Dwell Conference

It's June and the summer vacation months are upon us. If you travel and like to listen as you drive, let me encourage you to listen to something that may spur you on toward godliness.

The Acts 29 Network recently posted the audio from their Dwell Conference. I would highly recommend you listen to the posted conference sessions by these very engaging pastors. I promise that an hour of audio from this conference will be much better than an hour of your mixed tape of Sinead O'Connor, Randy Travis, Lionel Richie, Menudo and The Best of Quiet Riot.

Enjoy.

20 Reasons

Below is a post from John Piper - 20 Reasons I Don't Take Potshots at Fundamentalists. I thought some of you may appreciate this list as your parents may be fundamentalists or maybe you are a fundamentalist-in-denial.

1. They are humble and respectful and courteous and even funny (the ones I've met). 2. They believe in truth.
3. They believe that truth really matters.
4. They believe that the Bible is true, all of it.
5. They know that the Bible calls for some kind of separation from the world.
6. They have backbone and are not prone to compromise principle.
7. They put obedience to Jesus above the approval of man (even though they fall short, like others).
8. They believe in hell and are loving enough to warn people about it.
9. They believe in heaven and sing about how good it will be to go there.
10. Their "social action" is helping the person next door.
11. They tend to raise law-abiding, chaste children, in spite of the fact that Barna
says evangelical kids in general don't have any better track record than non-Christians.
12. They resist trendiness.
13. They don’t think too much is gained by sounding hip.
14. They may not be hip, but they don’t go so far as to drive buggies or insist on typewriters.
15. They still sing hymns.
16. They are not breathless about being accepted in the scholarly guild.
17. They give some contemporary plausibility to New Testament claim that the church is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth.”
18. They are good for the rest of evangelicals because of all this.
19. My dad was one.
20. Everybody to my left thinks I am one. And there are a lot of people to my left.

There is a first time for everything

It finally happened. I was finally able to take my two older boys camping. I have said before that I need to show my boys what they need to enjoy. Yesterday afternoon we loaded up the van with the things we needed and headed to the Roughrider Campground.
We found a great spot under some trees and set up the tent. The boys were excited to put their things in the tent.
We then found a playground and the boys thought it was interesting to sit inside this tractor tire.
After playing for a while we went back to our camp site to eat. As we ate a large storm rolled in and the temperature dropped. We felt a few drops of rain but the storm didn't amount to much. We started a fire and the boys warmed themselves.
This morning we awoke and all had a bit of coffee. It was a great time together - just us boys.
*You can see more pictures of our time together at our family website. There are pictures of Ezra and Asher.

"...spoke, thought and reasoned like a child."

It all started with a Batman dispenser in college. "What a strange thing" I thought, "a toy that dispenses candy from its throat." I placed the dispenser on my shelf in my sculpture studio and it was quickly accompanied by several others. They were gifts from one of my professors who frequented estate sales. It quickly became a collection. I didn't really start the collection - it started on me. It's an odd thing to collect - but they are inexpensive ($1 will buy 1 dispenser) and there are always new faces to collect.

Kirsten has been kind to allow me to keep my childish collection over the years. She even allowed these dispensers to be a part of our wedding. She is a fine woman.

We are beginning to discuss a possible remodel on one of our rooms in our basement. The room we are thinking about remodeling is the one that houses all of these dispensers - all displayed in neat rows on shelves. As we begin to think through what we would like to do to the room it seems as if these candy-throated dispensers keep getting in the way. Our sons like to throw objects around this room and if you have ever seen dominoes fall on top of each other - hundreds of cartoon-headed dispensers do the same. So, here I am - 30something years young and I am faced with a decision. Should I a.) throw the dispensers away? b.) try to sell them? c.) take them to the local recycling establishment to see what I can get or d.) let the reader decide?

There are pros and cons to each. When all is said and done - they must leave my house. I don't need them any longer. They are taking up space, collecting dust, always fall over and I think the Peppermint Patty dispenser is up to something strange with the Wonder Woman dispenser.

What should I do? Stay tuned for details of the death of these, my candy-throated friends.

Spurgeon on long-winded prayers

I've been reading some Spurgeon recently and the quote below is something every public prayer should read. Spurgeon's insight and honesty is refreshing!

Long prayers either consist of repetitions, or else of unnecessary explanations which God does not require; or else they degenerate into downright preachings, so that there is no difference between the praying and the preaching, except that in the one the minister has his eyes shut, and in the other he keeps them open. It is not necessary in prayer to rehearse the Westminster Assembly's Catechism. It is not necessary in prayer to relate the experience of all the people who are present, or even your own. It is not necessary in prayer to string a selection of texts of Scripture together, and quote David, and Daniel, and Job, and Paul and Peter, and ever other body, under the title of 'thy servant of old.' It is necessary in prayer to draw near unto God, but it is not required of you to prolong your speech till everyone is longing to hear the word 'Amen.'

On a practical note...long prayers make Obed angry and you don't want to make Obed angry!

Happy Mother & Birth Day

Today was a day of celebrations. It was Mother's Day. My wife is by far the best mother in our house and I would say she is the best mother around! She cares for her boys. She serves them. She shepherds their hearts. She makes them great lunches on monkey plates. She is a great mother!
Today was also Ezra's birthday. He is 4 years young today. He was most excited for his birthday. What a great day of celebrations.

Church Member Meeting

Here is an interesting video clip from a member meeting at Covenant Life Church. I know none of us deal with these same issues of choices for the education of our children but I thought you may be interested in hearing/seeing this. If you don't want to watch the video I will sum it up for you - we should be primarily devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ - over and above educational choices we make for our children.

Meetings

I don't know if this is because of the influences of their father being a pastor or if it is a part of being American - but our boys set up a meeting of the minds today. We were loading the trucks with concrete to begin building the new rail system around Front Room Proper when Ezra (the foreman) decided we needed to circle up for a meeting. During the meeting we discussed what trucks would be loaded first and where the tracks would be set for the train that is expected to come through Hallway County (to the southeast of Dining Room Estates). I was a bit disappointed that the financial aspects of the deal were not a part of this meeting but I am certain this was noted in the minutes and it will be on the agenda for the next meeting.

Thank you for your cooperation during the planning phase of this project.
*for those of you wondering - this meeting took place on the same floor from the noise making in the previous post.

Teach them diligently

This evening our boys discovered something fantastic. They realized that when the buttocks are just a bit wet from the nightly bath a strange noise erupts when the cheeks are scooted just right. It was great fun for everyone involved!

Are you unique?

I found this from a monkey friend. I thought it was interesting enough to share with the two of you who read this blog.

There are 15,195 people in the U.S. with the first name Vince.
Statistically the 1495th most popular first name.
There are 191,463 people in the U.S. with the last name Black.
Statistically the 148th most popular last name.

There are 10 people in the U.S. named Vince Black.

I am going to start a club with the 9 others. I will immediately copyright my name and charge the members of the Vince Black club to pay dues.

Labone, Sudan - Vision Trip

Here is a glimpse of what we experienced in Labone, Sudan. I prepared this video for our church and pieces of the video were explained at a gathering last evening. Some of the video may not make much sense if you are not connected to Trinity Church. Enjoy.

Back home

Greetings all. I am back in the US. Below is a short video from the beginning of our experience in Labone, Sudan. I don't know what to think yet. It was a life-chaning experience and I am still trying to process everything. We met some great new friends and had some unbelievable experiences. God was gracious and kind to us in our travels.

Let's try this again

Many of you know that the scheduled trip to Sudan via Nairobi, Kenya was cancelled due to political unrest. The trip has been rescheduled and, Lord willing, we will be leaving Tuesday (4.1.08).

We fly into Nairobi, Kenya on April 2 and will stay there for one full day. We will depart Nairobi on April 4 and fly to Magwe, Sudan. We will be in Magwe through April 8. I would appreciate your prayers and look forward to telling of the great things God is doing in the church of Sudan.

Constant repeat in my head

The following song has been on constant repeat in my head for the last week. Last night I went to our Good Friday service and we sang this song. There aren't too many contemporary hymn writers that do this well.

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

©1995 Kingsway's Thankyou Music
Words and Music by Stuart Townend

Take notice

This is our youngest son Obed. He has largish cheeks. He is a prolific drooler. He is beginning to be able to hold his head up while he lays on his belly. The only place in our house that has carpet is the basement. It is a beautiful shag carpet.

In this picture you will notice two things.

1. Beautiful shag carpet

2. String of drool from Obed's mouth to the carpet