Why do people blog?

Honestly, why do people blog?

I do not have the answer to this very imposing question. You would think that I would have a very reason for using this site, but I don't. I have never passed out my blog address to anyone except one person. It is funny I catch myself acting as if many eyes are watching, but the truth is that nobody cares.

Blogging, narcissistic? Not for some.

Anyway, (simple crutch word in the English language which do not mean any way but, I have a loss for words and please hold as I ponder my next dubious statement) I believe that I blog out of a sense of duty.

If someone could tell me what that duty is, I will be most pleased.

Last Thought: Happy Father's Day!

Mission Trip 2006 - Alabama

Please pray that the Lord is glorified in all that we do in Mobile / Dauphin Island Alabama!

The youth choir is going to help clean up the wreckage from the hurricanes. We will be ministering to the communities and sharing the gospel with tons of people. Please pray that God will use us as vessels for his good and perfect plan. Please pray that our attitudes are fixed on Him and not what the devil wants us to be caught up in. Please pray that lives will be impacted eternally.

The Example of John Owen, a Puritan - Piper

I mentioned earlier that the old Puritans called this drawing near "common with God." We need to learn from them. J.I. Packer says that the Puritans differ from evangelicals today because, with them: communion with God was a great thing; to evangelicals today it is a comparatively small thing. The Puritans were concerned about communion with God in a way we are not. The measure of our unconcern is the little that we say about it. When Christians meet, they talk to each other about their Christian work and Christian interests, their Christian acquaintances, the state of the churches, and the problems of theology - but rarely of their daily experience of God.

According to Packer the greatest of the Puritans was John Owen. Owen's experience of communion with God is a great example for us. God saw to it that Owen and the suffering Puritans of his day lived closer to God and sought after communion with God more earnestly than we. Writing a letter during an illness in 1674 he said to a friend, "Christ is our best friend, and ere long will be our only friend. I pray God with all my heart that I may be weary of everything else but converse and communion with Him." God used illness and all the other pressures of Owen's life to drive him into communion with God and not away from it.

But Owen was also very intentional about his communion with God. He said, "Friendship is most maintained and kept up by visits; and these, the more free and less occasioned by urgent business . . ." In other words, in the midst of all his academic and political and ecclesiastical labors, he made many visits to God.

And when he went, he did not just go with petitions for things or even for deliverance in his many hardships. He went to see his glorious friend and to contemplate his greatness. The last book he wrote - he was finishing it as he died - is called Meditations on the Glory of Christ. That says a great deal about the focus and outcome of Owen's life. In it he said, The revelation . . . of Christ . . . deserves the severest of our thoughts, the best of our meditations and our utmost diligence in them. . . . What better preparation can there be for [our future enjoyment of the glory of Christ] than in a constant previous contemplation of that glory in the revelation that is made in the Gospel.

The contemplation Owen has in mind is made up of at least two things: on the one hand there is what he called his "severest thoughts" and "best meditations" or in another place "assiduous meditations," and on the other hand relentless prayer. The two are illustrated in his work on Hebrews. One of his greatest achievements was his seven-volume commentary on Hebrews. When he finished it near the end of his life, he said, "Now my work is done: it is time for me to die." How did he do it? We get a glimpse from the preface:

I must now say, that, after all my searching and reading, prayer and assiduous meditation have been my only resort, and by far the most useful means of light and assistance. By these have my thoughts been freed from many an entanglement."

Thus Owen drew near to God by prayer and assiduous meditation and found light and freedom. In this way his was a zeal to draw near that accords with knowledge. This is the kind of zeal that we want. This is the sweet personal knowledge that keeps the zeal in bounds and makes it burn the more brightly. With this knowledge and zeal let us draw near day by day and hour by hour.

Read the whole article here:

http://www.desiringgod.org/library/sermons/97/032397.html

Senior Citizen

Today when the bell for class to end this morning I felt this cool sensation traveling up my spine. All of a sudden I had a grin on my face and I knew just what to do once I exited the building.

I AM A SENIOR! HIGH SCHOOL IS ALMOST OVER! O-V-E-R!

I am so exited. I am ready to let go of the high school drama and finish strong.

Time

Two Weeks ago, I was struggling to keep my head above the water with last minute school issues. This is how I felt.

"Where does time go in the winter time? Does it hibernate so you lose track of it? Where does time go in the spring? Does it jump forward because it cannot wait for flowers to bloom? I do not know. Recently, I lost my mind. Currently, I am pondering upon its whereabouts. Honestly, no joke. I have just now realized that it checked out Thursday and I need it back but I cannot find it. There are no handbooks or science guides to instruct me on my search, or road sign to point me on my way. There are no television shows to inform me, or words to tell me where to begin. I am currently checked out for life in general. Do I sound insane? I did not even know that the train was coming; I just got hit in the middle of the tracks of life, broad-sided. Gone. Tired. Weary."

Looking back I praise God for taking care of me! This past (and last for a while) week of school was a blessing. How I often forget who controls the universe is in control of my life. Just trust Him. I cannot stress it enough! This whole year has been about trusting God to handle life's problems and let him sit in the driver's seat. It was so hard to stand back and feel helpless, but I was not alone. I hate when it takes the heard times to teach us what we should have already known. If we could give it over every day, life would run, in my case, a whole lot smoother.

I Need Thee Every Hour

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

Refrain:
I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.

Refrain

I do not know why I love this hymm so much. I play hymms to cool nerves and relax. One night I opened my hymnal and found this song immediately. I found the words soothing to my weary soul.

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/n/ineedteh.htm

J'irai

J’irai sur la fin de l’Univers, loin de toutes mes inquiétudes, loin de toutes les réponses non connues de l’humanité, loin de toi, loin de tout ce que je voudrais te dire et je ne peux pas te dire, loin de moi. Quand je reviendrai, peut-être le monde sera autre. Nous serons autres... peut-être.

par Mariana Fulger

A Christ-Centered Church

While the definition of the word “Puritan” remains a matter of some debate, there is no doubt that ecclesiastical issues were close to the heart of every Puritan preacher. Despite the fact that in creed and sermon the doctrine of the church was incessantly expounded in terms of the covenant and of grace and the doctrines of Christ’s threefold office, historians of the period have not paid much attention to the strong Christocentric nature of the Puritan doctrine of the church. A full exposition of John Owen’s ecclesiology is beyond our present purpose, which is merely to demonstrate that Owen’s views of the church’s nature, composition, authority, mission, ministry, and worship have strong and direct ties to Christology.

The Nature of the Church
In the writings of John Owen one can find the following definitions of the church. The first is a definition of God’s house, his Zion:

By the church of Christ I understand, primarily, the whole multitude of them who antecedently are chosen of his Father, and given unto him; consequently, are redeemed, called, and justified in his blood;—the church which he loved, and gave himself for, ‘that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish,’ Eph. v. 26, 27. And, secondarily, also every holy assembly of mount Zion, whereunto the Lord Christ is made beauty and glory,—every particular church of his saints, inasmuch as they partake of the nature of the whole being purchased by his blood, Acts xx. 28. (8:286)

The church exists in visible structured societies, and must do so, since man was created to act in society, and the “principle end” of living in society is the glory and worship of God. To create a holy worshipping society, God revealed his will to Adam in innocence, and, after the fall, with a specific view toward the coming of Christ, to Adam’s descendants. Owen often calls such a society a “church-state” to signify all the various ecclesiastical structures since creation: households of patriarchs, the nation which covenanted together at Sinai, and the particular local church of the New Testament era (a “gospel,” or “evangelical, church-state”). By any definition, it centers on Christ.

- Richard Daniels

For the rest of the article visit:

http://www.johnowen.org/media/daniels_christology_owen.pdf

Bad Books

In English, I must read The Catcher in the Rye. I cannot take the language! I feel like every page sullies my mind to a point of non-recognition. I told my teacher that I felt that the sexual undertones and promiscuous content left much to be desired and I wished to switch books. I was ignored on the grounds that now days you must accept the language and more on she replied. She asked me how I could pick up a book that did not contain language or sexual content and I said easy. I quoted Philippians 4:8 and she looked at me like I was crazy. I failed the quiz because I refused to finish the book assignment. It frustrated me. Tonight I finished the book assignment and read excerpts aloud to my father and he was also disgusted. Arrg! I am not sure what to do next but comply with her wishes.

The Nicene Creed

Circa 381 A.D.

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

AMEN.

Chicago Photos

The Sears Tower

Do I need to explain this one?

Chicago Stock Exchange

College Photos of Importance

Tribute to the Pretzal and Libral Arts at Austin College

The only thing I enjoyed at Knox College

One of the Several Buildings at Austin College

Wheaton's Mastadon

Bible Verse du Jour

"And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."(Deuteronomy 31:7-9)

Puritan T-shirts

I am doing a project on several Puritan authors and when I was searching the web I found these two t-shirts. they make me chuckle.

Sands of Time

Okay, I was looking at the date for my last post and I realized that I have been living in warpspeed. I have been incredibly stressed recently. Possibly because I have been struggling with school and I am about to make my very first C in my whole life! Last semester I had an A average in Physics and now I am going to have a C. I am not thinking clearly at all. I just got back from visiting colleges with my Dad. First we visited Austin College in Sherman, Texas. I loved it, despite the lackluster surroundings of Sherman. Rien! The pre-med adviser greeted me wearing blue-jeans and a sweatshirt. He was very laid back and from what I gathered, really cared for his students. The campus has a real strong sense of community and there is a bond between all of the students and faculty. The students are often invited over for dinner and call their professors by their first name. The community service station had coloring book pictures on the windows. (I know that was a random statement but I love coloring books!) The second college I visited was terrible! I visited Knox College. On paper, I thought this college would be my number one pick, but in person, it was cold and the tour guide was a wreck. I felt so sorry for him and I thought to myself if I went here I would be in a living nightmare. The college lets the students vote on rules and policies along with the curriculum and teachers who get fired. His major he had been working on was deleted by the students and now he was reorienting himself in other fields! The whole campus is student-run and the curriculum is based on mini research projects throughout the year.

The last college was Wheaton. I did not really take hold of the three chapel services a week idea and my Dad did not appreciate the attitude experienced after visiting the financial aid office that if you do not have enough money to go there, just forget it. Oh well. It was too formalized if that even makes sense. If I had to make a comparison between the other two and Wheaton, I would say that it was friendlier than Knox and had a sense of mission but lacked coloring pages posted on the wall and a working relationship with the teachers. But, when I interviewed the French prof, he thought that since I spoke clean French that my Dad also spoke French fluently. I shook my head and said no, I just have a really good teacher that loves the language and teaching.

On the last day my dad and I visited Chicago! I love Chicago.

All in all, my Dad and I had a wonderful bonding experience and like my airplane bathroom phobia, I did not have to make extra stops, only the meal stops were made. At least now I no what I want in a college and a rule of thumb for looking at other colleges.

Random Shirts!

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What Role Does Sanctification Play in Salvation?

How do I "Pursue . . . the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord"?

Unlike regeneration, there is much Spirit-filled human effort involved in sanctification. On the one hand, "it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). "On the other hand," we're commanded in 1 Tim. 4:7, "discipline yourself for the purposes of godliness." God uses means of grace to sanctify us, chief of which are the personal and corporate spiritual disciplines. In the personal realm, these include intake of God's Word, prayer, private worship, fasting, silence and solitude, etc. These are balanced by disciplines we practice with the church: public worship, hearing God's Word preached, observance of the ordinances, corporate prayer, fellowship, etc. And all along, our confidence is not in ourselves, but in God. As Paul put it, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6).

Donald S. Whitney

Christmas in Review

My fear of shots and strange doctors in austere lab coats started at an extremely young age. I believe most people would agree that if somehow they could bypass the squeamish moment experienced at the dreadful office, the life expectancy would dramatically increase. Oh the horrors that are entailed once you are left in the sterile silence for the nurse to arrive, what mysteries lay behind her sly smile. Particularly one experience comes to mind when courage crosses my mind, enduring the ghastly visit and making it out alive and unaltered.

Unfortunately one morning during the Christmas break I woke up in a cold sweat, my eyes were glazed and a moat of drool surrounded my head like a halo. I gasped for air and swallowed my fear as I opened my mouth to see what was lodged in my throat. To my surprise, I had grown the largest bacteria culture known to man in my mouth. It was white and frothy and again I gasped, this time in disgust, my tonsils had been consumed by oozing pustules. It was time to visit the doctor, for one, I could not breathe, and two, the infection was highly painful and unattractive, fearing it would consume my face.

My mother drove me in quiet solitude; I knew what would be in store, definitely a kiss of penicillin. Immediately the doctor knew what was wrong as he plugged his nose and gazed into my mouth. He then shook his head and motioned for the nurse. I was not going to go through with it. Suddenly, my mother grabbed my rear and flashed a little skin and then the torture began. It felt as if syrup was passing through a pinhole. I felt my head become heavy and my arms limp and I thought I was going to lose it, and then it was finished.

It took courage to bear all and let that nurse stick it to me hard, but I thank her.

What do Galatians, Hosea, and Isaiah have in common?

What is the common thread between these three books? Let's look at them individually.

Galatians:
"The secret of the Lord is with those who have been broken by his cross and healed by his Spirit." Galatians exalts these two things: the cross of Christ as the only way a person can get right with God, and the Spirit of Christ as the only way a person can obey God. Anything that diminishes the beauty and all-sufficiency of what happened on the cross of Christ is anathema to Paul. Anything that puts our willing or running where the Holy Spirit belongs is witchery to Paul. And the reason we sense a kind of compassionate rage running beneath this letter is that someone had bewitched the Galatians to put themselves where the Spirit belonged and the works of law where faith in the cross belonged.” - P.T. Forsythe, a Scottish Minister

Galatians is a letter about God’s grace, an undeserved gift received by faith alone. Paul passionately speaks against the intertwining of the Jewish faith and the gospel of Christ. The people of Galatia have fallen from truth.

Hosea:
Hosea’s ministry was at the same time as Isaiah’s. Hosea opens up with an allegory, his wife, Gomer, a prostitute who represents the covenant people or Israel. God made him live the tragedy of Israel's unfaithfulness by marrying a harlot. What follows is shocking because the idolatry of Israel is shocking. Hosea continues to illustrate the adultery Israel has committed ant the covenant that was shattered, but it is not until God pursued her heart and brought her back. "And you shall know the Lord." Know here, is an intimate. Israel had tried to intertwine idolatry and God’s holy covenant. In chapter 7, verse 14 it says “They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds; for grain and wine they gash themselves; they rebel against me.” God pursue our heart and souls, genuine worship. But he is also a God of wrath and Israel had to understand the supremacy of Christ in all things. “He wants you to come into the wilderness, to listen to him speak tenderly and to respond to him, "My husband." God wants your heart, not just your hands, because if he has your heart he has everything.”

Isaiah:
Isaiah also pointed his ministry with the covenant life, constant reoccurring theme in the Old Testament. God’s people lost their vision of God and his kingdom of righteousness, satisfied with their own special blend on religion. Also like Hosea, curses as promised in the books of law, blessings always follow. They looked to Assyria and Egypt for protection from the almost eminent defeat and downfall an the nation. This was breach in the covenant they had with God. They openly showed their distrust that God would carry them through. They even created and alter modeled after one of Assyria’s idols to please them in hopes of assistance. Finally you read the passage about Hezekiah and how it appeared that God changed his mind about destroying Judah. God never changes his mind. This would allude that he is not all-knowing or in complete control of our daily lives. We know that God is sovereign, he keeps his promises. You know that from David’s line, a redeemer will come to save God’s people, Jesus Christ. Therefore you know that to keep his promise, Judah could not have been wiped out it the prophesies were to stand. God will display his wrath but he also will show his mercy.

So what is the common thread? Have you caught it yet? Each book of the bible mentioned a covenant. Of course the Old Testament mentioned a covenant with God and the Jews, while Paul speaks of a covenant with Christ and his believers because of Christ’ blood. A beautiful Covenant we have as believers in Christ is all sufficient and sustaining. The love that God has for his children and the passion we should have for him if we really “knew” God is compelling, to “know” Christ. Not through traditions or false exhortations, God calls us to know him intimately and delight in him every day.

“Vast starry skies seen from a mountain in Utah, and four layers of moving clouds on a seemingly endless plain in Montana, and standing on the edge of a mile-deep drop in the Grand Canyon can all have a wonderfully supplementary role in enlarging the soul with beauty. But nothing can take the place of the supremacy of Christ." - John Piper

To know him deeply, to have joy and freedom in Christ . . .

Oh NO!!!

I have school tomorrow and that means no more sleeping in! I am going to be busy. Yet, one thing that excites me, I am going on a road trip with my dad this spring break so I will start counting the days. It will all start again when the first bell rings!