Singled Out

I had the privilege of attending the "Children Desiring God" conference in Minnesota last week and not only got to hear John Piper, Wayne Grudem, and C.J. Mahaney talk about how to teach the gospel to kids, but also attended Bethlehem Baptist Church on Sunday and was blessed by Piper's amazing sermon on the theology of singleness. It actually made me cry. However, "When Harry Met Sally" also made me cry, so maybe that's not saying a whole lot.

In any case, I'm singling out "Single in Christ: A Name Better than Sons or Daughters" as a wonderful sermon. Read it and let me know what you think!

Introducing: Swell Saturday!

I love alliteration (or should I say, adore alliteration.) Thus Wesley Wednesdays now has a new sibling: Swell Saturdays. Each Saturday I’ll attempt to write about different things that I found particularly swell that week. Here are this week's winners:

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones: This might be the best children’s Bible I’ve ever seen. Lloyd Jones begins by explaining that the Bible tells one big story and that Jesus is the hero of that story. She then artfully connects each individual story to the overall plot of the Bible, so kids begin to see God's Word as a cohesive whole rather than a book of random tales. Her storytelling skills are fantastic, her theology is solid, and the illustrations are gorgeous (the forbidden fruit looks nothing like an apple and the people look like they could actually be from the Middle East!)

Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats”: This is an unlikely choice for Swell Saturday. Not only do I generally dislike country music, but I was a huge Bo Bice fan during the fourth season of American Idol and was crushed by his defeat at the hands of Carrie Underwood. Yet I absolutely love her new single. I’ve never been cheated on, been involved in an even remotely tragic relationship, or harbored any resentment towards men, but for some reason I’m always drawn to bitter songs about ill fated love affairs (“The Man That Got Away,” “I Wish I Could Forget You,” “But Not For Me,” etc.) and Underwood’s sassy ode to revenge on an unfaithful boyfriend is no exception. Whenever it comes on the radio, I’ll always turn the volume way up and belt out the lyrics, “I took a Louisville Slugger to both headlights and slashed a hole in all four tires and maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats” at the top of my lungs.

PBS Late Night Documentaries: I’ve had a difficult time getting to bed at a decent hour and I blame PBS for airing such fascinating documentaries at 11:00 p.m. I’ll be just about ready to head to bed when I flip through the channels and see, “Once considered to be the Mediterranean of California, the Salton Sea is now one of the greatest ecological disasters of our generation. Discover this beautifully awful and awfully beautiful place tonight on Truly California.” How can I resist that? These documentaries are short, snappy, and absolutely gripping. So far I’ve learned all about the development of organic farming in the United States and the saga of the Imperial Valley’s Salton Sea. Leave it to the network that taught me how to count in Spanish when I was in preschool to now teach me about the benefits of community agriculture.

The Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements Series: I have a love/hate relationship with the stairmaster in my apartment building’s workout room. I love that I can burn a ton of calories in only thirty minutes and that I don’t have to pay for a gym. I hate that it involves thirty minutes of painful and boring exercise in a tiny stuffy room with no television or music. I’m tempted to quit about every five minutes, but reading the Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements while I’m exercising helps me persevere and finish my workout. This awesome series features short books about various cults such as Mormonism, Mind Sciences, and “Jesus Only” churches. Each book is written completely in outline form, perfect for someone who is trying to simultaneously read and gasp for air. The books do a great job of explaining the differences between each cult and Christianity and provide good scriptural and philosophical arguments against the cults’ claims. I highly recommend the series, even to people who choose not to read it on the Stairmaster 3000.

Tuscan Three Cheese Kettle Chips: In my opinion, Kettle Chips are to potato chips what Haagen Dazs is to ice cream. And my new favorite variety is the Tuscan Three Cheese. As the bag says, it’s a “Mediterranean Vacation In A Bag.” Plus, the very chic celery colored bag coordinates perfectly with my kitchen. A Mediterranean vacation and color coordination – who could ask for more?

Video Killed the Sunday School Star

I’m a hypocrite. There I was on a Saturday night, exhausted from a weekend of kids’ theatre performances and no curriculum prepared for Sunday morning. I had two choices: stay up all night and write a thoughtful introduction to Proverbs or show up fifteen minutes before the 9:00 a.m. service and pop in a video. Although one of my favorite soapboxes is the peril of using movies in Sunday school, fatigue won out over righteous indignation and our elementary schoolers spent that Sunday watching the “Jesus” film for kids (which is basically a shorter version of the “Jesus” film with spliced in scenes of kids saying things like, “Who are all these people?” and “What’s going on now?”)

The kids’ reaction to the video was amazing. Their eyes glazed over and they stared at the screen, quietly munching their popcorn. They didn’t throw clay at the walls or grab my shoes or punch their siblings or attempt to crawl out of the room every five seconds when they thought I wasn’t looking. They were remarkably well behaved. I left church that afternoon with conflicting emotions – frustrated that I chose to go against my convictions and show a video and thrilled that my classes were so delightfully calm after a crazy weekend.

Using video as a teaching tool is a growing children’s ministry trend and I can definitely see the appeal. The kids are quiet, they’re entertained, they pay attention, and they probably remember a good chunk of what they see. Some proponents of this method argue that they’re simply adapting their teaching style to meet the needs of a generation raised on video games and Sponge Bob.

However, I think relying on multimedia to teach kids the Bible can be dangerous. Not only does it reinforce kids’ already incredibly short attention spans (if they can’t learn to sit and listen to a ten minute story, how will they be able to sit and read their Bibles for ten minutes?), I believe it also makes the Bible seem less credible. If a child’s primary biblical instruction is packaged like a Saturday morning cartoon, I wonder if that child will grow up thinking that the Bible is simply a book of fun stories. Plus, I think there is educational benefit in kids interacting with biblical concepts through discussion, art, and games as opposed to passively receiving information through a video.

This leads me to my question. When should the church change its methods to keep up with cultural trends and when should it ignore those trends? For instance, I think that church websites are a great idea. We’re an increasingly web based society and I believe that the ability to download sermons, check out a church calendar, and read a statement of faith online can be a wonderful evangelistic tool and a practical help to a congregation. On the other hand, I don’t want to follow our culture and show videos in Sunday school (except on occasions when the children’s director did not budget her time well and has no lesson prepared.) What should be the church's criteria for embracing or ignoring cultural trends?

I’d love to hear your opinions on this issue. In the meantime, I’d better finish up my lesson on the Psalms so my kids don’t end up watching my old copy of “The Flying House” on Sunday.

Wesley Wednesday: Awesome Welsh Towns Edition

Welcome back to Wesley Wednesday! This week's installment features, "Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise," a beautiful Easter hymn that our kids' choir sang on Sunday (they only sang four of the ten verses, but they did get a standing ovation.)

This hymn's tune was composed by a man named Robert Williams (1782-1818), a blind basket maker from Anglesey County in North Wales. The name of the tune is "Llanfair" and is apparently named after Wil­liams’ home town of Llan­fair­pwll­gwyn­gyll­go­gerychwyrn­drob­wllllandt­ysil­iog­og­o­goch. In Eng­lish, the name means “church of St. Mary in the hollow of white ha­zel near the ra­pid whirl­pool of the Church of St. Tysil­lio by the red cave.” I challenge you to find a more awesome name for a town than that. Enjoy another great Wesley hymn!

Hail the day that sees Him rise, Alleluia!
To His throne above the skies, Alleluia!
Christ, awhile to mortals given, Alleluia!
Reascends His native heaven, Alleluia!

There the glorious triumph waits, Alleluia!
Lift your heads, eternal gates, Alleluia!
Christ hath conquered death and sin, Alleluia!
Take the King of glory in, Alleluia!

Circled round with angel powers, Alleluia!
Their triumphant Lord, and ours, Alleluia!
Conqueror over death and sin, Alleluia!
“Take the King of glory in! Alleluia!”

Him though highest Heav’n receives, Alleluia!
Still He loves the earth He leaves, Alleluia!
Though returning to His throne, Alleluia!
Still He calls mankind His own, Alleluia!

See! He lifts His hands above, Alleluia!
See! He shows the prints of love, Alleluia!
Hark! His gracious lips bestow, Alleluia!
Blessings on His church below, Alleluia!

Still for us His death He pleads, Alleluia!
Prevalent He intercedes, Alleluia!
Near Himself prepares our place, Alleluia!
Harbinger of human race, Alleluia!

Master, (will we ever say), Alleluia!
Taken from our head to day, Alleluia!
See Thy faithful servants, see, Alleluia!
Ever gazing up to Thee, Alleluia!

Grant, though parted from our sight, Alleluia!
Far above yon azure height, Alleluia!
Grant our hearts may thither rise, Alleluia!
Seeking Thee beyond the skies, Alleluia!

Ever upward let us move, Alleluia!
Wafted on the wings of love, Alleluia!
Looking when our Lord shall come, Alleluia!
Longing, gasping after home, Alleluia!

There we shall with Thee remain, Alleluia!
Partners of Thy endless reign, Alleluia!
There Thy face unclouded see, Alleluia!
Find our heaven of heavens in Thee, Alleluia!

The G Stands For Gilbert

Sheesh. How many cheerful and witty Christian writers known primarily by their initials did England turn out during the 20th century? G.K. Chesterton lived from 1874-1936 and was a journalist, theologian, philosopher, playwright, and mystery writer. Here’s a nifty quote from his brilliant work “Orthodoxy.”

“A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun and every evening “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.”

A Public Service Announcement

I think this is my favorite public service announcement since Zach Braff's warning against smothering on "Scrubs." Enjoy this video from thechurchyouknow.com

Happy National Puppy Day!

Did you know that March 23rd is National Puppy Day? I know what you're thinking: "It's National Puppy Day already? Oh no, I didn't even get Jenny a present!"

Never fear. I have found the perfect gift. You could also give it to me for Arbor Day, Flag Day, Guy Fawkes Day, etc. Check out the BEST SOCKS EVER at the Concordia Publishing House site.

The Battle of the Pascals: Adam: 1 - Blaise: 0

Since I have a group of junior high girls over to my place for dinner on Thursday nights, I thought it might be good to write inspiring quotes on my adorable Ikea chalkboard in the entryway. Hopefully, these great thoughts would stimulate their preteen brains and encourage conversation.

The last quote definitely stimulated their preteen brains. My quote from Blaise Pascal inspired one of my girls to think of her favorite movie star crush and write "ADAM PASCAL IS HOT!" next to Blaise's brilliant quote.

Apparently, Blaise's critique of the human condition is no match for Adam's raspy tenor and boyish charm.

Maybe I need to start quoting cuter people. I wonder if Hugh Jackman has said anything interesting about determinism.

Welcome To The Jungle, We've Got Fun And Games

Faithful readers of my blog may wonder where I've been over the past month. Have I taken a research sabbatical to study children's ministry trends in Hawaii? Have I decided to simplify my life by throwing out all electronic devices? Have I given up blogging to devote more time to spring's awesome reality television line-up? Let me set two inquiring minds at ease.

I've spent the last month putting the finishing touches on Creekside Kids' Theatre's production of Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book." The cast of fifty-five first through eighth graders performed over the weekend and I'm still bursting with pride over their great work. Here are a few photos of the fantastic cast. Enjoy!

You'd Think That People Would Have Had Enough Of Silly Love Songs. . .

. . . I look around me and I see it isn't so.

Take Clay Aiken's "Invisible" for instance: "If I was invisible, then I could just watch you in your room. If I was invincible, I'd make you mine tonight. If hearts were unbreakable, then I could just tell you where I stand. I would be the smartest man. If I was invisible (Wait..I already am.)" What girl doesn't dream of being stalked by an invisible man?

Or how about the brilliance of LFO's hit, "Summer Girls": "There was a good man named Paul Revere, I feel much better baby when you're near. You love fun dip and cherry Coke, I like the way you laugh when I tell a joke. When I met you I said my name was Rich, you look like a girl from Abercrombie and Fitch." This reminds me of when my brother and I used to play "Rhyme Out" and tried to rhyme as many words as we could. I actually wouldn't be surprised if this entire song was the result of a few rounds of "Rhyme Out."

And who could forget Brian McKnight's touching, "Back At One": "One, you're like a dream come true. Two, just wanna be with you. Three, girl it's plain to see that you're the only one for me. Four, repeat steps one through three. Five, make you fall in love with me. If ever I believe my work is done, then I start back at one." I'm still confused about the number of steps this plan actually entails.

Enough of silly love songs. Charles Wesley's "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" is an incredible song about love and the perfect antidote to the songs I just mentioned.

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit,
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its Beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

The Ancient Christian Version of "Spin the Bottle"

I've always liked Valentines Day. In second grade I loved going to the store and carefully selecting my valentines (Disney Princesses? Strawberry Shortcake? Pound Puppies? Rainbow Bright? The possibilities were endless.) In junior high I loved eating mass quantities of candy hearts. In college I loved eating an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's while watching romantic movies with my girlfriends. And now I love wearing extremely girly clothes and decorating sugar cookies with the kids I work with. Any holiday that encourages the consumption of dark chocolate and the wearing of pink gets my full support.

I decided to do a little sleuthing about the origins of Valentines Day and discovered (gasp!) an ancient Roman holiday and (another gasp!) an attempt to Christianize it. Apparently the Romans celebrated a fertility holiday in February called Lupercalia. Beginning on February 15th, an order of Roman priests called the Luperci would sacrifice a goat (for fertility) and a dog (for purification) at the cave where Romulus and Remus were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The boys of the town then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in blood and went around the city gently slapping women and fields of crops. This was supposed to make them fertile for the coming year.

According to legend, when the goat hide slapping came to an end, the Roman women placed their names in a large urn. The bachelors of the city would then choose a name out of the urn and be paired with that woman for a year. These matches often resulted in marriage.

The early Christians weren't so crazy about most of these rituals and Pope Gelasius I (492-496) outlawed Lupercalia. However, the people seemed to like the drawing the name out of the urn idea, so they started the custom of drawing the names of saints out of a box. You were supposed to try to emulate the saint that you drew for the next year. That means if you picked Simeon Stylites, you got to spend a year on top of a pillar. Hey, this could be a great "spin the bottle" option for youth groups!

So if you are without a significant other on Valentines Day, be grateful that you are not being slapped with a piece of bloody goat. There are worse things than being single.

Happy Chocolate Day!

Jenny's Exciting Friday Night Date

Or dates, to be exact. I've always loved history, but have never been very good at recalling dates. That's why I love this nifty map from www.mapsofwar.com. It shows the history of religion in a mere ninety seconds and includes the dates in a way that makes them easy to remember. It's perfect for anyone who struggles with dating (well, at least the dating of historical events.) Enjoy!

And Can It Be That Wesley Wednesdays Are Back Again?

Yes it can!

And can it be that "And Can It Be" is our featured hymn of the week?

Yes again!

And can it be that I've included all six verses for your edification?

You've got it!

Enjoy one of my all time favorites.

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

101 Galatians

Hey, that's actually not a bad idea for a kids' movie. I can see it now: "The Apostle Paul gives birth to an adorable brood of young Galatian Christians only to have them snatched away by the frightening Circumcision DeVille! Will Paul ever get his precious Galatians back? Find out this spring when the studio that brought you "Larryboy and the Rumor Weed" and "Dave and the Giant Pickle" presents "101 Galatians!"

So my small group Bible study is currently studying Galatians and a question came up a few weeks ago when we discussed 2:11-21. When Peter starts distorting the gospel by refusing to eat with the Gentiles, Paul calls him on it in public - "But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?" (Galatians 2:14)

It seems Paul's harsh and public rebuke was necessary given that Peter's actions were presenting false teaching about the gospel and were influencing the other Jews. This makes me wonder if and when we should publicly rebuke false teaching. For instance, suppose you hear a pastor teach that we're not really free from sin. Or that you'll always prosper financially if you are walking with God. Or that God isn't sovereign. Do you stand up in the middle of service and rebuke them? Do you wait until the service is over and gently take them aside? Do you chalk it up to a bad Sunday and ignore it all together?

I currently don't have a thoughtful or developed opinion on this subject and I'd love to hear people's thoughts. Do you think it's appropriate to publicly rebuke the false teaching of another Christian? If so, when? What criteria would you use in deciding whether to publicly or privately address false teaching? Any comments would be much appreciated.

In the meantime, I'm going to call the VeggieTales people about my movie idea. Those DVDs are going to sell like hotcakes.

A Blaise of Glory

I love going to parties where the main course is a large variety of appetizers, like cheese fondue, mini quiches, artichoke dip with sourdough bread, etc. You're more than adequately nourished and you get to sample lots of different flavors and textures. Plus, if you hate one appetizer, there's usually nine or ten more to choose from. And you don't even need silverware! When it comes to dinner, I want ease and options.

My taste in food definitely mirrors my taste in literature. I like lots of small bites as opposed to one large meal. I'm much more satisfied reading a few Flannery O' Connor short stories in one afternoon than spending a month completing "Great Expectations." That's probably one of the reasons I love "Pensees" by 17th century French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher Blaise Pascal.

"Pensees" (thoughts) contains hundreds of Pascal's brilliant thoughts on God, imagination, the state of man, vanity, and more. They're the literary equivalent of a great appetizer: nourishing, delicious, and small enough that you can finish one in less than a minute.

I like reading a few of Pascal's thoughts from time to time and here are two that I've recently enjoyed. Bon Appetit!

#172. We do not rest satisfied with the present. We anticipate the future as too slow in coming, as if in order to hasten its course; or we recall the past, to stop its too rapid flight. So imprudent are we that we wander in the times which are not ours and do not think of the only one which belongs to us; and so idle are we that we dream of those times which are no more and thoughtlessly overlook that which alone exists. For the present is generally painful to us. We conceal it from our sight, because it troubles us; and, if it be delightful to us, we regret to see it pass away. We try to sustain it by the future and think of arranging matters which are not in our power, for a time which we have no certainty of reaching. Let each one examine his thoughts, and he will find them all occupied with the past and the future. We scarcely ever think of the present; and if we think of it, it is only to take light from it to arrange the future. The present is never our end. The past and the present are our means; the future alone is our end. So we never live, but we hope to live; and, as we are always preparing to be happy, it is inevitable we should never be so.

#181. We are so unfortunate that we can only take pleasure in a thing on condition of being annoyed if it turn out ill, as a thousand things can do, and do every hour. He who should find the secret of rejoicing in the good, without troubling himself with its contrary evil, would have hit the mark. It is perpetual motion.

"The Time Has Come," The Walrus Said, "To Talk Of Shallow Things . . ."

One of the great minds of our time once said, “We are living in a material world and I am a material girl.” The other night, I was thinking about the material things that daily give me pleasure and I realized that many of them are under $5. Then I thought, why not write about my favorite products so others can share the joy? (Plus, maybe Target or Trader Joe’s will give me a discount if they hear I’m hawking their wares.) So, without further ado, here are four of my favorite material possessions.

1. Trader Joe’s French Liquid Soap. You know how single women in movies always live in those adorable apartments filled with shabby chic furniture and fresh daisies and pink kitchen utensils? And how they have different coordinating shoes and purses for every single outfit? And how they have successful careers doing darling things like owning children’s bookstores or planning weddings? And how they eat cheeseburgers and entire pints of Ben and Jerry’s all the time, yet never seem to gain any weight? Trader Joe’s French Liquid Soap makes me feel like I am this sort of girl. It comes in three delightful varieties: Lavender, Orange Blossom Honey, and Shea Butter and it is truly the perfect single girl soap. The cute packaging, feminine scents, and fact that it’s made in France say, “I’m stylish and trendy, in a unique and whimsical way that doesn’t look like I care about being stylish and trendy,” but the cheap Trader Joe’s price says, “I’m just a normal, working class girl.” Whenever I wash my hands, I think my hair looks a little like Meg Ryan’s.

2. Annie’s Microwaveable White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese. At the end of a long day, the last thing I want to do is cook dinner. Annie’s Mac and Cheese comes to my rescue every time. It’s delicious, organic (which somehow makes me feel all right about making my dinner from a packet), and only takes one half a cup of water and three minutes to prepare. You can dress it up with olive oil and parmesan cheese, but it’s great on its own too. Best of all, you can buy a box of five servings for under $3. It’s like a tastier, healthier, and much more sophisticated version of Top Ramen.

3. Method Pink Grapefruit Dishwashing Soap. Who knew that I would grow to feel so passionately about a dishwashing soap? There are three things that I particularly love. First, the bottle is surprisingly aesthetically pleasing. I never thought about bottle design as an art form until I saw the Method bottle. It's the first soap I've been proud to display on my counter. Second, the scent is fresh and light and makes my kitchen smell so clean. Third, the soap is a perfect shade of pink and totally coordinates with the rest of my kitchen.

4. Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips. My philosophy has always been: the darker the chocolate, the better the chocolate. That’s why these chocolate chips are so amazing - they’re the perfect combination of sweet and tart. I would feel sort of guilty about eating an entire chocolate bar every day, but have no qualms about consuming mass quantities of these chips because they’re so small (ah, the tricks my mind can play.) They hit the spot whenever I’m craving chocolate and they’re especially delicious at the bottom of a cup of hot chocolate.

Those are my four favorites. Although hand soap and macaroni and cheese are just cheap, material things, they did get me thinking about enjoying life. There are so many daily gifts that I completely miss because I’m discontented about something. I don’t think about the delicious flavor of the perfect chocolate chip or thank God for giving us taste buds because I’m too busy comparing myself to my friends. I don’t stop and take in the wonderful smells that surround me each day because I’m preoccupied with the things that I want and don’t have. It’s amazing that my day is filled with hundreds of gifts to enjoy, yet I still feel sorry for myself or like God owes me something. It’s not only ungrateful; it’s not living in reality.

So go to Target, buy some Method, and take time to stop and smell the dishwashing liquid.

Jonathan Edwards: Self Esteem Crusher

Just when you've made your New Year's resolutions and are feeling pretty good about yourself, Jonathan Edwards comes along and makes you feel like crud.

For example, compare one of my recent resolutions to one of Edwards':

Jenny: "Plan a monthly social event for all my friends."

Edwards: "Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it."

See what I mean? Edwards wrote seventy resolutions between 1722 and 1723 and they're inspiring, practical, and warrant frequent review. They're also extraordinarily humbling when you consider that Edwards wrote them between the ages of 19 and 20. I mean, it took me until I was 25 to come up with "eat five fruits and vegetables a day."

If you'd like some help forming your list of New Year's resolutions, you can check out Edwards' at http://www.reformed.org/documents/Edwards/index.html
Here are a few that particularly resonated with me.

Resolution #5: Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

Resolution #8: Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.

Resolution #17: Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

Resolution #25: Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

Resolution #54: Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it.

Resolution #57: Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin.

Happy New Year!

The Best Christmas Eve Day Present Ever!

Well, technically the best Christmas Eve Day present ever was the In-N-Out gift certificate I received this morning, but this one is a close second. It's two more verses of my favorite Christmas carol, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." And unlike many little known fourth and fifth verses of popular hymns, they're as good as the first three verses! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

A Pagan Holiday and the Godliest Man I Know

December 21st is significant for two reasons. First, it's the date of the Winter Solstice and the shortest day of the year. But more importantly, it's the birthday of the wisest, godliest, and most compassionate man that I know. I thank God daily for my wonderful dad and I've been blessed to spend twenty-six years gleaning insights on ministry, relationships, and life in general from his example. So, on the eve of his birthday, I thought I'd share forty lessons I've learned from my dad. I hope you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom!

1. Buy lunch for people.
2. The passive voice is to be avoided.
3. Always ask, "Where does it say that in Scripture?"
4. Buffet your body and make it your slave.
5. Write your own curriculum.
6. Don't base your decisions on your emotions.
7. Set goals.
8. Even watching television can be a family bonding event.
9. Relationships are the most important part of ministry.
10. Be willing to face the fear of the unknown.
11. The NASB is hands down the best Bible translation.
12. READ, READ, READ!
13. Don't fear your enemies.
14. Be patient with others.
15. Make the most of your time.
16. Read the Bible in context.
17. Never stop learning.
18. Don't seek comfort.
19. Have a wide variety of interests.
20. You can win pretty much any debate if you have the entire Bible memorized.
21. Order room service.
22. Be optimistic!
23. Write succinctly.
24. Be active in finding solutions to your problems.
25. Never lose your love of adventure.
26. A little competition never hurt anyone.
27. Take your children on weekly adventures.
28. Do not put your hope in temporal things.
29. You can be theologically correct and practical at the same time.
30. Ask ethical questions.
31. Keep your head down and focus on body rotation in freestyle.
32. You must care for the person that God puts in your path.
33. Work hard.
34. Look out for the interests of others.
35. A great leader must be a great servant.
36. Don't plan on retiring.
37. Find inspiration in the things that you liked as a kid.
38. Look for the best in people.
39. Teach children the story of the Bible.
40. Always find ways to share the gospel.

There are thousands of other lessons I've learned from my dad, but given that he is celebrating his fortieth birthday tomorrow, forty lessons seemed appropriate.

Dad, thanks for inspiring and encouraging me each day. I couldn't ask for a better father. Happy Birthday!

It's No "Pharaoh, Pharaoh," But It's Still A Pretty Great Song

I love Christian kids' music. I grew up listening to Psalty the Singing Songbook and the Kids' Praise tapes and most of the scripture I have memorized is a direct result of listening to Psalty. (I still get the songs stuck in my head when I read those passages of the Bible.) I remember wearing dress-up clothes and standing in front of the full length mirror in my room (hmm, that might provide some insight into the roots of my vanity) and belting out "Jesus Put The Song In My Heart," with Charity Churchmouse.

Now that I work with kids, I'm always trying to find fun songs with good scriptural content. So you can imagine how excited I was to discover "Young Men and Maidens Raise," a Charles Wesley hymn written especially for kids! Well, excited and humbled. While my kids sing one Bible verse followed by five minutes of "Na, na, na," the children of Wesley's day sang, "Him Three in One and One in Three, extol to all eternity." Sheesh.

You know, this song might be a little over the heads of the kids I work with, but if we changed the tune to something like, "Yellow Submarine" and added a couple choruses of na, na, nas or maybe a dance break, this could be the hit of camp this summer. You never know.

Young men and maidens, raise
Your tuneful voices high;
Old men and children, praise
The Lord of earth and sky;
Him Three in One and One in Three,
Extol to all eternity.

The universal King
Let all the world proclaim;
Let every creature sing
His attributes and Name!
Him Three in One and One in Three,
Extol to all eternity.

In His great Name alone
All excellencies meet,
Who sits upon the throne,
And shall forever sit;
Him Three in One and One in Three,
Extol to all eternity.

Glory to God belongs;
Glory to God be given,
Above the noblest songs
Of all in earth or heaven!
Him Three in One and One in Three,
Extol to all eternity.