Racism

Check out this helpful article on the challenges faced by theological institutions.

http://online.worldmag.com/2010/07/07/no-racism-does-not-explain-everything/

Our New Apartment

So, we are finally all moved into our new apartment at CLC. We love it here. The area is beautiful and after a little paint and lots of arranging furniture, we are feeling very at home. Other than the exhaustion we both feel from moving, we feel much more settled and relaxed. There are still some things to organize and re-organize, but we'll get there. My husband even allowed me to go to IKEA and get some new decorating items. (woohoo!)
However, being a Minnesotan up to this point, I was shocked at the dangers that came with running around here. I pictured these roads in the hills surrounded by trees, as being quiet with low traffic. Not quite...My first attempt at running, I ended up hovering by a tree on a road with no shoulder and uphill on the side, so I couldn't even balance on the curb, with semis and cars driving by probably wondering what I was thinking...it was pretty scary. My second attempt, I ran up and down the short section of road that actually had a shoulder, and then did hill sprints up the driveway to the CLC campus. LUCKILY, someone informed me of a park nearby that has a 1 mile loop of a trail around it. It's perfect! With distance markers each quarter of a mile. So, now I can proceed getting ready for the NYC Marathon. :)
So, who would have thought getting a P.O. Box would be such an ordeal? After 5 trips, about 10 forms of ID, and 3 different clerk's, we finally have one. After much difficulty, we also finally have our new diver's licenses. Now, if we can just get our new car registration, we'll be all set. There are so many moments, where I wonder if we'll ever have the ambition to move again! But hopefully, this challenging experience with help make future moves easier.
And I am thankful to have a working oven.... (sigh) even if it is so small that my cookie sheets don't fit in it and the temperature dial is off so it gets much hotter than it should. And I'm thankful for electricity and air conditioning, even if, ever time I blow dry my hair, we blow a fuse and one of us has to run down stairs to flip the switch and then we proceed to re-set all the clocks in our home. I am realizing my lack of patience with things that are inconvenient, and I've been very convicted of not being grateful for the blessings we do have.
So, praise God for his care for us, and that He is faithful to remind me of my sin and selfishness! He has given us so much, and even if He had not, what He has done for me on the cross is far beyond anything I deserve. Meditating on that truth gives me so much joy and puts things in perspective. I really have nothing to complain about. Praise God He loves me even though I continually make much out of things that should not be.

Newton on Controversy

Self-righteousness can feed upon doctrines as well as upon works; and a man may have the heart of a Pharisee, while his head is stored with orthodox notions of the unworthiness of the creature and the riches of free grace. Yea, I would add, the best of men are not wholly free from this leaven; and therefore are too apt to be pleased with such representations as hold up our adversaries to ridicule, and by consequence flatter our own superior judgments. Controversies, for the most part, are so managed as to indulge rather than to repress his wrong disposition; and therefore, generally speaking, they are productive of little good. They provoke those whom they should convince, and puff up those whom they should edify.

--John Newton

If you tarry till you're better, you will never come at all.

Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, weak and wounded, sick and sore. A
Jesus, ready, stands to save you, Full of pity joined with power. B
He is able, He is able; He is willing; Doubt no more. A

Come ye needy, come and welcome; God's free bounty glorify; A
True belief and true repentance every grace that brings you nigh. A
Without money, without money Come to Jesus Christ and buy. A

Come ye weary, heavy laden, Bruised and broken by the fall. A
If you tarry till you're better, you will never come at all. A
Not the righteous, not the righteous; Sinners Jesus came to call. A

Let not conscience make you linger, nor of fitness fondly dream. A
All the fitness He requires is to feel your need of Him. B
This He gives you, this He gives you, tis the Spirit's rising beam. A

Lo! The Incarnate God, ascended; pleads the merit of His blood. A
Venture on Him; venture wholly, Let no other trust intrude. B
None but Jesus, none but Jesus Can do helpless sinners good. A

--Joseph Hart

Warfield on the Purpose of the Seminary

Whenever I read B.B. Warfield, I get help plain and simple. Here is something he said with regard to the purpose of the seminary and the task I have before me (and so does anyone else who is in ministry) --

What precisely must be taught in a theological seminary will be determined by our conception of the ministry for the exercise of the functions for which it offers preparation. And that will be determined ultimately by our conception of the Church.......On the evangelical view, the Church is the communion of saints, gathered out of a lost world; and the business of the minister is to apply the saving gospel to lost men for their salvation from sin -- from its guilt and from its corruption and power. Palpably, what he needs for this is just the gospel; and if he is to perform his functions at all, he must know this gospel, know it thoroughly, know it in all its details, and in all its power. It is the business of the seminary to give him this knowledge of the gospel. That is the real purpose of the seminary. -- Selected Shorter Writings Vol. 1, p. 376

Thanking God for my Eustace Adventure

In his The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, C.S. Lewis gives us a very telling picture of where all of us are in life post-conversion. Until this point, the young boy name Eustace has been a quite unbearable companion for those unfortunate enough to be on board the Dawn Treader. In an episode of the story where Eustace sneaks away to avoid helping repair the ship, he finds himself outwardly what he has always been in his heart: a dragon. This is quite disturbing to Eustace, because he can longer talk and feels desperately lonely. It seems that Eustace will forever be condemned to go on alone, when suddenly (Thanks to Aslan) he is turned back into a boy. Everyone around him notices the being a dragon has done Eustace some good. Summing up Eustace's little adventure Lewis writes, "It would be nice, and fairly true, to say that 'from that time forth Eustace was a different boy'. To be strictly accurate, he began to be a different boy. He had relapses. There were still many days when he could be very tiresome. But most of those I shall not notice. The cure had begun. "

Colossians 1:27 tells us of this cure. "Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Hold fast to the Gospel and do not despair of glory (holiness) because by the grace of God you are what you are, and his grace toward you is not in vain. On the contrary, work harder than before, because it is not you, but the grace of God that is with you. (1 Cor 15).

Gospel Poem

O ye sons of men be wise,trust no longer dreams and lies,

Out of Christ, almighty pow'r can do nothing but devour.

God you say is good. 'Tis true.But he's pure and hold too;

just and jealous is his ire,burning with vindictive fire.

This of old himself declared:Israel trembled when they heard.

But the proof of proofs indeed is he sent his Son to bleed.

When the blessed Jesus died God was clearly justified:

Sin to pardon without blood never in his nature stood.

Worship God, then, in his Son,there he's love and there alone.

Think not that he will, or may, pardon any other way.

See the suff'ring Son of God,panting, groaning, sweating
blood!

Brethren, this had never been had not God detested sin.

Be his mercy therefore sought in the way himself has taught:

There his clemency is such,we can never trust too much.

He that better knows than we,bids us all to Jesus flee.

Humbly take him at his Word and your souls will bless the
Lord!

--Joseph Hart