Archive for March, 2006
A Letter To A Teenager
March 31, 2006 2:24 pmNicole's brother Chad turned 13 on Sunday. As one part of the celebration, CJ asked some friends and family members to send Chad a letter to encourage him and challenge him in his faith.
One of the letters was from David Powlison; the GirlTalkers felt that this letter is so edifying and so encouraging, that they posted it yesterday for the benefit of many others. Parents, this is a wonderful model of how to encourage and exhort your kids to grow by showing them the grace and glory of Jesus Christ.
I want to encourage you to read the entire letter, but here is an excerpt to get you started:
There are many things I could mention to you, Chad, but let me say only two. They are so important to remember, and so easy to forget.
First, don’t ever forget: God is merciful to you. Mercy is who he is. “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). Mercy is what he does. “If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him over for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32). Mercy is what you need. “Lord, hear my voice…If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, that you may be feared” (Psalm 130:3-4). God’s mercy is not a theory, a bunch of words, or stories from a long time ago. It is the reality upon which your life depends. Mercy is a reality that anchors you into the life and death of Jesus Christ. He has come for us. He has come for you. You need help from outside yourself. Ask for help.
Second, don’t ever forget: your whole life will be a work-in-progress. This is so freeing. Your successes and graces (and may God give you many ways to shine, Chad) will never mean you’ve arrived. These are good gifts of mercy, to be received gratefully. Don’t take good things for granted, or view them as a basis for identity or self-congratulation. At the same time, your sins, failure and sufferings (and such things will happen, and may be painfully discouraging) never mean that there is no hope. These are the weaknesses that make you realize your actual need for the wise mercies of Jesus. Your life will shine as you realize that God has given you this life as a lifelong holy experiment in becoming what a human being is meant to become. “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). That will be so for your entire life.
What To Pack
2:23 pm
You can expect good weather, lots of wind, low humidity, and warm temperatures (70’s – 80’s during the day, cooler at night- low 50’s). Pack wisely. You can probably wear some clothes more than once. Here’s a list to check off as you pack.
Clothing to Bring:
- Work clothes and shoes that you don't mind painting in (2 pants/4 shirts)
- Work gloves
- Lightweight shirts (T-shirts good) & shorts
- Sunday clothes (dresses/skirts/nice slacks for ladies; guys bring nice casual
- Sweater or sweatshirt
- Modest sleepwear
- Work clothes
- Sandals or flip-flops for the shower
- Money belt (optional)
- Pants for dinner outing and other events
- Hat
Other Items to Bring:
- Bible, Journal, Pen
- Camera & batteries
- Toiletries – shampoo, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturizer/lotion, etc.
- Eye drops
- Chapstick
- Water bottle
- Sunglasses
- Any medications you may need – Tylenol, aspirin, Advil, etc.
- Immodium AD or Pepto Bismol
- Strong sunscreen (at least 30 SPF)
- Favorite card games or small board games for free time
- Antibacterial cleanser for hands (Purel or similar)
- Sleeping Bag/Bed Sheets (twin)
- Pillow
- Towel & washcloth
- Cell Phone & charger
- Flashlight (with batteries!)
- Cash for snacks in the airport and junk at the market
What to Leave at Home:
- Ungodly books, magazines, or music
- Valuables
- T-shirts with questionable slogans or advertisements (e.g. beer or concert T-shirts)
- Hairdryers/curling irons
- Immodest clothing, including short or slit skirts, Sleeveless sun dresses, halter or braless tops
- Tank tops – GUYS: this includes you!
Hint: If you are wondering about an item, don’t bring it. Conservative dress is the rule. When we are out in public, in ministry or otherwise, we ask that your appearance be neat and appropriate.
REMEMBER: Don’t pack any more luggage than you can carry by yourself at one time through the airport! Don't be like this guy:
Culinary Current Events, Part 2
7:33 am
Some like Gatorade, some like Powerade, some like… chocolate milk? CBS News reports:
During a 2004 Summer Olympics awash in controversies over steroids and supplements, one sportswriter wryly noticed that top American swimmer Michael Phelps was playing it safe — he preferred to drink Carnation Instant Breakfast between races.
Now it appears that the six-time gold medalist may have been onto something. A new study shows that plain old chocolate milk may be as good — or better — than sports drinks like Gatorade at helping athletes recover from strenuous exercise.
The article goes on to report that the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism has found that plain old chocolate milk may be better for athletes than expensive sports drinks because it contains nutrients like calcium in much higher quantities. The bottom line:
"The findings suggest that chocolate milk has an optimal ratio of carbohydrates to protein to help refuel tired muscles…"
Drink up, people. Pounding the Yoo-Hoo may not make you look tough, but if you want to make it to the end of the game, chug the chocolate.
The second flavor of our trip is so important, becuase gratitude makes a distinct impression on people long after we're gone. I particularly want you to look for ways to communicate gratitude to Dean Adamek, the director of the Ranch, for letting us come. We are serving Dean by coming, but he is serving us by letting us spend time with the kids. In fact, Dean told us last year that he only allows Sovereign Grace Ministries groups to interact with the kids. This is an serious privilege and says a lot about Dean's trust of our group. Let's thank him for that!
Here is Dean's family. His wife is named Denise, and their kids are Taylor, Jeremiah, and Daniel. Please remember their names so that you can greet them when we arrive! An old picture:
I think this verse captures well the second flavor of our trip:
"How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?" (1 Thessalonians 3:9, NIV)
We are going to have a lot of opportunities to be thankful. You've already been doing a great job thanking Mary for getting us the great airfare. More than anyone else, I want you to be thankful for your parents. Here are a few ways to get started.
You might say, "Dad and Mom, thanks for…
- Letting me go to Mexico. I know you could ask me to stay home and study during Spring Break.
- Coming with me to Mexico (if applicable)
- Your investment in me over the years. Left to myself, I wouldn't want to spend Spring Break serving children in Mexico: thanks for training me to desire this.
- All the ways you provide for me financially at home so that I can spend the money to go to Mexico.
I'm sure you can think of more!
Culinary Current Events, Part 1
March 30, 2006 10:41 pm
Caesar is a pleaser. In the kingdom of salads, Caesar is king. Caesar is the mayor of Saladville.
So says the food section of yesterday's Post in an article entitled "Hail Caesar," a strangely boisterous celebration of Caesar salad.
An excerpt:
America cannot get enough of the Caesar salad. In the last two decades, the simple combination of romaine lettuce, creamy dressing and Parmesan cheese has:
- Become America's most popular main-dish salad, showing up virtually everywhere from fast-food chains to white-tablecloth restaurants to the takeout counter in the supermarket.
- Dramatically altered the lettuce industry as the demand for romaine has skyrocketed.
- Turned the chicken-topped Caesar into the chicken item most frequently found on restaurant menus — more often than wings or even that perennial kid favorite, chicken fingers.
And still we want more.
Two things stand out to me here:
- I was not even aware that there is a lettuce industry, but I think that's a great thing. But I suppose they probably gather for yearly conventions and stuff.
- Even better: we serve a God that is so creative, he even created different kinds of lettuce. I did some research: the California Lettuce Research Board (I'm not kidding) says that there are five kinds of leafy lettuce: Butterhead, Romaine, Iceberg, Greenleaf, and Redleaf. Would we have thought of this? If I were creating the world, different kinds of birds, sure. Different kinds of trees, maybe. Different kinds of lettuce? I wouldn't have thought of that. You've got cabbage, you've got lettuce, what else do you need? But here it is, in all it's leafy, verdant, quint-variety splendor: a salad testifying to the greatness of God.
Parents, D.A. Carson’s comments on 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 are relevant in our parenting as well. Dr. Carson explains:
“When was the last time you prayed this sort of prayer for your family? for your church? for your children? Do we not spend far more energy praying that our children will pass their exams, or get a good job, or be happy, or not stray too far, than we do praying that they may live lives worthy of what it means to be a Christian?
“How will these values appear thirty of forty billion years from now? From eternity’s perspective, what should be the primary things for which we should pray for our children, for ourselves, for our fellow believers?
“When was the last time we prayed such things? When was the last time we prayed that Good might count us worthy of his calling?” (pp. 54-55)
I know that all Christian parents are motivated by their love for their children to pray for their children. Dr. Carson’s words exhort us to consider what should be the content of our prayers, our priorities in our prayers for our children. Without neglecting our prayers for their temporal good, let’s be sure to pray that God would make them “worthy of his calling.”
Pray To Be What You Are
6:33 amIn his book, A Call to Spiritual Reformation, D.A. Carson examines the prayers of Paul to learn how we should pray. One of the prayers he considers is 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12:
"…we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
What does it mean that God would make you "worthy of his calling"? Dr. Carson explains:
"He prays that Christians might become worthy of all that it means to be a Christian, of all that it means to be a child of the living God, of all that it means to be worthy of the love that brought Jesus to the cross… This is one of the themes to which Paul returns again and again. We are to grow up into Christian maturtiy. In a strange paradox, Paul is constantly telling people, in effect, to become what they are; that is, since we already are children of God because of his free grace to us in Christ, we must now become all that such children should be. God has graciously called us; now we must live up to that calling. That cannot mean less than that we should become increasingly holy, self-denying, loving, full of integrity, steeped in the knowledge of God and his Word, delighted to trust and obey our heavenly Father." (p. 54)
In the context of this chapter, Dr. Carson is not only exhorting us to "be what we are," he is showing us how Paul prayed for the Thessalonian Christians. Paul's emphasis in prayer should shape ours, and we should pray for our families and friends that they to would "be what they are," that God would make them worthy of his calling, that the name of the Lord Jesus may be glorified in them.
Savor The Flavor: Humility, Part 2
March 26, 2006 9:09 pm
What will humility look like on the ground in Mexico? It will particularly look like serving and gratitude, the other two flavors of our trip. In addition, it can and should look like:
- Flexibility. Some things we’re doing, we won’t end up doing. Some things you start doing, you won’t finish doing. Some things you want to do, you won’t get to do. Some things you don’t want to do, you’ll be asked to do. Part of humility is being prepared to release your expectations and desires for the good of others.
- Talking. The five15 Challenge is in effect in Mexico, people. Humility will also mean coming prepared to reach out to the members of our team you don’t know as well, coming ready to interact with the kids, coming ready to care for and serve the staff.
- Not Talking. There will be points where we need to give you instructions, or times when we are hearing froom someone in a large group. These are times when humility shows itself in listening.
- Encouragement. Evidences of God’s grace will abound. Humility is quick to see those things and quick to encourage others for them.
