John Piper on Gun Control

Piper so often has a way of making me think of things in a new light. I never had any plans to own a gun, but now I'm quite certain that I will not.

What do the supreme court ruling on guns and the martyrdom of missionaries have to do with each other?

Noël and I watched Beyond Gates of Splendor, the documentary version of End of the Spear, the story of the martyrdom of Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Nate Saint in Ecuador in 1956. That same day we heard that the Supreme Court decided in favor of the right of Americans to keep firearms at home for self-defense.

Here's the connection. The missionaries had guns when they were speared to death. One of them shot the gun into the air, it appears, as he was killed, rather than shooting the natives. They had agreed to do this. The reason was simple and staggeringly Christlike:

The natives are not ready for heaven. We are.

I suspect the same could be said for almost anyone who breaks into my house. There are other reasons why I have never owned a firearm and do not have one in my house. But that reason moves me deeply. I hope you don't use your economic stimulus check to buy a gun. Better to find some missionaries like this and support them.

Coming Down the Mountain

We have a mighty, glorious God who knows us and has raised us from the dead so that we could know and enjoy him forever. If you are a Christian, this is true. This morning Mark Warnock spoke from Luke 9:28-43. I thought I was going to Super Summer to instruct and serve. In the process of doing so, I saw the face of the most high God. Now it is time to come down from the mountain and enter the world again.

I am filled with all sorts of new knowledge, a fresh perspective, and an all-around high after spending so much time worshipping God this week. While I cannot begin to describe this experience, I must say that I am challenged by three big things from the preaching of wiser men.
1. My general lack of self-discipline is sin. It isn't just something with which I struggle. It's sin.
2. We have been called to make disciples, and I have not. I am so looking forward to pouring my life into younger women.
3. Nothing is more valuable than knowing the word of God. I am challenged and want to be held accountable for scripture memory.

As I made my way home, I also realized a few things that happened to me this week of which I was not even aware at the time.
1. I spent so much time in God's word and praising him, that I am now craving his presence even more. I want to dwell at his feet.
2. The things of this world do seem strangely dim when you encounter our sovereign Lord. Things on the radio and television sound like junk because they are junk. Counterfeit, if you will. (Thanks for that analogy, Lonnie, as it applies to so many things)
3. God accomplished his purposes through me, even though I didn't want him to do so. Last Friday night, I was begging for God to let me off the hook, but to his glorious praise, he did not. At some point during the training weekend, my attitude towards this experience went from that of obligation to that of great honor and privilege.

Super!

Everything is going well here. God's glory is being proclaimed. I can't wait to tell more about it when I get home. I can't believe I forgot my camera. Dang.

Yeah, It's Always Better When We're Together

Tomorrow I leave for Super Summer. I won't be back until next Friday. I may or may not be able to blog while I'm there. Honestly, I have some mixed feelings about it. I'm excited to go, and the only thing that's really filling me with dread is that I will miss Kyle.
I just don't feel like I function properly when he's not around. Since we've been married, we've never been apart this long. Maybe it's a stronghold for me. Maybe I shouldn't be so dependent on him. I like to think that, in part, it's because we weren't meant to be apart. God made Eve for Adam so he wouldn't be alone, so he'd have a helper.
Oh, if every bride longed for their groom the way I long for Kyle, the world would be a better place. I pray that Jesus' bride, the Church, would long for him with this much passion and eager anticipation.
Your prayers are highly coveted for this coming week. I want to be able to focus and teach the Gospel effectively. I want to be full of joy for the Lord. I need Jesus to be enough, not just this week, but all the time.

$$ Why I Dislike VBS $$

Disclaimer: This is a response to Jim's comment/question on the previous post. This is only the perspective of one person based on her own experience and observation and does not necessarily represent the views of her employer.

The reason I dislike Vacation Bible School is simple. We spend way too much money on it! Most of the thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars spent are for DECORATIONS! This year's, by the way, are made up of hula girls and tiki gods, many of which have been torn down by our honorable pastor. I am all about having a fun place for the kids, but we can do better than this.

In my experience, far more time is spent decorating than preparing to teach and disciple children in the way of Jesus. I can't think of anything more important than teaching the Gospel, but I can think of better ways to do it that (in my opinion) would use our funds more wisely.
I think we could spent 1/3 or less and put on a great day camp, or a bunch of Backyard Bible Clubs.

When I think back to my summer missionary days in the Great Smoky Mountains, I am astounded by what we were able to do with very few supplies and little funding. We did day camp 5 days a week, three hours a day, for ten weeks. We had no money, only donated snacks and materials. We quickly became very creative and very good stewards.

I think we only need a fraction of what's in the budget for VBS to actually do a quality VBS, let's give the rest to missions! The Nine Mile Baptist Association (which is the one our church belongs to) was offering a mission trip to Juarez, Mexico for just $440! When I think of how many missionaries we could send to (insert destination) for what we spend on entertaining our kids, it makes me sick. There are tons of other fantastic ways to spend our money. I'm sure everyone reading this has a cause that is near and dear to them.