly what the Bible teaches. Otherwise, why would you pray to God, for people? If He can't and won't touch our beloved free will, what can He do?

Thank God that He has not left us to ourselves, but has invaded our little kingdoms of wicked wills and led us into the infinite kingdom of His beloved Son.

One Year Ago Today . . .

(To My Wife)

One year ago today I took you out to dance
to spin and shake and create romance
and on the ride home I stopped where we met
even if my excuse was too easy to get
you saw right through my little surprise
just like you always do with your clear eyes
and an awkward walk down the old sidewalk
- remember how I could barely talk?
my trembling heart and hands played a song
that He wrote on my heart so many months long
then to kneel and scramble and find the shiny thing
that signifies we two as one - a wedding ring
oh to cry and whisper and hold you so close
maybe we'll do it again tonight, who knows . . .

So we've been on the road so many times,
and staying out late and talking on the line,
working in our house and learning how to be
married
I know it's hard and I love you so
I can't do it all so let's remember to hope
in the One who is supreme in grace and power
Who comforts and helps in joy hour by hour
He is the one Who is infinitely wise,
Who wills and works and we don't know why,
He is good and He is Christ.

so I put this up for all to see
and I write with smiles of glee,
"I love you more today than I ever have."
Your words and heart and mind and love
are a gift to me from God above
so I love Him more today than I ever have.

God At Work

God at Work is a great book by Gene Edward Veith. He uses his pages well to explain and apply the Biblical doctrine of vocation as Martin Luther understood it. It is an encouraging look into not only (as the title appears to suggest) that God is present with people at work but also that God is Himself working in and through all of our callings in life. It was amazingly God-centered, God used it to bless B and I time and again. We happily recommend it to you.