Reminder: we’re going to King’s Dominion on Monday. If you bought tickets with us, we are meeting at the main gate at 11am.

If you didn’t sign up with us, it’s not too late. You can still buy tickets at the gate on Monday.

Directions can be found here, or under the June archives.

I’ve never been to King’s Dominion before. What’s the best ride?

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Nicole and I were just in Denver, and we flew home yesterday on an Airbus A320.

Check out these stats I got from the Airbus website:

• Length: 123 feet.
• Wingspan: 111 feet.
• Weight: 90,000 pounds, empty; 162,000 pounds, loaded.
• Range: about 3000 nautical miles.
• Cruising speed: 560 miles per hour.
• Passengers: about 150.

And this is small as airliners go. Think about this for a minute: God has allowed (and caused!) human understanding to reach the point that engineers can figure out how to make 45 tons of steel carry 150 people across the country at nearly the speed of sound! We travelled 1700 miles in just over 3 hours.

As we landed, I was thinking about the common grace of God in air travel, and thanking God for this amazing technology.

But you know what I noticed? Complaining. As we waited to get off the plane, I couldn’t help but overhear people snort with anger as someone ahead of us struggled with their bags, briefly delaying us from exiting the plane. Predictions about how long baggage claim would take. Grumbling about the heat and humidity. Anger at the airline for not giving us lunch.

And I’m not immune. So many times I have, in my heart, demanded the things I want right now. Through my complaining, I have told God that he’s not doing a very good job running the world, and that I could do better.

How much better to recognize God’s goodness to us in this amazing peice of technology. The few extra moments it took to get off the plane is nothing compared to the hours we saved by flying instead of driving. Or the weeks we saved by flying instead of walking!

It makes me think of this verse:

“I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” Psalm 86:12.

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Hurricane season is just beginning. It won’t bother us too much here in Northern Virginia, but many of us have family or friends in Florida or along the Gulf Coast who were affected by Hurricane Dennis, and the other hurricanes that are likely to follow as summer wears on.

Dr. Al Mohler made some very insightful comments in his blog on Saturday, entitled: “On Praying About the Weather: A Meditation on Hurricane Dennis.” After considering the devastating effects of a hurricane on impoverished Caribbean countries, he asks:

Why would God allow hurricanes? The fully satisfying answer to that question is known to God alone. But we do know this much – every atom and molecule of creation testifies of God’s glory, reveals His power and nature, and stands under the Lordship of Jesus Christ… God remains the sovereign over all His creation.

How should we pray? Perhaps we should pray as Jesus taught us, praying that the Father’s will would be done, that all persons would be spared harm, and that Christians would respond in the aftermath of disaster with a clear Christian witness of care, assistance, and witness. We should pray that any ‘natural’ disaster would be an opportunity for Christian witness to the supernatural Gospel, and for Christian reflection on the beauty of the Savior.

Remember this: Nothing can separate Christians from the love of God. Not hurricanes, not pestilence, not even death.

Read the entire post here.

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I know some of you have been waiting for Triumph Over Temptation by Owen to come in so that you can start the Summer Reading Challenge. (This is the same as the old Sin and Tempation, edited by James Houston, with a new title and cover.)

If that’s you, I’m happy to announce that it is in the bookstore. I’ve issued your challenge. Now you can get to reading!

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Maybe you’ve been wondering where we’re at with the You Name It contest.

In the three weeks that has gone by since I closed the You Name It post, I’ve narrowed the field from the 226 suggested names for our Youth Ministry to my two dozen or so favorites. I took that list and ran it by a select group of parents and teens to get their feedback. They were very enthusiastic.

We didn’t pick a name, but we are closing in on it. Can’t wait to tell you what it is. And please pray for us–we need the Lord’s help!

Don’t forget what is at stake here:

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By now, you’ve probably heard about the bombings in London. This is a tragedy wrought by evil people. It seems like terrorist bombings happen fairly often, but usually in places like the Middle East. This attack on our British cousins seems a lot closer to home.

I’ve spent the week studying the book of Daniel, preparing to preach next Sunday. In his commentary on the book, author Sinclair Ferguson said that the main point we are to get from the book of Daniel is this:

“In spite of present appearances, God is in control.”

If you’re reading through the Bible in a year, you may have noticed that the reading in Psalms is very applicable:

“Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars in their heart.” Ps. 140:1-2.

“I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy.” Ps. 140:12.

“But my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless.” Ps. 141:8.

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Did the title get your attention? It did mine. I didn’t make it up: it’s the title of the latest commentary by Dr. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

This post is for the dads. Dads, if you didn’t see yesterday’s installment of Dr. Mohler’s daily commentary today, here’s the gist: it is about the perilous condition of the future men in our country–our sons. I recommend you read the whole thing, but here is an appetizer:

“Manhood, Moore explains, ‘is not simply a matter of being male and reaching a certain age. These are acts of nature; manhood is a sustained act of character.’ “

“We should rightly fear a future in which young men grow into physical maturity only to show themselves as either barbarians or wimps. Unless this pattern is reversed, we face a future dominated by males who never grow up to be men.”

Dads, these lines evoke two responses from me. First, they make me grateful to God for dads like you and the sons you are raising. This is not the trend in our church. Second, it motivates me to continue to make godly masculinity a priority in my own life, in my parenting, and in our youth ministry.

I’m also freshly reminded that it doesn’t have to be like this. The modern books on raising sons are not terribly helpful. But there are some older books that are extrememly good. I recommend especially Thoughts for Young Men by J.C. Ryle and A Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson.

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I am a Nationals fan. I’ve always loved baseball, and although I haven’t followed the game closely for years, this season, I’m inspired. I was inspired over the winter by the idea of actually having a home team. (The Orioles are not, and never have been, our home team.) I’ve remained inspired as the Nats’ season has absolutely taken off. No one could have predicted this when the season started in April.

Consider the following statistics:

• The Nationals went 20-6 in June, including a remarkable 10-1 homestand. They currently stand 19 games over the .500 mark with a 6-win streak.
• The Nationals have no big-name players, but nevertheless have several players with impressive league stats. For instance, Brad Wilkerson leads the NL with 28 doubles. Chad Cordero tops the league with 29 saves. Livan Hernandez stands out with an impressive 12-2 record.
• The June 13, 2005 issue of Time Magazine reported the following statistic: Attendance at the first 24 home games of baseballs’s Washington Nationals: 762, 197. Total attendance last season at all 80 home games of the team, when it was the Montreal Expos: 748, 500.
• Most impressive of all: the Nationals are leading the NL East (widely considered one of the toughest divisions in baseball) by 5.5 games over Atlanta!

I love the quote by Thomas Boswell, sportswriter for the Washington Post, in his Friday column: “What the Nats are now doing borders on baseball insanity.”

For my part, I’ve really enjoyed reading about the interviews with the Nationals players. They’ve generally appeared to be humble, not impressed with themselves. They sound like they are at least as surprised at their winning record as we are.

My only disappointment: I have yet to find a Nationals hat the fits the way I like.

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Some urban legends turn out to be true. Ever hear the one about the guy who tied helium balloons to his lawn chair and floated to an altitude of 16,000 feet? If you’re like me, you thought: “Yeah, right.”

But it’s true. 23 years ago today–July 2, 1983–Larry Walters attached 45 4-foot diameter helium-filled weather balloons to his lawnchair and quickly rose to a height of about 16,000 feet over Los Angeles (he wore a parachute). He managed to descended safely to terra firma by popping balloons with a pellet gun.

He was arrested on landing by the LAPD and was later fined $4000 for operating a “civil aircraft for which there is not currently in effect an airworthiness certificate” and operating an aircraft within an airport traffic area “without establishing and maintaining two-way communications with the control tower.” On appeal, his fine was reduced to $1500.

A reporter asked him why did he do it? His reply: “A man can’t just sit around.”

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Thursday morning, I finished reading “On Mortification” from Owen’s big Temptation and Sin. It is wonderful. This was not the first time I’ve started it, but it was the first time I’ve finished it. There is so much I didn’t get, I’m definitely going to read it again soon. A book like this will take a lifetime to master.

Some choice quotations from the final chapter:

“Mortification of any sin must be by a supply of grace. Of ourselves we cannot do it.” p. 81.

“If Christ be chosen for the foundation of our supply [of help in fighting sin], he will not fail us.” p. 83.

That reminds me of a prayer from The Valley of Vision, called “Meeting God” (page 268-269):

“Urged by my need,
invited by thy promises,
called by thy Spirit,
I enter thy presence,
worshipping thee with godly fear,
awed by thy majesty, greatness, glory,
but encouraged by thy love.
I am all poverty as well as all guilt,
having nothing of my own with which to repay thee,
But I bring Jesus to thee in the arms of faith…
I bless thee that great sin draws out great grace.”

I know that many of you are reading Owen for the Summer Reading Challenge. How is it going? What are you learning? Quotes that have stood out to you?

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