I saw this on Justin Taylor's blog, and I was so touched by it I had to post it myself...have some tissues handy and be prepared to be amazed at the goodness of our God in the midst of tragic circumstances.
http://www.ignitermedia.com/products/iv/singles/570/99-Balloons
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
A thought
I came across a thought in Jeremiah that I found rather interesting (I could very well be the last person to notice this, but just in case I thought I would share it!) : )
Jeremiah 29:11 is probably one of the most quoted passages in the Bible. It can be applied to almost any circumstance, and has provided great comfort. But it is interesting to notice the context of this verse--
"For thus says the Lord, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill my good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. And I will be found by you,' declares the Lord, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the Lord, 'and I will bring you back to the from where I sent you into exile.'"
Several things to note:
1. The phrase "declares the Lord" is repeated several times in these few verses alone--indicating the importance the author places on the fact that these are not his words but are indeed the words of our great God Himself.
2. Historically, Jeremiah was a prophet to the Israelites, who had a very long history of loving the Lord, turning away from Him, recieving judgement, repenting, and the Lord welcoming them back as His children. The particular event referred to in this passage is the Hebrew exile into Babylon, a historical event in which the Israelites were taken captive by the King of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzer) and scattered throughout the Babylonian empire (called the Babylonian Captivity).
3. The Lord indicates that He not only knows the future, but is active in all aspects of it--from the judgement of Israel itself to the restoration of His people.
What can we conclude?
1. What the Lord says, the Lord will do. The Babylonian captivity did indeed take place...and Israel was eventually not only restored in fortune but was gifted with the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
2. The Lord is gracious and loving toward His people--over and over and over again. To the Israelites, the Captivity was a calamity--but the Lord promises that what appears to be a calamity is for the good of His people, and is not to harm them. Indeed, it is to give them "a future and a hope"--culminating in the coming of the promised Messiah, the Savior.
3. The Lord does indeed have good purposes for what He does--both immediate and long-term. More immediately, the Israelites were shown the graciousness and loving purposes of our God in acting to bring His wandering people back to Him. In the long term, the Diaspora (or dispersing of the Jews throughout the Babylonian Empire) created pockets of Jewish people all over Mespotamia. This, I believe, helped to set the stage for the coming of the Messiah--in numerous ways.
How can we apply this?
1. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5-6). The Lord knows what He is doing--and even in the face of what appears to be uncontrollable calamity, God is in charge and God is working to bring about more good that we can imagine! ("No eye has seen, no ear has percieved, no mind can concieve what God has prepared for those who love Him!") He is working for a "future and a hope" for us, that will bring us joy and cause us to rejoice in our gracious Lord.
2. If you are in sin, or feeling guilty over a past or events that grieved our Holy God, look to the love and grace that He showed to Israel over and over and over again. There are consequences for our actions oftentimes, but the Lord is loving and carries us through everything, including His own judgement (which is for our good). And He will always welcome back His children with loving arms--and restore them, just as He did the Israelites. Trust His promises, and trust His forgiveness!
William Cowper sums all of this up very nicely in an old hymn....
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
-Cowper, 1774
love kristi
p.s. keep your eyes open for the second installment of pictures and an update from the last part of the summer here at the North Wing! : ) km
Jeremiah 29:11 is probably one of the most quoted passages in the Bible. It can be applied to almost any circumstance, and has provided great comfort. But it is interesting to notice the context of this verse--
"For thus says the Lord, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill my good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. And I will be found by you,' declares the Lord, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the Lord, 'and I will bring you back to the from where I sent you into exile.'"
Several things to note:
1. The phrase "declares the Lord" is repeated several times in these few verses alone--indicating the importance the author places on the fact that these are not his words but are indeed the words of our great God Himself.
2. Historically, Jeremiah was a prophet to the Israelites, who had a very long history of loving the Lord, turning away from Him, recieving judgement, repenting, and the Lord welcoming them back as His children. The particular event referred to in this passage is the Hebrew exile into Babylon, a historical event in which the Israelites were taken captive by the King of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzer) and scattered throughout the Babylonian empire (called the Babylonian Captivity).
3. The Lord indicates that He not only knows the future, but is active in all aspects of it--from the judgement of Israel itself to the restoration of His people.
What can we conclude?
1. What the Lord says, the Lord will do. The Babylonian captivity did indeed take place...and Israel was eventually not only restored in fortune but was gifted with the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
2. The Lord is gracious and loving toward His people--over and over and over again. To the Israelites, the Captivity was a calamity--but the Lord promises that what appears to be a calamity is for the good of His people, and is not to harm them. Indeed, it is to give them "a future and a hope"--culminating in the coming of the promised Messiah, the Savior.
3. The Lord does indeed have good purposes for what He does--both immediate and long-term. More immediately, the Israelites were shown the graciousness and loving purposes of our God in acting to bring His wandering people back to Him. In the long term, the Diaspora (or dispersing of the Jews throughout the Babylonian Empire) created pockets of Jewish people all over Mespotamia. This, I believe, helped to set the stage for the coming of the Messiah--in numerous ways.
How can we apply this?
1. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5-6). The Lord knows what He is doing--and even in the face of what appears to be uncontrollable calamity, God is in charge and God is working to bring about more good that we can imagine! ("No eye has seen, no ear has percieved, no mind can concieve what God has prepared for those who love Him!") He is working for a "future and a hope" for us, that will bring us joy and cause us to rejoice in our gracious Lord.
2. If you are in sin, or feeling guilty over a past or events that grieved our Holy God, look to the love and grace that He showed to Israel over and over and over again. There are consequences for our actions oftentimes, but the Lord is loving and carries us through everything, including His own judgement (which is for our good). And He will always welcome back His children with loving arms--and restore them, just as He did the Israelites. Trust His promises, and trust His forgiveness!
William Cowper sums all of this up very nicely in an old hymn....
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
-Cowper, 1774
love kristi
p.s. keep your eyes open for the second installment of pictures and an update from the last part of the summer here at the North Wing! : ) km
Monday, September 24, 2007
In light of recent events, including Pastor John's loss of his granddaughter this past weekend, I thought this would be an appropriate article that I got from the DG website (no doubt put there on purpose for this week...) I hope you are blessed and encouraged in it.
love kristi
There is a Way to Be Happy, Even in Sadness
Godly Sorrow: Jesus' and Ours
By John PiperMarch 23, 2005
Christian Hedonists embrace necessary sorrow for the glory of God. On the one hand, we are utterly committed to pursuing joy in God at all times. But on the other hand, we know there is more to the emotional life of godly people than joy. Joy is not the only good emotion. But without delight in God, no emotion would be good. Either as component or the concomitant of all godly emotions, it is joy in God that makes them good.
Consider sorrow. Neither Jesus nor the Holy Spirit has ever sinned. But both have grieved. Both have been sorrowful. Therefore, godly sorrow is possible.
Not only that, godly sorrow is possible also for sinners. It is possible precisely because of our sin. One form of sorrow is sorrow for doing something wrong. So Paul writes to the Corinthians:
For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it. . . . I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:8-10)
At least two things govern what makes sorrow good. One is the cause, the other is the outcome. The cause of godly sorrow for our own sin is the spiritual perception of its moral ugliness, not just its negative consequences. We see it as morally repugnant. This repugnance is owing to our spiritual preference for the taste of the truth and beauty of God. Therefore our sorrow for sin is rooted in our savoring of God. Sin is a revolting flavor in the feast of godwardness. Therefore, sorrow over this is a signal that we delight in God. That is what makes the sorrow good.
The outcome of good sorrow for sin is repentance and holiness. In fact, repentance includes sorrow for sin and extends it to a more durable experience of holy living. This holy living is the outward form of delighting in God above all sin. Therefore delight in God is what makes the sorrow and repentance good.
But what about sorrow that is not for our own sin, but for the way we are sinned against or the way we are hurt by calamity and loss? Jesus sorrowed like this. For example, when he saw the Pharisees murmuring about his healing on the Sabbath, “He looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart” (Mark 3:5). And in the garden of Gethsemane, he said, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch” (Mark 14:34).
Jesus’ sorrow was not owing to his own sin, but to the sins of others. This is the way it is with the Holy Spirit as well. Paul calls us to put sin out of our lives so that we do not grieve the Spirit: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:29-30).
In the same way believers embrace godly grief not only for our own sins but for the sins of others and for the pain that loss brings us. For example, Peter speaks of our grieving over trials: “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials” (1 Peter 1:6). Paul speaks of our grieving over lost loved ones: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). And Paul refers to his own grief over the lostness of his kinsmen: “My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart (Romans 9:1).
Nevertheless Paul makes the astonishing statement in 2 Corinthians 6:10 that what marks his life and should mark ours is “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” This is what makes our sorrow godly. I do not claim that this experience is simple or that we can even put it into adequate words—what it means to be joyful in sorrow. Heaving sobs at the loss of a loved one does not look like joy. Indeed is not joy in its fullness, as we will know it when “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
Rather the joy that endures through sorrow is the foretaste of that future joy in God which we hope for in the future. When Jesus was “very sorrowful, even to death” in Gethsemane he was sustained by “the joy that was set before him” (Hebrews 12:2). This does not mean that he felt in the garden or on the cross all that he would feel in the resurrection. But it does mean that he hoped in it and that this hope was an experienced foretaste of that joy.
Therefore, we groan here, waiting for the redemption of our bodies and for the removal of all our sins (Romans 8:23). This groaning and grieving is godly if it is molded by our delight in hope of glory (Romans 5:2-3). The delight is muffled by the pain. But it is there in seed form. It will one day grow into a great vine that yields wine of undiluted delight.
So let us embrace whatever sorrow God appoints for us. Let us not be ashamed of tears. Let the promise that joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5) sustain and shape our grief with the power and goodness of God.
© Desiring God
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Desiring God.
Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org
love kristi
There is a Way to Be Happy, Even in Sadness
Godly Sorrow: Jesus' and Ours
By John PiperMarch 23, 2005
Christian Hedonists embrace necessary sorrow for the glory of God. On the one hand, we are utterly committed to pursuing joy in God at all times. But on the other hand, we know there is more to the emotional life of godly people than joy. Joy is not the only good emotion. But without delight in God, no emotion would be good. Either as component or the concomitant of all godly emotions, it is joy in God that makes them good.
Consider sorrow. Neither Jesus nor the Holy Spirit has ever sinned. But both have grieved. Both have been sorrowful. Therefore, godly sorrow is possible.
Not only that, godly sorrow is possible also for sinners. It is possible precisely because of our sin. One form of sorrow is sorrow for doing something wrong. So Paul writes to the Corinthians:
For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it. . . . I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:8-10)
At least two things govern what makes sorrow good. One is the cause, the other is the outcome. The cause of godly sorrow for our own sin is the spiritual perception of its moral ugliness, not just its negative consequences. We see it as morally repugnant. This repugnance is owing to our spiritual preference for the taste of the truth and beauty of God. Therefore our sorrow for sin is rooted in our savoring of God. Sin is a revolting flavor in the feast of godwardness. Therefore, sorrow over this is a signal that we delight in God. That is what makes the sorrow good.
The outcome of good sorrow for sin is repentance and holiness. In fact, repentance includes sorrow for sin and extends it to a more durable experience of holy living. This holy living is the outward form of delighting in God above all sin. Therefore delight in God is what makes the sorrow and repentance good.
But what about sorrow that is not for our own sin, but for the way we are sinned against or the way we are hurt by calamity and loss? Jesus sorrowed like this. For example, when he saw the Pharisees murmuring about his healing on the Sabbath, “He looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart” (Mark 3:5). And in the garden of Gethsemane, he said, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch” (Mark 14:34).
Jesus’ sorrow was not owing to his own sin, but to the sins of others. This is the way it is with the Holy Spirit as well. Paul calls us to put sin out of our lives so that we do not grieve the Spirit: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:29-30).
In the same way believers embrace godly grief not only for our own sins but for the sins of others and for the pain that loss brings us. For example, Peter speaks of our grieving over trials: “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials” (1 Peter 1:6). Paul speaks of our grieving over lost loved ones: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). And Paul refers to his own grief over the lostness of his kinsmen: “My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart (Romans 9:1).
Nevertheless Paul makes the astonishing statement in 2 Corinthians 6:10 that what marks his life and should mark ours is “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” This is what makes our sorrow godly. I do not claim that this experience is simple or that we can even put it into adequate words—what it means to be joyful in sorrow. Heaving sobs at the loss of a loved one does not look like joy. Indeed is not joy in its fullness, as we will know it when “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
Rather the joy that endures through sorrow is the foretaste of that future joy in God which we hope for in the future. When Jesus was “very sorrowful, even to death” in Gethsemane he was sustained by “the joy that was set before him” (Hebrews 12:2). This does not mean that he felt in the garden or on the cross all that he would feel in the resurrection. But it does mean that he hoped in it and that this hope was an experienced foretaste of that joy.
Therefore, we groan here, waiting for the redemption of our bodies and for the removal of all our sins (Romans 8:23). This groaning and grieving is godly if it is molded by our delight in hope of glory (Romans 5:2-3). The delight is muffled by the pain. But it is there in seed form. It will one day grow into a great vine that yields wine of undiluted delight.
So let us embrace whatever sorrow God appoints for us. Let us not be ashamed of tears. Let the promise that joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5) sustain and shape our grief with the power and goodness of God.
© Desiring God
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Desiring God.
Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Deep and Philisophical Question of the Week
Here it is:
Why, no matter how careful you are, do you always end up with 95% of your socks unmatched by the time you finish laundry?
I thought about putting up a picture to demonstrate but there is no need for my socks to be published all over the internet for general viewing. However, if anyone has any answers to this important question, please fill me in.
love kristi
Why, no matter how careful you are, do you always end up with 95% of your socks unmatched by the time you finish laundry?
I thought about putting up a picture to demonstrate but there is no need for my socks to be published all over the internet for general viewing. However, if anyone has any answers to this important question, please fill me in.
love kristi
House Update: Summer 2007, Part One
The summer is almost over...kids are back to school, the leaves are just barely starting to turn, the smell of fall is creeping slowly into the air. The heat is still here, but not for long...isn't it nice to know that our God never changes?
Here are a few highlights from our summer here at the North Wing. There are more--such as memorable quotes, roommate prayer times late at night (yes, we have been known to fall asleep during them!), random moments doing ordinary things...but here are the ones we documented with a camera. : )
Our first major event of the season was the birth of Baby Byron Eggiman, our newest next-door neighbor. He arrived on a sunny June morning...here is Mommy and Byron.
Here is Kristi and Byron....
Trent had a birthday in July....he had a Jello Themed Party. Bri made a green jello concoction--yes, it is indeed a recipe from the Lutheran Church Ladies Cookbook (no, I'm not joking!) Here is Bri making the Jello...
We also had a few visits this summer...Easten's sisters came to visit (sorry, I don't have any pictures from the visit!) and so did my (Kristi's) sister Amy and neice Anna.
Katie the Dog also came to visit:
Easten and Kristi went on a "date" to the Chanhassen Dinner Theater to see Les Miserables. Sitting with some random people at a table was quite an experience (stories of the exploding gangrenous lesion notwithstanding). Easten and I learned that we loved the music from this show...and we learned not to share that we are nurses with random people.
And, Kate and Kristi attacked the overgrown tree in the backyard with great success, very few bruises, and only a couple instances of ducking and running for cover as the branches came crashing down.
The tree....
The attack....
The result....
I am sure there will be more added soon...I hope you enjoyed the tour of our summer. As for now, however, responsible people were in bed hours ago, so I am headed there now! And as I sleep, I rejoice in the fact that our God never slumbers nor does He sleep--He guards all our paths and guides all our ways, no matter what season of life we are in.
love kristi
p.s. sorry for the pictures that are not turned the right way.....consider it a neck stretching exercise. I'll try to fix it tomorrow. : )
Here are a few highlights from our summer here at the North Wing. There are more--such as memorable quotes, roommate prayer times late at night (yes, we have been known to fall asleep during them!), random moments doing ordinary things...but here are the ones we documented with a camera. : )
Our first major event of the season was the birth of Baby Byron Eggiman, our newest next-door neighbor. He arrived on a sunny June morning...here is Mommy and Byron.
Here is Kristi and Byron....
Trent had a birthday in July....he had a Jello Themed Party. Bri made a green jello concoction--yes, it is indeed a recipe from the Lutheran Church Ladies Cookbook (no, I'm not joking!) Here is Bri making the Jello...
We also had a few visits this summer...Easten's sisters came to visit (sorry, I don't have any pictures from the visit!) and so did my (Kristi's) sister Amy and neice Anna.
Katie the Dog also came to visit:
Easten and Kristi went on a "date" to the Chanhassen Dinner Theater to see Les Miserables. Sitting with some random people at a table was quite an experience (stories of the exploding gangrenous lesion notwithstanding). Easten and I learned that we loved the music from this show...and we learned not to share that we are nurses with random people.
And, Kate and Kristi attacked the overgrown tree in the backyard with great success, very few bruises, and only a couple instances of ducking and running for cover as the branches came crashing down.
The tree....
The attack....
The result....
I am sure there will be more added soon...I hope you enjoyed the tour of our summer. As for now, however, responsible people were in bed hours ago, so I am headed there now! And as I sleep, I rejoice in the fact that our God never slumbers nor does He sleep--He guards all our paths and guides all our ways, no matter what season of life we are in.
love kristi
p.s. sorry for the pictures that are not turned the right way.....consider it a neck stretching exercise. I'll try to fix it tomorrow. : )
Monday, September 3, 2007
Teach us our happiness...
"Teach us to place our happiness in thee,
the blessed God,
never seeking life among the dead things of earth,
or asking for that which satisfies the deluded,
But may we prize the light of thy smile,
implore the joy of thy salvation,
find our heaven in thee.
Thou has attended to our happiness
more than we can do."
Valley of Vision
the blessed God,
never seeking life among the dead things of earth,
or asking for that which satisfies the deluded,
But may we prize the light of thy smile,
implore the joy of thy salvation,
find our heaven in thee.
Thou has attended to our happiness
more than we can do."
Valley of Vision
Saturday, September 1, 2007
"Let your conversation always be full of grace...."
Well, friends, it is Saturday...hooray for the weekend! : ) I came across this on the Desiring God website today and it made me think...It is geared toward Christian counseling, but I couldn't help imagining what would happen if we could take what is said about Christian counseling in this article and apply the principles to our everyday conversations...imagine where God would take us and those we interact with!
"Toward a Definition of the Essence of Biblical Counseling
By John Piper
December 12, 2001
(This paper was presented to the people of Bethlehem Baptist Church on Wednesday, December 12 in an effort to advance our unifying discussion of what Biblical Counseling means and what we are looking for in an Associate Pastor for Counseling. It is not intended to say everything that needs to be said in defining Biblical Counseling, but rather to establish some of what is essential to the way we hope counseling will be done at Bethlehem).
Some Essentials of Good Counseling
God-centered, Christ-exalting, cross-cherishing, Spirit-dependent, Bible-saturated, emotionally-in-touch, culturally-informed use of language to help people become God-centered, Christ-exalting, joyfully self-forgetting lovers of people who spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.
1. Use of language - (1 Thessalonians 4:13, 18; 5:11; Hebrews 3:13; Romans 15:14): Almost all counseling is talk. There is, of course, essential and heart-engaged listening and understanding; but counseling proper is speech. It is remarkable that people will pay $95 an hour for talk. But that is the power of speech, and God has designed it to be so. Therefore, the major issues surrounding counseling are about the worldviews that inform the talk.
2. God-centered - (1 Corinthians 10:31; Acts 17:28): A God-centered person treats God as central to all of life's concerns, from the most simple and mundane to the most weighty and personal. God-centered language is speech that does not marginalize God or treat him as irrelevant or unnecessary. It makes explicit that all issues that matter are related importantly to God. All counseling issues are related to God at crucial levels, and counseling that tries to lead toward healing without dealing with God explicitly is defective.
3. Christ-exalting - (John 16:14; 17:5): Christ-exalting counseling is explicitly Christian and not merely theistic. All counseling issues involve the exaltation or the denigration of Jesus Christ. Either our attitudes and feelings and behaviors are making much or making little of Christ. We were created to make much of Christ. There is no true success in counseling if a person becomes socially functional without conscious dependence on and delight in Jesus Christ. This is the means and goal of all health.
4. Cross-cherishing - (Galatians 6:14): It is not enough to say that our counseling honors Christ. Some non-Christian systems, even Muslims,1 say this. Biblical Counseling must go to the heart of our problems and the heart of God's solution, which always means going to the cross where the depths of sin and the heights of grace are revealed. There is no true exalting of Christ or honoring of God that does not cherish the cross. The decisive severing of pride and despair is the cross of Christ. It is the ground of humility and hope. There is no true mental health without understanding the desperate condition we were in without the cross, and without feeling the joy of deliverance from that condition through the death of Christ on our behalf.
5. Spirit-dependent - (Romans 8:6, 14; Galatians 3:5; 5:22-23; 1 Peter 4:11): Spirit-dependent counseling knows and feels that it is helpless to speak wisely and lovingly and to bring about true wholeness apart from the decisive work of the Holy Spirit in the counselor and the counselee. This implies a significant, explicit presence of prayer in the process of counseling. Counseling serves in the strength which God supplies so that in everything God will get the glory.
6. Bible-saturated - (Matthew 4:4; Romans 15:4; Hebrews 4:12): Bible-saturated counseling does not treat the Word of God as an assumed foundation which never gets mentioned or discussed or quoted. "Foundations" are in the basement holding up the house, but they seldom get talked about, and they are usually not attractive. That is not an adequate metaphor for the role of Scripture in counseling. The Bible has power and is the very truth and word of God. Even saints most familiar with the Scriptures need to hear the Word of God. It has a power to rearrange the mental world and waken the conscience and create hope.
7. Emotionally-in-touch - (Deuteronomy 32:2; Romans 12:15; Hebrews 4:15; 13:3): Biblical Counseling is done by a person who has a healthy awareness of his own emotions and those of others and what is being felt, even if not expressed, by himself and others. Counsel takes into account what people are experiencing and not merely what the Biblical truths are that come to bear on the problem. Good Biblical Counselors feel appropriate feelings and know when their emotions are out-of-sync with the situation. They sense what others are feeling and know how to adjust the way they speak the truth so that it fits the moment.
8. Culturally-informed - (Act 17:23, 28; Proverbs 6:6-8; Job 38-41): Biblical Counseling is aware of the historical, social, cultural, and family factors that shape the sin and righteousness of our lives. Biblical Counseling does not estimate cultural, social, or family factors above spiritual ones relating to the power of sin and grace, but it does know that the shape of sin and righteousness is influenced by family, social, cultural, and historical things that may help people distinguish between what is sin and what is not, and what is virtue and what is not. Believing that the root of every emotional and relational problem is sin profoundly affects the conception of how to heal, but it does not lead to simplistic estimations of how easy healing is.
9. To help people become - (1 Thessalonians 3:12; Philippians 1:9): Biblical Counseling is directed at changing people – the way they see and understand and feel God and Christ and sin and right and wrong and the world and other people. Biblical Counseling is about helping people change. It has goals. It is not neutral or disinterested. It has Biblically-shaped aims for people's lives and relationships.
10. Joyfully self-forgetting lovers of people - (Philippians 1:25; 2 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Corinthians 16:14; 1 Timothy 1:5; Galatians 5:6): The aim of all health is God-centered, Christ-exalting love for people. Love is not possible where self-preoccupation holds sway in a person's life. So self-forgetfulness is a part of true mental health. This is not possible to create directly, but only as one is absorbed in something worthy and great. The aim is to be absorbed in God and anything else for God's sake. The truly healthy person is passionate for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.
Notes
1For example, the Chicago Tribune reported that Muslim Fisal Hammouda said in an interview with Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, "We believe in Jesus, more than you do in fact." (Sean Hamil, "Willow Creek Welcomes Muslim Cleric's Perspective: Pastor, Imam Have Dialogue at Suburban Church, Chicago Tribune October 12, 2001)
© Desiring God
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way, you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction, and you do not make more than 1,000 physical copies. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be explicitly approved by Desiring God.
Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700."
"Toward a Definition of the Essence of Biblical Counseling
By John Piper
December 12, 2001
(This paper was presented to the people of Bethlehem Baptist Church on Wednesday, December 12 in an effort to advance our unifying discussion of what Biblical Counseling means and what we are looking for in an Associate Pastor for Counseling. It is not intended to say everything that needs to be said in defining Biblical Counseling, but rather to establish some of what is essential to the way we hope counseling will be done at Bethlehem).
Some Essentials of Good Counseling
God-centered, Christ-exalting, cross-cherishing, Spirit-dependent, Bible-saturated, emotionally-in-touch, culturally-informed use of language to help people become God-centered, Christ-exalting, joyfully self-forgetting lovers of people who spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.
1. Use of language - (1 Thessalonians 4:13, 18; 5:11; Hebrews 3:13; Romans 15:14): Almost all counseling is talk. There is, of course, essential and heart-engaged listening and understanding; but counseling proper is speech. It is remarkable that people will pay $95 an hour for talk. But that is the power of speech, and God has designed it to be so. Therefore, the major issues surrounding counseling are about the worldviews that inform the talk.
2. God-centered - (1 Corinthians 10:31; Acts 17:28): A God-centered person treats God as central to all of life's concerns, from the most simple and mundane to the most weighty and personal. God-centered language is speech that does not marginalize God or treat him as irrelevant or unnecessary. It makes explicit that all issues that matter are related importantly to God. All counseling issues are related to God at crucial levels, and counseling that tries to lead toward healing without dealing with God explicitly is defective.
3. Christ-exalting - (John 16:14; 17:5): Christ-exalting counseling is explicitly Christian and not merely theistic. All counseling issues involve the exaltation or the denigration of Jesus Christ. Either our attitudes and feelings and behaviors are making much or making little of Christ. We were created to make much of Christ. There is no true success in counseling if a person becomes socially functional without conscious dependence on and delight in Jesus Christ. This is the means and goal of all health.
4. Cross-cherishing - (Galatians 6:14): It is not enough to say that our counseling honors Christ. Some non-Christian systems, even Muslims,1 say this. Biblical Counseling must go to the heart of our problems and the heart of God's solution, which always means going to the cross where the depths of sin and the heights of grace are revealed. There is no true exalting of Christ or honoring of God that does not cherish the cross. The decisive severing of pride and despair is the cross of Christ. It is the ground of humility and hope. There is no true mental health without understanding the desperate condition we were in without the cross, and without feeling the joy of deliverance from that condition through the death of Christ on our behalf.
5. Spirit-dependent - (Romans 8:6, 14; Galatians 3:5; 5:22-23; 1 Peter 4:11): Spirit-dependent counseling knows and feels that it is helpless to speak wisely and lovingly and to bring about true wholeness apart from the decisive work of the Holy Spirit in the counselor and the counselee. This implies a significant, explicit presence of prayer in the process of counseling. Counseling serves in the strength which God supplies so that in everything God will get the glory.
6. Bible-saturated - (Matthew 4:4; Romans 15:4; Hebrews 4:12): Bible-saturated counseling does not treat the Word of God as an assumed foundation which never gets mentioned or discussed or quoted. "Foundations" are in the basement holding up the house, but they seldom get talked about, and they are usually not attractive. That is not an adequate metaphor for the role of Scripture in counseling. The Bible has power and is the very truth and word of God. Even saints most familiar with the Scriptures need to hear the Word of God. It has a power to rearrange the mental world and waken the conscience and create hope.
7. Emotionally-in-touch - (Deuteronomy 32:2; Romans 12:15; Hebrews 4:15; 13:3): Biblical Counseling is done by a person who has a healthy awareness of his own emotions and those of others and what is being felt, even if not expressed, by himself and others. Counsel takes into account what people are experiencing and not merely what the Biblical truths are that come to bear on the problem. Good Biblical Counselors feel appropriate feelings and know when their emotions are out-of-sync with the situation. They sense what others are feeling and know how to adjust the way they speak the truth so that it fits the moment.
8. Culturally-informed - (Act 17:23, 28; Proverbs 6:6-8; Job 38-41): Biblical Counseling is aware of the historical, social, cultural, and family factors that shape the sin and righteousness of our lives. Biblical Counseling does not estimate cultural, social, or family factors above spiritual ones relating to the power of sin and grace, but it does know that the shape of sin and righteousness is influenced by family, social, cultural, and historical things that may help people distinguish between what is sin and what is not, and what is virtue and what is not. Believing that the root of every emotional and relational problem is sin profoundly affects the conception of how to heal, but it does not lead to simplistic estimations of how easy healing is.
9. To help people become - (1 Thessalonians 3:12; Philippians 1:9): Biblical Counseling is directed at changing people – the way they see and understand and feel God and Christ and sin and right and wrong and the world and other people. Biblical Counseling is about helping people change. It has goals. It is not neutral or disinterested. It has Biblically-shaped aims for people's lives and relationships.
10. Joyfully self-forgetting lovers of people - (Philippians 1:25; 2 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Corinthians 16:14; 1 Timothy 1:5; Galatians 5:6): The aim of all health is God-centered, Christ-exalting love for people. Love is not possible where self-preoccupation holds sway in a person's life. So self-forgetfulness is a part of true mental health. This is not possible to create directly, but only as one is absorbed in something worthy and great. The aim is to be absorbed in God and anything else for God's sake. The truly healthy person is passionate for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.
Notes
1For example, the Chicago Tribune reported that Muslim Fisal Hammouda said in an interview with Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, "We believe in Jesus, more than you do in fact." (Sean Hamil, "Willow Creek Welcomes Muslim Cleric's Perspective: Pastor, Imam Have Dialogue at Suburban Church, Chicago Tribune October 12, 2001)
© Desiring God
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way, you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction, and you do not make more than 1,000 physical copies. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be explicitly approved by Desiring God.
Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700."
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Recent Poll....
Hello friends!
Just thought I would share with you the results of a recent poll that I heard about on K102 (yes, Minneapolis, it is indeed a country music station.....oh,well! the Southern-ness strikes again...)
Anyway, results of this particular poll showed that 25% of American women and 12% of American men regret (are you ready?) their decision of who they married.
Now, I am not sure if this reflects a major problem in how Americans view marriage, or in the wisdom and discretion they used when choosing a spouse....probably both. It is a sad state of affairs, either way. Let's make an effort as believers to affirm those we know who are married, and to encourage them to let their marriages be a reflection of the union between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5). For those we know who are pursuing marriage, let's encourage them to rely on the Lord's wisdom for their lives (Proverbs 3:5-6). And for those of us who are (apparently) far from being married, let's remember that "the Lord brings food in due time" and that He "fulfills the desires of the righteous" (Psalm 145)...always keeping in mind that the Lord knows our true desires, that He does not withold any good thing, and therefore we need not be in a hurry to make a decision or to "settle" for less than the one God has for us.
love kristi
Just thought I would share with you the results of a recent poll that I heard about on K102 (yes, Minneapolis, it is indeed a country music station.....oh,well! the Southern-ness strikes again...)
Anyway, results of this particular poll showed that 25% of American women and 12% of American men regret (are you ready?) their decision of who they married.
Now, I am not sure if this reflects a major problem in how Americans view marriage, or in the wisdom and discretion they used when choosing a spouse....probably both. It is a sad state of affairs, either way. Let's make an effort as believers to affirm those we know who are married, and to encourage them to let their marriages be a reflection of the union between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5). For those we know who are pursuing marriage, let's encourage them to rely on the Lord's wisdom for their lives (Proverbs 3:5-6). And for those of us who are (apparently) far from being married, let's remember that "the Lord brings food in due time" and that He "fulfills the desires of the righteous" (Psalm 145)...always keeping in mind that the Lord knows our true desires, that He does not withold any good thing, and therefore we need not be in a hurry to make a decision or to "settle" for less than the one God has for us.
love kristi
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Hmmm....
Hmmm...not sure why the last post doesn't show up. I'm trying to see if it will work if I post another one.,,,
love kristi
love kristi
Friday, August 24, 2007
Purity
This is part of an e-mail I got from my mom, who was studing 1 Thesselonians. She was struck by the emphasis of purity in the book...and she e-mailed me this because she feels these concepts are much needed among people our age...I hope you are spurred on toward holiness by it!
"I have been studying 1 Thess. and have been struck with the richness of the teaching on purity is found in 1 Thess 4:1-8:
· purity is expected—it is how we “ought to live”; as you are doing (v. 1); “keep on abstaining” (v. 3)
· purity is pleasing to God (v. 1)
· we should be increasing in purity (v. 1)
· instruction is needed (v. 2)
· purity is a part of our sanctification and is the will of God (v. 3)
· purity means controlling our own bodies (v. 4)—in holiness in honor
· purity (controlling our bodies) is a mark of a Christian; not controlling our lusts is the mark of an unbeliever (v. 5)
· immorality is sinning against another (v. 6)
· the Lord avenges immorality (wronging a brother) –(v. 6)
· scripture solemnly warns against immorality (v. 6)
· we are called to holiness not to impurity (v. 7)
· disregarding God’s commands concerning purity is disregarding God (v. 8)—this is not a man made standard but an expectation of God
· the Holy Spirit is given to the believer to help the believer increase in purity (v. 8)
· the passage indicates the understanding that there are temptations to impurity but they must be resisted and can be resisted
The bottom line is that purity is not only commanded but also enabled by the Lord; impurity is a serious disregard for God which God will avenge and may be an indication of an unregenerate heart. Strong words from Paul—a single man who undoubtly faced much temptation but found power through the Holy Spirit to increase in purity..."
-Contributed by Sally Michael
I hope this was helpful to you...thanks for taking the time to read it! Kate and I are home alone at the moment (Bri is visiting friends that are here from Israel--maybe I can convince her to post some pictures! and Easten is visiting at home in Chicago). We have spent the evening playing with Ruth, doing laundry, discussing life....all the good stuff. : ) I hope you all had a lovely day full of the love of Christ--keep hoping in Him!
love kristi
"I have been studying 1 Thess. and have been struck with the richness of the teaching on purity is found in 1 Thess 4:1-8:
· purity is expected—it is how we “ought to live”; as you are doing (v. 1); “keep on abstaining” (v. 3)
· purity is pleasing to God (v. 1)
· we should be increasing in purity (v. 1)
· instruction is needed (v. 2)
· purity is a part of our sanctification and is the will of God (v. 3)
· purity means controlling our own bodies (v. 4)—in holiness in honor
· purity (controlling our bodies) is a mark of a Christian; not controlling our lusts is the mark of an unbeliever (v. 5)
· immorality is sinning against another (v. 6)
· the Lord avenges immorality (wronging a brother) –(v. 6)
· scripture solemnly warns against immorality (v. 6)
· we are called to holiness not to impurity (v. 7)
· disregarding God’s commands concerning purity is disregarding God (v. 8)—this is not a man made standard but an expectation of God
· the Holy Spirit is given to the believer to help the believer increase in purity (v. 8)
· the passage indicates the understanding that there are temptations to impurity but they must be resisted and can be resisted
The bottom line is that purity is not only commanded but also enabled by the Lord; impurity is a serious disregard for God which God will avenge and may be an indication of an unregenerate heart. Strong words from Paul—a single man who undoubtly faced much temptation but found power through the Holy Spirit to increase in purity..."
-Contributed by Sally Michael
I hope this was helpful to you...thanks for taking the time to read it! Kate and I are home alone at the moment (Bri is visiting friends that are here from Israel--maybe I can convince her to post some pictures! and Easten is visiting at home in Chicago). We have spent the evening playing with Ruth, doing laundry, discussing life....all the good stuff. : ) I hope you all had a lovely day full of the love of Christ--keep hoping in Him!
love kristi
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Be Still and Know
It is already August...nearly a month since my last posting. Life has been full of changes, laughter, friends, neighbors, family, church, and growth in Christ for us all here at the North Wing. I am sure we will be updating soon...
I have been thinking alot lately about burdens, and what the Lord says about them. I have felt very burdened lately with alot of things. My job has been one of the main causes of this, I think. God has been faithful thus far, and I have no doubt that He will be in the future....but honestly I have to drag myself through the door these days and leave wanting to resort to tears...but the tears won't come. I find myself feeling alone--I want to talk about this but don't know how, or to whom. I am feeling frusterated--I want to deal with everything that has been happening but can't seem to find the right way to do it.
So, I find myself at the place where Christ most wants me to be--at His feet, relying on Him for every moment, trying my hardest to "cast my cares on Him, because He cares for me." I am reminded that I am commanded to exchange my burdens for His--for "His yolk is easy and His burden is light" (even though it doesn't always feel that way). I reflect on the fact that "His power is made perfect in weakness" and as a result of that weakness, "His power rests on me". Above all I hang on, through the power of Christ, to the promise, "My grace is sufficient for you."
So please pray for me...when I feel alone, pray that I will remember that Jesus is always with me. When I feel let down by people and frusterated by their thoughts and actions, pray that I will extend to them the love that Christ extended to me when I let him down and deserted Him. When I am disappointed in myself, pray that I will remember God's grace. When I feel I can't carry this burden anymore, pray that He will sustain me and give me strength. I pray the same for you....
Psalm 145 has been the focus of my meditation this past week....I hope that it encourages you in the battles you are facing today.
"The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, aboutding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made...
The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.
The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand, you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.
the Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him,
He also hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord preserves all who love him, but the all wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name,
forever and ever."
love kristi
I have been thinking alot lately about burdens, and what the Lord says about them. I have felt very burdened lately with alot of things. My job has been one of the main causes of this, I think. God has been faithful thus far, and I have no doubt that He will be in the future....but honestly I have to drag myself through the door these days and leave wanting to resort to tears...but the tears won't come. I find myself feeling alone--I want to talk about this but don't know how, or to whom. I am feeling frusterated--I want to deal with everything that has been happening but can't seem to find the right way to do it.
So, I find myself at the place where Christ most wants me to be--at His feet, relying on Him for every moment, trying my hardest to "cast my cares on Him, because He cares for me." I am reminded that I am commanded to exchange my burdens for His--for "His yolk is easy and His burden is light" (even though it doesn't always feel that way). I reflect on the fact that "His power is made perfect in weakness" and as a result of that weakness, "His power rests on me". Above all I hang on, through the power of Christ, to the promise, "My grace is sufficient for you."
So please pray for me...when I feel alone, pray that I will remember that Jesus is always with me. When I feel let down by people and frusterated by their thoughts and actions, pray that I will extend to them the love that Christ extended to me when I let him down and deserted Him. When I am disappointed in myself, pray that I will remember God's grace. When I feel I can't carry this burden anymore, pray that He will sustain me and give me strength. I pray the same for you....
Psalm 145 has been the focus of my meditation this past week....I hope that it encourages you in the battles you are facing today.
"The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, aboutding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made...
The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.
The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand, you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.
the Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him,
He also hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord preserves all who love him, but the all wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name,
forever and ever."
love kristi
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Great Website!
Ladies, a great website Debby Pickering told me about is "http://purplecellar.blogspot.com". I hope you are encouraged by it!
love kristi
love kristi
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Contentment
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
- Philippians 4.13
And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4.19
Why don't we believe this and live our lives like we truly believe it? If we could only let this truth sink into us and grip our hearts, contentment would not be an issue. Look at Romans 8:
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, HOW WILL HE NOT ALSO WITH HIM GRACIOUSLY GIVE US ALL THINGS? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died -- more than that, who was raised -- who is at the right hand of God, WHO INDEED IS INTERCEDING FOR US.
God has given us the greatest sacrificial gift, while we were His enemies: the life of His Son in exchange for our lives. Since He has done this, there's no reason to suspect that He wouldn't also give us lesser blessings in this life. In fact, Jesus is at this moment on the right side of the Father (the right side signifying God's strength and power), praying for us! He is asking the Father to supply our needs, much more than we ever could or ever actually do.
And the Father does not ignore the requests of His beloved Son. They are One, after all. So if we believe that we have Jesus praying for us and our needs to the Father, why do we still live in discontent and grumbling? We must have at this moment all that we need for this life, and if we think anything is lacking, it must be only arrogance and pride on our part to presume that we know better than the wisdom of Almighty God.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy,
"I dwell in the high and holy place
"And also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit
"To revive the spirit of the lowly
"And to revive the heart of the contrite."
BG
- Philippians 4.13
And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4.19
Why don't we believe this and live our lives like we truly believe it? If we could only let this truth sink into us and grip our hearts, contentment would not be an issue. Look at Romans 8:
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, HOW WILL HE NOT ALSO WITH HIM GRACIOUSLY GIVE US ALL THINGS? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died -- more than that, who was raised -- who is at the right hand of God, WHO INDEED IS INTERCEDING FOR US.
God has given us the greatest sacrificial gift, while we were His enemies: the life of His Son in exchange for our lives. Since He has done this, there's no reason to suspect that He wouldn't also give us lesser blessings in this life. In fact, Jesus is at this moment on the right side of the Father (the right side signifying God's strength and power), praying for us! He is asking the Father to supply our needs, much more than we ever could or ever actually do.
And the Father does not ignore the requests of His beloved Son. They are One, after all. So if we believe that we have Jesus praying for us and our needs to the Father, why do we still live in discontent and grumbling? We must have at this moment all that we need for this life, and if we think anything is lacking, it must be only arrogance and pride on our part to presume that we know better than the wisdom of Almighty God.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy,
"I dwell in the high and holy place
"And also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit
"To revive the spirit of the lowly
"And to revive the heart of the contrite."
BG
still kids
Kristi and I had a good oldfashioned slumber party last night. a movie, junk food, laughs, boy talk, the works. time got away from us and we suddenly realised we had talked until 2 in the morning... eh, who really needs sleep, right? I for one.... but Batman Begins is sooo worth it! Kate and Easten, we missed you - glad you're coming back to us tonight.
BG
BG
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Flagship Post
Well, friends, we are off!
Be prepared for love, laughter, craziness, and perhaps now and again a bit of sense (here and there). We want to chronicle our lives together and share them with you--we hope you are at the least amused and at the most encouraged in your walk with Jesus through our stories, testimonies, and perhaps even random quotes.
Tomorrow I will try to get my lovely roommate Bri to write something, and perhaps we can even post some pictures of our newest neighbor, Byron Eggiman ( see "www.eggtropolis.blogspot.com" if you just can't wati). Till then, may Christ guide your every step!
love kristi
Be prepared for love, laughter, craziness, and perhaps now and again a bit of sense (here and there). We want to chronicle our lives together and share them with you--we hope you are at the least amused and at the most encouraged in your walk with Jesus through our stories, testimonies, and perhaps even random quotes.
Tomorrow I will try to get my lovely roommate Bri to write something, and perhaps we can even post some pictures of our newest neighbor, Byron Eggiman ( see "www.eggtropolis.blogspot.com" if you just can't wati). Till then, may Christ guide your every step!
love kristi
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