wherever the wind may blow...

Climbing Mt Elbrus

2008-08-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

In writing about my experience... I would first like to thank my wonderful wife, Jessel. She supported me in countless ways, prayerfully, emotionally, and then she took care of our children, Alana, 3, and Joey, 1, while I was in Russia for two weeks. I also want to thank everyone who prayed for us and who supported our efforts in raising funds to build wells in Liberia. God has richly blessed our efforts with wonderful success!

A year ago, I had never even heard of Mt Elbrus. I had no experience in climbing and was somewhat out of shape. My interest in this expedition to climb Elbrus came through a conversation with Todd Phillips last fall. He was sharing stories about some of his past mountaineering experiences and telling me about this upcoming trip to Elbrus. Jessel was there and she was supportive. So although I had absolutely no mountaineering experience, other than watching the Discovery series, Everest: Beyond the Limit, I verbally committed to this climb.

Now normally I am a procrastinator. However, I knew that training for this climb would require discipline. I would not be able to wait until the last minute and succeed. So with this mountain set before me as my goal, I began a disciplined work-out regimen with six months to train for this climb.

Fast-forward to Monday, June 30th. After spending eight days with our awesome team running throughout the streets and subways of Moscow and climbing around the mountains of Terskol (in the valley below Elbrus), we had a fun time bonding together as a team. With great attitudes, we were finally heading up on to Mt Elbrus. That Monday, we made our way to about 13,100’ where we would stay for two nights at the “high-hut.” We arrived and immediately it seemed like about half of our team had splitting head-aches and some were feeling nausea from the altitude.

We spent Tuesday, July 1st doing some training and went to bed early on Tuesday night in anticipation of our alpine start.

The wake-up call came at about 1:30am Wednesday morning. Adrenaline was pumping. We started the climb at around 3:00 am. I was mentally preparing myself for six breaks and then reaching the summit. (Normally, you climb for 1 – 1.5 hours and then break for 15 minutes.) As we began our climb, it was dark, windy, and cold.

We made it to the first break and I was feeling just okay. The wind was making this climb much more difficult and my body was beginning to feel weak. After the first break, as we began the second leg of the climb, it was becoming apparent to me that my body was succumbing to the number one medical condition experienced by international travelers.

This was not good. It was windy and it was cold. And at 15,000’, while climbing through snow and ice, the last thing you want going through your mind is, “When you’re sliding into first and you feel a something burst…”

Well, my fears were realized at the next break.

The climb continued. My body continued to feel weak, and this headwind that we were climbing into was not going away…

After eight hours of climbing what seemed to be an endless, ascending traverse; we entered into the saddle. The saddle, separating the east and west summits, lies at an altitude of 17,765’. It is a bleak and windswept place. As we entered... the flatness of this stretch was desperately welcomed by my tired and weary legs. However, as we turned further into the saddle, the path up to the summit came into view. The approach up to the summit looked to be incredibly steep, and suddenly my body began to feel weaker. As I continued to focus on the steepness of the impending climb up to the summit, I began to question in my mind whether or not I was going to be able to make it.

Unfortunately, at our rest break in the saddle, my body succumbed to another episode of this traveler’s ailment. There I was at 17,765’ and I’m “sliding into second and I feel something beckon…”

As a result, when I got back to my pack, I did not have much time. I missed Tap’s speech instructing us that each climber was only to press on if he was sure that he could make it... I was trying to quickly eat some food, but all my energy bars had frozen at this point. I drank some of my ice-water and quietly determined that I would be able to make it up to the summit. “Just one foot in front of the other,” I said to myself.

Tap, our guide, instructed us to leave our packs in the saddle and only take our ice axe, some food, water, and our cameras. Tap grabbed me and locked my harness into the rope. The next think I knew, we were on the last leg of this unrelenting climb. Pushing myself forward with the will to get to the top…

Finally, we had reached the summit!

We had all suffered on this mountain together and now were able to celebrate the accomplishment of our goal! We were elated, filled with emotion and joy. The moment was surreal.

Now that I have had the time to process this whole experience, I am reminded of Philippians 3:12-14 which states:

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Just as the disciplined training regimen helped me in my body’s ability to endure through this climb, through bad weather and sickness… A disciplined training regimen of spending time in Scripture and in prayer will help to see me through the temptations and trials that I will be faced with in my spiritual life. However, it will never be my own efforts but only Christ working through me.

In all our success, may God be the one who gets the glory!

Joey's First Year - Part 1

2008-06-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

Joey turned 1 on April 29th. Here is part 1 of his first year video highlights...

2008 RESOLVED Conference Trailer

2008-05-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ArGD2e52XQ

This looks good. I wish we were able to go.

Sex, Sushi & Salvation

2008-04-30T10:34:00.001-07:00

Trevin Wax gives a very positive review to Christian George's new book, Sex Sushi & Salvation.

He writes, "I highly recommend Sex, Sushi and Salvation. I plan on passing it on to some of the 20-somethings in my Sunday School class. Finally! A book that creatively engages the post-boomer generation without abandoning the truths of the gospel."

Read the review here.

John Piper: Children Understand the Universe Before They Know There is One

2008-04-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

John Piper posts a good excerpt on parenting and its importance in how we shape our children's views... Desiring God: Children Understand the Universe Before They Know There Is One

Rev. Wright and Irreverent Wrongs....

2008-04-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

Thabiti Anyabwile has a great blog post about the Rev Wright uproar and great lessons that can be drawn from it... Pure Church: Irreverent Wrongs

About John McCain

2008-04-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

This article in the Wall Street Journal today provides some good background information about John McCain, the man.

Getting to Know John McCain - WSJ

Losing an Election

2008-02-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

Well worth reading... From a prominent Romney supporter written to his 15 year-old daughter about losing an election...

On Losing a Political Election: What I Told My Daughter

by John Mark Reynolds

The Founders Explaining Conservatism

2008-01-28T06:41:00.000-08:00

I saw the below at: The Mark Levin Show

The Founders Explain Conservatism

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare but only those specifically enumerated."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"[T]he powers of the federal government are enumerated; it can only operate in certain cases; it has legislative powers on defined and limited objects, beyond which it cannot extend its
jurisdiction."
-- James Madison, Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention [June 6, 1788]

...[T]he government of the United States is a definite government, confined to specified objects. It is not like the state governments, whose powers are more general. Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government."
--James Madison

"...the opinion which gives to the judges the right to decide what laws are constitutional and what not, not only for themselves in their own sphere of action but for the Legislature and Executive also in their spheres, would make the Judiciary a despotic branch."
-- Thomas Jefferson

When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.
-- Benjamin Franklin

"No nation was ever ruined by trade, even seemingly the most disadvantageous."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Principles of Trade, 1774

"Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread."
-- Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography, 1821

"Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer."
-- Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776

"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
--Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it."
-- Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, No. 4, September 11, 1777

"The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If 'Thou shalt not covet' and 'Thou shalt not steal' were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free."
-- John Adams, A Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America, 1787

"To be prepared for war, is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."
-- George Washington, First Annual Message, January 8, 1790

"One single object. . . [will merit] the endless gratitude of the society: that of restraining the judges from usurping legislation."
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Edward Livingston, March 25, 1825

"Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."
-- John Adams, letter to John Taylor, April 15, 1814

"To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it."
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Joseph Milligan, April 6, 1816

" I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it."
-- Benjamin Franklin, On the Price of Corn and Management of the Poor, November 1776

"The majority, oppressing an individual, is guilty of a crime, abuses its strength, and by acting on the law of the strongest breaks up the foundations of society."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"[The purpose of a written constitution is] to bind up the several branches of government by certain laws, which, when they transgress, their acts shall become nullities; to render unnecessary an appeal to the people, or in other words a rebellion, on every infraction of their rights, on the peril that their acquiescence shall be construed into an intention to surrender those rights."
-- Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia [1782]

HT: Mark Levin

Test your Roe v. Wade IQ

2007-11-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

Test your knowledge on Roe here.

HT: Justin Taylor

Technology to Reach the World

2007-11-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent article found in the Washington Post explaining how missionaries use technology to bring the gospel in to remote and unreached people groups.

Josh Harris Tributes Mark Driscoll

2007-11-07T22:53:00.000-08:00

Joshua Harris writes a nice tribute to Mark Driscoll on his blog.

Learning from Mark Driscoll

Mark Driscoll commentary on Joel Osteen

2007-11-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

HT: Vitamin Z

Halloween?

2007-10-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

Halloween is a "wedge" issue within the conservative Christian community. Growing up, my brothers and I were not allowed to celebrate Halloween (aka: Satan's holiday.) When I was little, I always wanted to go out "trick-or-treating" with my friends, who, to my knowledge, did not grow up to become pagans or satanists because of their participation in Halloween.

I have much respect for my parents and, to their credit, we did not shun our neighbors, we still gave out candy to the kids that came to our doors... We just were not allowed to dress-up and get our candy :(

I understand why many well-meaning believers come down on the side of not celebrating Halloween. Looking into the history of the holiday does not yield happy results. However, I believe that 99+% of the kids celebrating Halloween do not embrace the pagan/satanic elements of Halloween. I also recognize that the Christmas tree comes from pagan origins, as does the Easter bunny and Easter eggs.

So now that we have a 3yr old little girl, we've had to investigate so that we could decide where we stand on this "wedge" issue.

Although we do not embrace the evil, the gore, the death that is celebrated during Halloween, we feel that we can participate in fun aspects of this day.

More importantly, we feel that we should look forward to this night when all of our neighbors come knocking on our door, and when we can take our children around to all of our neighbors doors... It is an excellent opportunity to get to know those living in our midst and to love our neighbor..

Below, I have put the links of a few good blog posts on this topic, written more eloquently than I could ever write:

Church-o-ween: Would Jesus Go to Fall Festival?

Halloween and Leaving the Light On

Trick or Treat? Being Missional at Halloween

To Celebrate or Not to Celebrate

Ninety Nine Balloons

2007-10-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

I found this very deeply poignant 6 min video, 99 Balloons on another blog (HT: Between Two Worlds: 99 Balloons)

I am not a very emotional guy, it is extremely rare for me to be moved to tears, but after viewing this short film, I am still wiping the tears from my eyes. It could be that this film is so touching, or it could be because I have a healthy 3 yr old and 5 month old at home. We have so much to be thankful for...

I pray for this family, the Mooney's, that experienced such tragedy. I am thankful for their God-centered view, that they are able to give praise & glory to God through their anguish...

I have pasted a brief synopsis of the video below:

Description:

Eliot was born with an undeveloped lung, a heart with a hole in it and DNA that placed faulty information into each and every cell of his body. However, that could not stop the living God from proclaiming Himself through this boy who never uttered a word.

In the midst of heartbreaking tragedy, the Mooney family found the presence of God strengthening, comforting, and guiding them. Their story reminds us to seek God and endure our struggles rather than blame Him for our hardships.

For more info about Eliot, go to www.ninetynineballoons.com.

To view this moving video, click here.

Mark Driscoll admonishing 'Emergent Church' at Southeastern Seminary

2007-10-04T12:05:00.001-07:00

A few years ago, I became aware of a great speaker/preacher by the name of Mark Driscoll. He was a speaker at last years Desiring God National Conference and is the pastor of a growing church in Seattle, Mars Hill Church.

He is now one of the most listened to speakers/preachers on my iPod, right behind John Piper. I highly recommend you to listen to his preaching. Find him on iTunes and subscribe.

Anyway, last week, Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC welcomed Mark to come and speak at a campus conference. This audio message linked below is a great autobiographical message on who Driscoll is and who he isn't. He also gives a very biblical critique of the growing emergent church movement, especially referring to Brian Mclaren, Doug Pagitt, & Rob Bell.

Highly encouraging you all to give this message a listen and pass it on...

Session 3 - Mark Driscoll

Who Are You Married To? (by Jessel)

2007-09-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

Alana (our 3 yr old) loves to get dressed up. One day, she is a princess. Another day, she is a strawberry (yes, she has a strawberry costume)! On one particular day, she rummaged through her hand-me-down dress-up clothing and found dress-up clothing for a wedding dress. She put it on for the first time, and in all her wedding dress glory, came running to find me and her daddy. We said, “Wow, look how beautiful you are!” She was elated. We said, “Who are you getting married to?” She said, “My Daddy”. Well. Of course I almost cried and I’m pretty sure her daddy got a bit verklempt too. How sweet. Alana is going to marry her daddy.

Well, as I think about that, Alana understands that her daddy loves her. And he is the most important man in her life. He hugs her, kisses her, does her bedtime routine with her, dances around with her, takes her to the pool, gives her chocolate ice-cream and calls her beautiful. Daddy is her Number One man. He has captured her heart and she is secure in Daddy’s love. Well, of course, she’s going to marry Daddy! I think to myself, how many Christian women, including myself, can say that we are married to our Daddy, ie. Our Heavenly Daddy…and really mean that? Are we secure in God’s love? He pursues us like no other. Has He captured our heart? He calls us beautiful in every way. Do we really understand how much we are loved by Him? He gives more love to us than any man ever can! Our Heavenly Daddy wants to lavish His love on us and be our Groom too. I pray that whenever those lonely times come, that you will remember that you are married to your Heavenly Daddy. And that no-one can ever love you like your Heavenly Father does. May you walk out today, in the SECURE LOVE of your bride-groom, God-the Father.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” - Ephesians 3:17-19

"Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light.

Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
and your righteousness to the upright of heart!" - Psalm 36:5-10

Christians Dating Outside the Fold

2007-09-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting article in today's Wall Street Journal about "missionary dating."

Check it out here.

(HT: Between Two Worlds: Christians Dating Outside the Fold)

Standing on the Promises

2007-09-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

I'm putting this on my Christmas list so that I can avoid suffering, persecution, etc...

To find out more about this great product, click here.

(HT: Vitamin Z)

Christianity: A Life of Chosen Suffering?

2007-09-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason, it seems that the topic of suffering has been coming up a lot lately. Whether, it is appearing in the books I'm reading, the sermons I'm hearing, or the TV I'm watching...

This passage from John Piper's Desiring God really hit me between the eyes...

(Taken from Desiring God by John Piper pp.260-261)

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

1 Corinthians 15:17-19

Christianity as Paul understands it is not the best way to maximize pleasure if this life is all there is. Paul tells us the best way to maximize our pleasures in this life: “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:32).

When Paul says, “If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink,” he does not mean “Let’s all become lechers.” He means there is a normal, simple, comfortable, ordinary life of human delights that we may enjoy with no troubling thoughts of heaven of hell or sin or holiness or God—if there is no resurrection from the dead. And what stunned me about this train of thought is that many of the professing Christians seem to aim at just this—and call it Christianity.

Paul did not see his relation to Christ as the key to maximizing his physical comforts and pleasures in this life. No, Paul’s relation to Christ was a call to choose suffering—a suffering that was beyond what would make atheism “meaningful” or beautiful” or “heroic.” It was a suffering that would have been utterly foolish and pitiable to choose if there is no resurrection into the joyful presence of Christ.

In Paul’s radically different viewpoint I see an almost unbelievable indictment of Western Christianity. Am I overstating this? Judge for yourself. How many Christians do you know who could say, “The lifestyle I have chosen as a Christian would be utterly foolish and pitiable if there is no resurrection”? How many Christians are there who could say, “The suffering I have freely chosen to embrace for Christ would be a pitiable life if there is no resurrection”? As I see it, these are shocking questions.

The Christian life for Paul was a life of chosen sacrifice on earth, that he might gain the joy of fellowship with Christ in the age to come. Here is how he put it:

Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…. I share his sufferings… that by an means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-8, 10-11)

I say it again: The call of Christ is a call to live a life of sacrifice and loss and suffering—a life that would be foolish to live if there were no resurrection from the dead. This is a conscious choice for Paul. Listen to his protest: “If the dead are not raised…. Why am I in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!” (1 Corinthians 15:29-31). This is what Paul has chosen. He “protests” because he does not have to live this way. He chooses it; “in danger every hour!” “Dying every day!” This is why he says he should be pitied if there is no resurrection from the dead. He chose a path that leads to trouble and pain virtually every day of his life. “I die every day.”

My Commentary: I believe these words from Piper are true. I wrestle with this because I am a part of western Christianity and because I am guilty of the indictment mentioned above… I hope you all wrestle with this as well…

Don't Leave Me (by Jessel)

2007-09-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

So, the other day, we were getting ready to head out the door. Alana was sitting on the potty and I said to her, “Hurry up Alana, we are leaving now.” I went out the door to put something in the car and came back to get Alana. What I came back to was a crying, screaming child waiting by the door. Tears were running down her face and she seemed utterly heartbroken. I was a bit clueless to all the drama at first, and after several attempts trying to get her to explain to me what was wrong (she was too upset to talk), I had the revelation. “Alana, did you think mommy left you?”

“Yes...!” she managed to speak through all the weeping.

“Mommy wouldn’t leave you. I would NEVER leave you.” Then I gave her a big hug reassuring her that I love her and would never ever leave her. She stopped crying and happily went to the car. Her countenance was completely reversed after my loving reassurance.

The following day, Joey woke up in his crib and started to cry like a banshee in his crib. Alana then went to Joey and said, “Don’t cry Joey, we’re not going to leave you.”

With the comfort she received, she comforted her 2-month-old baby brother! What a sweet lesson for me once again. Actually, two lessons. One about God and one about Us.

About God: This reminded me of how God reassures us that He will never ever ever leave us or forsake us. It is a promise to those who are followers of Christ.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” - Hebrews 13:5

About us: Just as we receive comfort from God, we should comfort others.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” - 2 Corinth 1:3-5

It's All Going to Burn! (by Jessel)

2007-09-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

It's All Going to Burn! (by Jessel)

This has been our motto around the Newton household lately. Rob was reading John Piper's book, Desiring God, and apparently it had a big impact on his heart and life. He has been reading excerpts from it to me. He has really been forced to re-evaluate what we’re living for, and is what we are living and breathing for, eternal… or is it going to burn? So, while he shares some deep, insightful, nuggets from Piper’s book to me, often late at night right before I doze off, God wakes me to listen. And to no surprise, I’m often convicted.

You see, I’m right in the middle of redecorating our living room. Our old sofas have been with us for 10 years, slipcovered and just downright screaming for nice new, lavish replacements. Rob is letting me buy new sofas for the living room. So, as I’ve been scouring through a million magazines to figure out how to redecorate, I’ve been obsessed on finding the perfect décor and sofa. I’ve also been consumed by it. It’s all that I think about lately. Well, Piper’s message through my husband is so timely. “It’s all gonna BURN”, “It’s all gonna BURN.” So that’s what I’ve been telling myself lately. Over and over again. I do hope to find a nice cozy sofa but I don’t want to be consumed and obsessed by material things.

The point is “It’s all gonna Burn.” Did I say that already? I want to be consumed by the things of the Lord. I want to be consumed with His Love and a passion to reach people for Christ. I want to be obsessed with the word of God and prayer. I want to be impassioned with bringing Him glory. If I want my mind to be wrapped around something, it’s Jesus.

Pray for us (ie. The Newton household) and the rest of us in America for that matter, that we won’t be consumed by the materialistic mentality to want more and more and bigger and better…because in the end. "It's all going to burn!"

“Another riveting force in my young life – small at first, but oh so powerful over time – was a plaque that hung in our kitchen over the sink. I looked at those words almost every day…till I went away to college at age eighteen. It was a simple piece of glass painted black on the back …on the front, in old English script painted in white, were the words:

ONLY ONE LIFE, ‘TWILL SOON BE PAST;

ONLY WHAT’S DONE FOR CHRIST WILL LAST.”

– (Excerpted from: 'Don't Waste Your Life' by John Piper)

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Colossians 3:1-2

Alana turns 3: Toys & Theology

2007-08-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

So Alana turned 3 on Wednesday. She had a big party at Chuck E Cheese and all the kids had a blast.

One of the gifts that Alana received was a girl’s playhouse tent thingy. She was so excited when I put it together on Thursday morning. Giving me a big hug, saying, “Thank you, Daddy! I love you, Daddy”

So last night, I was reading over a children’s version of the Westminster Catechism and was thinking of some ideas of how to creatively go over it with Alana as she gets older. (She already has around 13 Bible verses memorized) So why not start with a catechism?

Anyway… the first question of the catechism is:

“Who made you?”

The answer of course:

“God.”

This morning, as I was giving Alana a bath, I decided to try to see how she would do on her first experience with the catechism…

I said, “Alana, who made you?”

Alana responded, “God.”

I tried not to show it but I was excited, “She got it right!”

I was thinking… “Let me ask again… just to make sure.”

“Alana, who made you?”

Alana’s response, “God.”

At this point, I am beginning to realize that we have a theologically stalwart child growing in this house… I’m thinking perhaps, we need to get more weighty books for her? Should we begin to teach her Greek & Hebrew?

So everything else went routinely throughout the morning. Jessel went to the gym and took Alana. I worked from home while Joey napped in his crib.

However, two hours later, when Jessel & Alana pulled in the driveway, I grabbed Joey and we climbed inside Alana’s new playhouse tent thingy. (thinking she would get excited to see us in it…)

She got excited alright… She started to cry, telling us to get out.

After settling her down, I tried to validate her feelings…

“You don’t want daddy & Joey to play in your playhouse-tent thingy?”

“nuh uh” as she shook her head in the negative…

I said, “but Daddy made your playhouse for you?”

Alana responded, “No Dad. God made my playhouse.”

Dang… quick-witted. She had me there…

A future Jonathan Edwards? We will have to wait & see.

Christopher Hitchens vs. Alister McGrath

2007-08-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

(HT: Between 2 Worlds)

This should be good... If you would like to register to attend click here.

The Ethics and Public Policy Center and The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University will host a debate between writer Christopher Hitchens and Oxford University professor Alister McGrath on the role of religious belief in the modern world. Michael Cromartie will moderate. Here are the details:

Poison or Cure? Religious Belief in the Modern World
A debate, dialogue, and discussion with Christopher Hitchens and Alister McGrath
When: Thursday, October 11, 2007 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Location: Georgetown University, Gaston Hall

Traffic Crazy? Life Overcrowded?

2007-08-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

When you have a bad commute or feel overcrowded...

Just think of these...

Intersection in India

Wavepool in Japan

(HT: Between 2 Worlds)