Between Sundays: June 2009

Gulf Shores Recap (Part 3)

On Thursday afternoon we set aside some time for family pictures. At first we all tried to match, but we didn't have perfect success. I do think that the pictures turned out pretty well though and I wanted to share a few here as the final part of my beach reflections.

Gulf Shores Recap (Part 2)

One afternoon during our stay at Gulf Shores we took an excursion to Fort Morgan. This old fort was built in the early part of the nineteenth century and saw action during the Civil War. The Battle of Mobile Bay took place outside its walls as Union ships under the command of Admiral David G. Farragut sailed up the channel and through torpedo laced waters. They laid seige to the fort and Confederate forces eventually surrendered. There is still much left to the fort and it was used briefly during World War I and World War II to house troops. Walking through its darkened rooms and bare hallways one need only picture the images of troops long gone at one time about their work to see the past come alive. It is history that can be touched and appreciated and in this way gives a visual window to the past. I appreciated the trip.

Gulf Shores Recap (Part 1)

The weather was amazing all week. Bright sunshine and cool waters greeted us at the start of each new morning. We usually began the day with a few hours at the beach followed by some time in the pool, which was Ethan's favorite part. After lunch and a nap it was back to the beach until hunger prompted us to seek out something for dinner. While we spent most evenings alternating cooking responsibilities, we did eat out a few times including my personal favorite - The Oyster House. One evening we also took Ethan out to hunt for crabs along the coastline which he found fun because he got to hold a flashlight. Games such as Phase Ten and Rook usually rounded out the night. It was a wonderful time with my family and a treasured moment because distance so often separates us. I thank the Lord for such times.

The Sounds of Studying

There are many people who can not tolerate any noise while trying to study or write a paper. I am not one of those individuals. Quite often while researching a sermon or writing a transcript I have some piece of music playing in the background. I often find that it helps me to focus better than times of prolonged silence. Ever since I loaded i-tunes onto my computer and began to build a database of music it became easier to vary the music played and listen to a wide range of pieces. Over time I have found that classical music works best and by this term I refer to any music without lyrics, although I do enjoy some classical composers. For the most part I have a number of soundtracks which I will cycle through every week. Today it has been The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring which I have found to be very appropriate as I write about the city of God triumphing over the city of man. Similiar themes are found in the movie as evil is dispelled and good truimphs. It has served as a sountrack to the sermon if you will. I wonder if I am alone in using music as an aid to studying. Some of my favorites to hear through the week are:

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Rudy

Last of the Mohicans

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Selections from Mozart

A Grand Time on the Gulf

This past Memorial Day weekend, Summer and I loaded up the kids and headed east along the Gulf Coast. Traveling past Lake Charles, New Orleans, and Biloxi we ended up in Gulf Shores for a reunion of sorts. Although I get to see my family a few times throughout the year it is rare for us to spend a week together. Yet for seven great days along the gulf, we had the opportunity to vacation with my parents, my sister, and my brother-in-law. We stayed at the Beach Club along Fort Morgan Road in a condo ten stories above the ocean- playing in the water during the day and watching the crimson sunset over the white sandy beaches at night. It was an amazing time. Over the next few days I will share some photos of the time we spent together. It was a welcome rest and a great blessing from God.

Carey and Conversion

During my morning Bible reading I came across this verse which stood out: "I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation" (Psalm 40:10). Within this verse the psalmist speaks to the testimony of the tongue. When God has done something great within our hearts and lives we can not keep silent. The wonders of His work should be shared with others. Far too often I find myself keeping silent when I ought to be speaking. The glory of the gospel is to be shared with all people. As I was dwelling upon this truth my mind returned to a passage I read from a biography on William Carey. I wanted to share it as a reminder of how our hearts must be set on fire to carry the gospel into all the world and proclaim the great things God has done. The turning point in Carey's life came when He was pouring over the travel logs of Captain Cook some two hundred years ago:

"Then, for Carey, the log-books changed into something deeper – a revelation of the sin and sorrow, the immorality, cruelty and misery of un-evangelized peoples; a drama of the world’s tragic ignorance of Christ, a door opening into hell. The peoples of the South Seas and of the coasts of New Zealand, though so likable, were also so barbarian. War was their chief sport, and their victories often cannibal celebrations. All was scorched deeply into his soul, and his compassion aroused to an inextinguishable degree. The South Seas began to lure him. He dreamed of ships other than Cook’s Endeavor and Resolution speeding on an even nobler errand, ships chartered for the heralds of saving grace. Captain Cook’s log-books were the match that lit the torch in Carey’s heart, and made him yearn to be a missionary.”

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Later today my mom will celebrate her birthday with the rest of my family. I wish I could be there to enjoy the festivities. She is a remarkable lady and I owe much to her influence, care, and love. To extol her virtues would require a more skilled mind than I possess. I simply do not have the capacity to properly express how great a mother I have. So the best that I can do is wish her a happy birthday and let her know once again how much I love and appreciate her. The Lord has blessed me greatly with such a godly influence and I thank Him today in a special way. Happy Birthday, Mom!

From a Dying Man to Dying Men

"It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting,
because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart."
Ecclesiastes 7:2

Last night I spent some time with a dying man. He has been placed on hospice care now that the doctors have no more treatments for the cancer inside his body. He looked weak and expressed to me that the pain comes and goes. Some days are good while others are rough. This coming Friday he is traveling to see some relatives, probably for the last time. Yet in the midst of this somber situation I could not help but note his positive tone. Quite often he spoke of being blessed with a roof over his head while some had no such luxury. More often he spoke of the assurance Christ has given to him. At one point he made the assertion that it is impossible to imagine how anyone lives without Jesus at the center of their being. Immediately my mind raced back to a conversation I had just prior to this visit concerning a young woman who balks at the concept of surrender to Jesus Christ. I wondered if in the same situation she would speak with such confidence about the course of her life. She has no concept of the reality of death as does the man riddled with cancer. Perhaps she would do well to take the truth of Ecclesiastes 7:2 more seriously. We are all dying men. The days of our life are set and can not be lengthened by one day despite our most strenuous exertion. A time is coming when we will pass and meet our Maker. It is best for the living to take this unchangeable truth to heart. The man with whom I spoke last night is a dying man who speaks what all dying men need to hear – there is life in Jesus Christ and without Him hope can not exist. There is a perspective to gain from spending time in the house of mourning, and the message spoken of in that residence should shape the way we exist in the house of the living.

Growing By Leaps and Bounds

So I know that it has been a while since I have last updated anything on this blog. Today I will attempt to do so by letting you know what has been taking up my time besides work. Abigail is quickly approaching the three month mark in age and is growing quite fast. To give you a picture of the past few months I have included a few images showing her growth. She is now about thirteen pounds and loves to smile at me when I get home. She is a blessing beyond belief.