the one on our anniversary

He who finds a wife, finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the Lord
   ~ Proverbs 18:22

Remembering our anniversary is as easy as 1.23...

Soo has survived 2 years of being married to me... she deserves a medal...

So today, of course, i am thankful for...

1. i found a wife... God has shown me favor

2. Soo. she is not just a wife, she is my friend & lover. Many daughters have done well, but she excels them all. Not any woman would do, God prepared Soo especially for me

3. The privilege & honor to be a husband. Of all the millions of men in the world, God chose me to be Soo's husband - to serve & love her - of which i do a horrible job

4. For 2 years with Soo.
    They haven't all been fun moments. There have been conflicts & tears. There have been misunderstandings and frustrations. i wouldn't trade a moment (Though at points i want a redo).

5. Soo's patience, grace & forgiveness

6. A wonderful wedding with wonderful friends, a great photographer and good weather... even if the catering was awful - at least we got a taco truck

7. An amazing honeymoon in Prague & Paris

8. God's gift & design of marriage

9. for all the relationships that didn't work out before Soo

10. That God is with us in marriage, leading us and taking care of us

11. That God is using marriage to refine us, show us sin and make us more like Christ

12. For the love Christ has for the church, which is so much greater than i have for my wife

Thank You Lord for Soo, for our marriage, for this family.
You are good

The one during a fireworks show

the 4th of July has nothing on new year's eve... 4th of July = LAME.
In fact, take all of the the 4th of July show's in the states together and it was about as good as what i saw tonight... and what i saw tonight was nothing compared to three years ago... which i am thankful for... Halle didn't wake up, but the dog is scared (there is a phrase that would be perfect here).

Today i am thankful for...

1. KFC & the KFC bucket
- there is just something fun about going to KFC in a foreign country on a holiday... and it tastes good!

2. That Halle slept thru this ridiculous amount of noise tonight. We are quite blessed to have a little girl who sleeps thru the night. She doesn't cry when she falls  - i mean sometimes - but she is amazing. God is amazing to us!

3. Hats & coats & gloves & flannel pants... because it was freezing even with it on. When i took it off my glove for a minute to take a photo i thought i was going to get frostbite... Thank God for warm clothes & protective layers!

4. fireworks.... but i'm not so crazy about firecrackers, which are just loud & annoying. The fireworks are kinda annoying too.

5. My wife. It is technically the 23rd, which means it is our 2 year anniversary!
i thank God for two wonderful years with Soo!
There have been hard times and rough moments. i wouldn't trade a single one.
i thank God for my wife, for the demonstration of His love & kindness. And the gift of marriage.

The whole city is celebrating by throwing a fantastic fireworks show!

Thanks!

The things i am thankful for Jan 6

Soo's birthday is just a couple days away... i am thankful for her... (i thank God for her everyday)

Today i am thankful for...

1. God brought Soo into my life. She is His perfect provision for me
2. I am God's perfect provision for her. OF all the people in the universe, He chose me to be an instrument in her life. Thanks for the priviledge and blessing to serve & lead my wife
3. God's sovereignty over our marriage
4. All the relationships that didn't work, all the girls who rejected me... so i could marry Soo
5. That God created marriage and designed marriage

Mook on Confessing sin (or how God is not like a puppy)

You may have heard it said there is nothing God uses more in your sanctification than marriage, and I agree.

It’s not that marriage brings out the worst in you – it just reveals it!

I see all my sin and self-centeredness and selfishness and pride…  and filth and yuck!

And last week? Well, I saw a lot of it!

Soo forgave me and she accepts me, but it was still hard.

I could still see the grief and pain on her face. I still felt distant. I still felt bad, I still felt awful.

Then I was talking to Halle… and I thought, maybe this is why we like babies and puppies so much.

See, a baby may cry for a few minutes in the middle of the night, or may not particulary like how you hold them, but… they don’t really reject you.

And a dog, well they may whine for some food while you’re eating or may dislike a spanking, but they always like you.

Even if you upset a baby or a puppy- they seem to have short memories.

They like cuddling with you. They give little smiles.

And they don’t talk back.

They don’t say “but…” or give you looks to let you know how disappointed they are.

And I began thinking, maybe this is why I like God so much.

I tell Him all my sin, and He forgives me. He embraces me. He doesn’t hold my sin over me. I don’t feel guilt or shame at all.

And while some of those things are true, I think I discovered I may need to take a new look at confessing sin…

1.     God hates sin. He abhors it.

It’s not a mistake, that He just looks over. It’s not something He can just say “What? Don’t worry about it”

I think that is how I usually picture the whole process in my head.

Like the sin doesn’t bother him that much.

2.     Sin grieves God

This goes with the above. Just because I can’t see the grief & disappoinment and sadness, doesn’t mean God isn’t grieved. Eph 4:30 exhorts us: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.

Our sin causes God pain.

3.     God really is gentle with us, gracious with us. He forgives us & accepts us.

And this is not something to take lightly. He knows all our faults and all our sins (Psal 139). And He loves us anyway. He accepts us. He holds no record of wrongs (I Cor 13) and all fear is cast out (I John 4). He doesn’t deal harshly with us.

In the book Prodigal God, Tim Keller makes some observations on the story of the prodigal son. When the Father comes toward the son, he doesn’t say “Ew, you stink. Go wash up and I will give you a big hug.” Nor does he give him a big hug and then say wash up now and take my coat it stinks now too. He embraces him. He wants him to clean up, but not because he is disgusted by him

4.     He really does want repentance

Throughout the Old Testament, God rebukes His people. They offer sacrifices- but they are vain. Jesus rebukes the religious leaders likewise. They worship, but the hearts are far away. Words, even words of confession, are in vain if our hearts and actions aren’t impacted.

We are called to repent
When the women caught adultery is not stoned, Jesus says "Neither do i condemn you" but He also adds "Go, and sin no more."
Jesus lived among the sinners, but He never condoned what they did and certainly did not enable them to sin

5.     God longs to show mercy

Even in all His anger in the Old Testament in Jeremiah and elsewhere, He is looking for opportunities to show mercy and grace and love

6.     All of this is possible because of Jesus.

Though God hates sin, He punishes our sin on Jesus. Though sin grieves Him, He looks at the righteousness of Jesus. And Jesus stands us an advocate for us.
Thru the death of Christ, we are free from all condemnation- all guilt, all shame. Jesus took all our shame, all our guilt upon Him on the Cross! We are accepted, loved.

Jesus is now living in us and sent His Spirit so we can repent and turn to God. Jesus provides the example for us how to live and the Holy spirit is making us more like Christ

And we are shown just how much God longs to show mercy, when the Father sent His Son, and the Son freely gave His life for us

So, while God is gracious, kind- and all I need to do is confess, I am already forgiven. I shouldn’t take my sin so lightly.

I am not just talking to a wall. I am not talking to the air. I am certainly not talking to a puppy. And while Ricky Bobby may pray to baby Jesus- He is not a little baby, He is King of Kings, God Almighty. He is meek & mild, ferocious & wild. He is a gentle thunder. He is the lion & the lamb – a lion-like lamb and a lamb-like lion (as John Piper would say).

We don’t just confess to get things off our chest, and not to feel better about ourselves.

We confess to renew our relationship with God and allow the holy spirit to work in our lives and make us more like Christ and to relish in the mercy & grace & kindness & goodness & love of our Lord.

Lord, be glorified!

the thing about activities

What do you do for fun?

What activities define you?

A couple days ago, Soo & I were going through His Needs, Her Needs the other day and came across a section of listing recreational activities to do together

Soo came up with 11, I came up with 45

I was pretty specific in most instances, though I did combine some.

I went back and listed them in order… then decided to lump some together – and still had 20.

The thing is, most of them were not things I do very often or do at all anymore.

Most of my favorite things are things I used to do- when I was in college, or younger at least.

I mean, I didn’t put down the highschool stuff… but I am getting old

How often do I play basketball anymore? Do I even play catch?

Of course, some things require groups of people – like Ultimate… or even freezetag… and other things you can only do when it is warm or in certain places that have the facilities like golf, driving range, mini-golf, raquetball, ping-pong

These days what do I do for fun?

1.     sit in a coffee shop/bookstore/panera & read (or really any place and read)

2.     watch sports

3.     watch tv shows

4.     watch movies

5.     write

6.     hang out with friends (and talk about babies)

7.     Settlers of Catan

but when I look back, the most enjoyable times were

1.     talking with a small group of people about life & God (maybe at a restaurant or a starbucks)

2.     playing basketball

3.     Late night conversations (maybe at dennys or steak n shake)

4.     discussing theology

5.     Ultimate or Football

6.     Prayer & Praise

7.     Tv shows like Seinfeld, Simpsons, scrubs

8.     Watching sports

9.     Discussing tv shows or movies

10. Playing catch (baseball or football)

11. Ping-pong

12. Watching bad movies & making fun of it

This morning (the day I wrote this) I was playing with Halle and asked her if she would be more like her mom or like her dad.

As I thought about that, I wondered what activities make me stand out? What is my niche

I first thought of the friends episode where Emma says her “first word” and it was a scientific word and it made Ross so happy… then I thought of the other episode when they were talking about how jokes are Chandler’s thing

On friends –it is so easy. Chandler is all about humor & jokes. Ross is all about science & history. Joey is all about his looks (or sex) and having a good time.

Even with real life friends, it can be easy to pick out.

For Soo, she is artistic, and likes shopping and is hospitable & serving and all about food.

I can think of other friends who are all about singing praise or others who are all about theology or all about reading or all about sports.

But what about me?

I’d like to think I’m all about God- but that’s not really true.

Some may think I’m all about missions. I don’t know there either

I used to be a sportsnut – but I’m not quite there anymore (or maybe I am)

What actitvity sticks out? Wasting time? Procrastinating? Eating junk food?

Maybe the better question is: What do I want to stick out? What activities do I want to define me? How do I want to be remembered or known?

How about you?

What is your niche? What activities define you?

How do you want to be known?

And I’m curious what do you think sticks out about me?

And what do you do for fun?

Comments welcome and appreciated

My priorities

When people make their list of priorities, people often say God is their number 1 priority.

I don’t.

God is not my #1 priority...

because God isn’t something to be prioritized in life

 – He is life.

He is part of every aspect of life.

He is central to every aspect of life

Even to say my relationship with God is my number one priority- what does that mean?

Does that mean your quiet time?

Keep God #1 as in time doesn’t make sense because God should be central to everything you do.

I can’t say the same about my wife or kids. And shouldn’t say that about my ministry.

God ought permeate everything. Walking with God is in everything. Whether I am reading the Bible or watching tv. If I’m sharing my faith or talking with a friend.

God is not a priority, He is everything!

I listed my values earlier.

And thus what are my priorities?

Acknowledging God is in everything, and I walk with Christ moment by moment, I yield on the Spirit to lead me and guide me and I do everything for the glory of God- what are my priorities?

I hope to enjoy God & enjoy life, have fun, grow, etc

What needs to take highest priority in life? Which will yield to the next

In what ways can I most honor & glorify God? In what ways can I love God?

1.     Soo (my wife)

2.     My kids (right now just Halle)

3.     My team or community or church

a.     Co-leader

b.     Guys I’m discipling/coaching/training

c.      Other guys

4.     Spiritual disciplines/spiritual development activities/growing in understanding God’s Word

5.     The believers I minister to

6.     My best friends

7.     My relationship with non-Chirstians

8.     The other aspects of ministry

9.     Personal & Leadership development & growth

10. Physical health

11. My extended family

12. My other friends

Something like that... it can be a lil fluid... 

Oh Christ, be the center of my life

May i practice the presence of God in everything i do.

And may i keep the main things the main thing, prioritize appropriately, follow You, honor others, love well, glorify You.