Here are this week’s links. After a week off you might think I’d have more than this. Just a sign of a lazy vacation I guess!
LINK OF THE WEEK
–An excellent article by Tim Challies on raising kids, Christianity, culture, the gospel, and human nature. The enemy is NOT next door.
THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
–There is value in normal churches.
—Ever wonder if the New Testament is reliable? Here is some excellent info, online, for free. Be sure to find the July 1 entry.
MISCELLANEOUS
—Funny, over-dramatic road signs. The commentary on these is hilarious!
—Give me liberty or give me death. The 2011 version.
VACATION BULLET THOUGHTS
- It was awesome just to have extra time to do things I’d like to do more. Hold the baby, talk to the kids, eat with the family, be available to help with things, hang out with my brother, his wife, and our niece and nephew. See our parents, Julie’s grandparents.
- I took a lot of naps on this vacation. Yeah.
- I consumed a lot of caffeinated beverages. Yeah.
- We got the chance to eat out a few times. Yeah.
- I was in the mall with the three kids at a shoe store. David was trying on Transformer sandals and said “Look dad, they fit!” I replied, “Great David!” Then with the most pathetic face ever he says, “Can we get ’em?” I said, “What do you need those for? You have plenty of shoes”. He paused, he thought, then he said “But they fit!” . . . he settled for a Mario T-Shirt.
- We swam . . . a lot. The kids swam more than Julie and me, but they loved it.
- We heard a great message at The Chapel in Marlboro on Sunday, July 3rd.
- Do I miss the church I pastor when I’m on vacation? Sure, but apart from praying for people, we really had limited contact or involvement with anyone from the church during this time.
- Is a pastor’s vacation a break from God? No, I’d say it’s a break from spiritual exertion. I took time during these days to spiritually reflect and soak, but not exert.
- I really enjoyed the opportunity to watch a lot of tennis.
- I got to do some extra reading, which was great.
- In the final stretch of this vacation, we will have stayed at five different places in six nights.
- In reference to the above bullet, my father-in-law said we were driving a “gypsy van”. It feels like we’ve been living out of it for a few days, that’s for sure. As of now, it’s a real dump!
OTHER BULLET THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK
- Project Shine 2011 was simply amazing. I’m thrilled to be part of this organization. I’ll let everyone know when photos and videos have been posted. May Jesus continue to work glorious things in the lives of the students, adults, and residents!
- It is difficult to be away from people I work closest with.
- One way people think you can get to God: through finding him on your own. Another way people think you can get to God: by following rules and conforming to outward behaviors. The parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 rules out BOTH of these as options for how to have a relationship with God. Real faith in Jesus is RADICALLY different than both of those options.
- I predict Derek Jeter will NOT get his 3,000th hit before the All-Star Break.
- Week One of “competition phase” of marathon training: exceptional. 45 miles mixing short, long, slow, and fast running. (The difference between competition phase and regular running is simply the amount of miles and the specific goals for each day). About six more weeks of intense training to go!
- I have definitely met some cool people since I last wrote a “Monday Links and Bullets”. I love meeting new people.
- I love it that David likes to watch “The Price Is Right”; even though Drew Carey is dreadful as the host.
- I am grateful that we live in a free country. In the moral landscape we live in, it is hard to imagine our country as we know it existing for the rest of my natural lifetime (assuming God allows me to live the average span)