Rebecca and Brandon’s Wedding

Got back last night from my sister’s weekend wedding in Fredericksburg, Va.

Quote of the day

“We come to know about God through the Scriptures, and we can learn about God’s work through incredible photos….”

-Jeffrey Williams, astronaut and author, whose book The Work of His Hands: A View of God’s Creation from Space displays pictures he took from the International Space Station. While aboard for his 362 day space journey, the Station orbited the earth every 90 minutes–that’s 16 sunsets and 16 sunrises every day for nearly a year!

Yet what a reminder: one astronaut’s year long journey deep into space pales in comparison to him who picks up his old copy of God’s word and spends but a moment in it; one man’s astonishing view of the universe revealed less about God than one glimpse into the pages of holy writ.

Tolle Lege!

10 words a day

You may have already seen this video, delivered by a graduating salutatorian who has autism. His parents were given a bleak prognosis when was a child, that he might never even speak. In their determination, they gradually were able to teach him to talk–by teaching him 10 words a day, a process which sometimes took 8 hours. Now that is motivation!

Translation: 2 Peter 1:1-11

2 Peter has been greatly encouraging lately, and since I’ve been spending some time in it, I thought I’d try my hand at a translation.

1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, have been gifted with as precious a faith as ours. 2 May grace and peace overflow to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord, 3 since, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and virtuous nature, we are supplied with everything for life and godliness by God’s very own power. 4 Through these things we are supplied with valuable and lofty promises, so that through them we might become participants in the divine nature, having escaped the rottenness in the world brought about by desire. 5 And for this very reason make every effort to add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, 6 and to knowledge self-control, and to self-control endurance, and to endurance godliness, 7 and to godliness loyal affection, and to loyal affection, love. 8 For if you continue possessing and abounding in these things, you will not be idle nor unfruitful in your knowledge of Jesus Christ. 9 On the other hand, those who are stagnant in these things are blind and short-sighted, forgetting their previous cleansing from sin. 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, give special effort to make your calling and election certain, for those who continue doing what I’ve just mentioned will never, no, never, stumble. 11 For in this way, a jubilant entry into the unending kingdom of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, will be awaiting you.

Here is the ESV’s translation for comparison:

1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And the Message’s translation:

1-2 I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God’s straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master.
Don’t Put It Off!

3-4Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.

5-9 So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

10-11 So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Scripture as we live it

I write this post with ten fingers pointed at myself, not in any way to preach at any of you who may happen to read it (See Alan Knox’s site for the inspiration behind ‘Scripture as we live it’)

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge self-control, and to self-control endurance, and to endurance godliness, and to godliness strong affection, and to strong affection love. Christian credentials knowledge, and to knowledge professional ministry experience, and to experience good references, and to references a successful biblio-blog, and after the blog personal virtue. For if you continue abounding in these traits, idleness and unfruitfulness lack of cushy ministerial opportunities will be far from you.

Grow Up!

An article in Sunday’s paper reports that younger generations are taking their time growing up. The article points to a new law allowing children up to age 26 to remain on their parents health insurance. Women older than 35 are increasingly becoming first time mothers. The article states, “A new period of life is emerging in which young people are no longer adolescents but not yet adults.” Many people in their 20′s and 30′s are not yet working or living on their own. The median age for a first marriage in 1980 was 23, now it is 27 for men and 26 for women.

Overtime

In the next two weeks I will be working 140 hours (two 70 hour weeks). So thankful for God’s provision!

Earnestly

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Heb 11:6 NIV).

Am I seeking God with earnestness?

The Gibsons

Today we say goodbye to the Gibsons who have been staying with us this week while Josh takes a class at the Seminary.

Congratulations, Josh, on completing your last class for your degree!

Scripture as we live it

Following Alan Knox’s superb posts “Scripture as we live it,” I offer this thought on 1 Timothy 5:6:

But the widow that lives in pleasure is dead even while she lives simply living the American dream.