The Puyallup Fair
Maggie's Birthday Party
Cousins at Thanksgiving
The Princess and the Fireman
" Mo-oh-cy-le!"
Fun with Friends
Flower world with Grandma Merry
Monday, December 14, 2009
Pictures 2009 Sept-Dec
Thursday, October 01, 2009
The Day of Small Things - by Todd
Zechariah 4:10 - "For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel."
Israel had finally returned from exile. Remembering the days of prosperity and growth, they were again hopefull of the same progress. Verse 9 says that the foundation of the temple had been built, but the framework was yet to begin. As their 6-month building project drags on for several years, they become all the more discouraged and wonder if they’ve misunderstood God.
Like many situations in life, the foundation has begun, but we have yet to see the progress we expected. The relationship fails to deepen, a friend’s heart is not as soft as it was at the beginning, and a four year-olds’ S’s still look like 5’s. As far as we realize, progress seems slow and the reaping of what we’ve sown seems to be much further than we think. I’m grateful every day that I’m only the seed planter. I don’t provide the sun and rain, ensuring a deep-rooted, rapid rate of growth. I only cast the seed. I do what the Great Farmer tells me, trusting that He knows even now what the end result will be.
As I was thinking on this passage, we were driving across the Palouse of Central Washington. Dark fields of rich soil were just starting to show the 5-o’clock shadow of their winter wheat crop. Farmers with more tenacity than I wait expectantly for the reaping of a distant harvest. Someone who likes immediate results would have hung their head in frustration over the seemingly small growth.
Eventually, Israel saw the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand. It came much later than they expected, but it did come to be sure. For God’s people, that would be evidence of Zechariah’s prophecy (4:9). In the same way, when we are privy to the redeeming acts of our Savior, we are given an opportunity to praise Him and be assured that He has not forgotten, nor will He turn away.
Our God is the Redeemer of all things, I’m becoming all the more convinced of this. There is nothing beyond His redemptive power, nor will He let evil triumph forever. As a friend recently assured me, “God has a reason for doing all that He does”. Even the greatest of setbacks are filled with purpose.
Until then, we are to faithfully sow the seed, love the unlovable, pray for healing, and forgive those who hurt us. Continue to hope, but leave the timeline to Him. In His time, He will make all things beautiful.
Israel had finally returned from exile. Remembering the days of prosperity and growth, they were again hopefull of the same progress. Verse 9 says that the foundation of the temple had been built, but the framework was yet to begin. As their 6-month building project drags on for several years, they become all the more discouraged and wonder if they’ve misunderstood God.
Like many situations in life, the foundation has begun, but we have yet to see the progress we expected. The relationship fails to deepen, a friend’s heart is not as soft as it was at the beginning, and a four year-olds’ S’s still look like 5’s. As far as we realize, progress seems slow and the reaping of what we’ve sown seems to be much further than we think. I’m grateful every day that I’m only the seed planter. I don’t provide the sun and rain, ensuring a deep-rooted, rapid rate of growth. I only cast the seed. I do what the Great Farmer tells me, trusting that He knows even now what the end result will be.
As I was thinking on this passage, we were driving across the Palouse of Central Washington. Dark fields of rich soil were just starting to show the 5-o’clock shadow of their winter wheat crop. Farmers with more tenacity than I wait expectantly for the reaping of a distant harvest. Someone who likes immediate results would have hung their head in frustration over the seemingly small growth.
Eventually, Israel saw the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand. It came much later than they expected, but it did come to be sure. For God’s people, that would be evidence of Zechariah’s prophecy (4:9). In the same way, when we are privy to the redeeming acts of our Savior, we are given an opportunity to praise Him and be assured that He has not forgotten, nor will He turn away.
Our God is the Redeemer of all things, I’m becoming all the more convinced of this. There is nothing beyond His redemptive power, nor will He let evil triumph forever. As a friend recently assured me, “God has a reason for doing all that He does”. Even the greatest of setbacks are filled with purpose.
Until then, we are to faithfully sow the seed, love the unlovable, pray for healing, and forgive those who hurt us. Continue to hope, but leave the timeline to Him. In His time, He will make all things beautiful.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Remembering His Faithfulness - by Todd
These past few weeks, I’ve been tempted to recount some decisions I’ve made, wondering if I had really heard from God or if I was just acting on my own accord. “Was that God I was hearing, or was it my own wishes and desires? Was I acting on the prompting of the Holy Spirit, or on the well-intentioned advice of man?” I don’t think this is something that I alone am prone to do.
As I was belly-aching to Him last night, He reminded me of the importance of not looking back on our past decisions. There is nothing I can do in the present day over past choices I’ve made. I’m in the here and now and can only act in the present.
When it comes to remembering our past, scripture is clear, we are to remember the things He has done. After crossing the Jordan, God instructed Joshua and crew to build a mound of 12 large rocks to be a memorial to the generations that would come later (Josh 4:5-7). Samuel was instructed to put up an “Ebenezer” which declared “This far has the Lord helped us” (I Sam 7:12). God knows we are prone to forget His faithfulness and remember our own mistakes. He knows we need to recount His faithfulness, not our blunders.
Paul echoes this in Philippians 3, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”(v. 13-14). I’m sure if anyone was prone to recall past mistakes, it was the Apostle Paul.
Instead of putting confidence in our past successes or failures, we are to press on in hope. Not the hope that comes through our wisdom and great decision-making abilities, but the hope that He is able to redeem all things and prompts us not with a heavy hand of conformation, but with a Father-like nudge in the right direction. I only need be quieter and less restless, more hope-filled, less driven by fear. I’m so thankful for a loving Father who continues to go before us.
As I was belly-aching to Him last night, He reminded me of the importance of not looking back on our past decisions. There is nothing I can do in the present day over past choices I’ve made. I’m in the here and now and can only act in the present.
When it comes to remembering our past, scripture is clear, we are to remember the things He has done. After crossing the Jordan, God instructed Joshua and crew to build a mound of 12 large rocks to be a memorial to the generations that would come later (Josh 4:5-7). Samuel was instructed to put up an “Ebenezer” which declared “This far has the Lord helped us” (I Sam 7:12). God knows we are prone to forget His faithfulness and remember our own mistakes. He knows we need to recount His faithfulness, not our blunders.
Paul echoes this in Philippians 3, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”(v. 13-14). I’m sure if anyone was prone to recall past mistakes, it was the Apostle Paul.
Instead of putting confidence in our past successes or failures, we are to press on in hope. Not the hope that comes through our wisdom and great decision-making abilities, but the hope that He is able to redeem all things and prompts us not with a heavy hand of conformation, but with a Father-like nudge in the right direction. I only need be quieter and less restless, more hope-filled, less driven by fear. I’m so thankful for a loving Father who continues to go before us.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Pleasures Evermore - by Todd
Last night, I began reading Sam Storms' book "Pleasures Evermore", which is very similar to Piper's "Desiring God" (one of few books that significantly changed my life). Like Piper, Storms' premise is that if we are really looking for ultimate pleasure, we will find it in God alone. Motivating ourselves toward righteousness through guilt or self-control is not needed, and never very effective. This is the essense of Christian Hedonism - the believer's search for the most satisfying pleasures in every area of life. Psalm 16:11 says "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
CS Lewis says it this way "If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not to strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered [to] us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased." (The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses)
Have we lost our hunger for truly satisfying joy and pleasure in life? Have we tried to satisfy ourselves on a diet of religion when we were given a hunger for relationship with Him? I couldn't help but ask myself how many times I've self-medicated myself on the stuff of life that truly does not bring the joy and satisfaction only He can offer (and I was created for). He alone gives us the satisfaction we are looking for, but He does not force it upon us. We need to hunger for it in the first place. Even the best of foods lacks taste to the one who is stuffed with empty calories.
CS Lewis says it this way "If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not to strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered [to] us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased." (The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses)
Have we lost our hunger for truly satisfying joy and pleasure in life? Have we tried to satisfy ourselves on a diet of religion when we were given a hunger for relationship with Him? I couldn't help but ask myself how many times I've self-medicated myself on the stuff of life that truly does not bring the joy and satisfaction only He can offer (and I was created for). He alone gives us the satisfaction we are looking for, but He does not force it upon us. We need to hunger for it in the first place. Even the best of foods lacks taste to the one who is stuffed with empty calories.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Green Letters - by Todd
A mentor-friend recently lent me a copy of Miles Stanford's "The Green Letters", aka "Principles of Spiritual Growth". I'd never heard of Stanford till now, but really appreciate his sage advice on the process of Spiritual development. Stanford is a deep writer, reminding me of AW Tozer. Of particular interest, I enjoyed his reminder of what we have already been given through the work of Christ on the cross.
"God is not trusted, not honored, in our continually asking Him for help. In the face of 'my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19), how can we beg for help? Our responsibility is to see in the Word all that is ours in Christ and then thank and trust Him fo that which we need."
Later, quoting from Watchmen Nee, "God's way of deliverance is altogether different from man's way. Mans' way is to try to suppress sin by seeking to overcome it; God's way is to remove the sinner. Many Christians mourn over their weakness, thinking that if only they were stronger all would be well."
In reading this, I'm convicted of the times I've tried to conquer sin by "trying harder", excercising my strength, my understanding, my plan toward freedom. All the while, Stanford contends, Christ tells us that freedom lies not in our exersion of strength, but in realizing how helpless we really are. Only our submission to Him will bring the power we need. As another mentor of mine, Mark Driscoll would say, "We take ourselves too seriously and don't take God seriously enough"
"God is not trusted, not honored, in our continually asking Him for help. In the face of 'my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19), how can we beg for help? Our responsibility is to see in the Word all that is ours in Christ and then thank and trust Him fo that which we need."
Later, quoting from Watchmen Nee, "God's way of deliverance is altogether different from man's way. Mans' way is to try to suppress sin by seeking to overcome it; God's way is to remove the sinner. Many Christians mourn over their weakness, thinking that if only they were stronger all would be well."
In reading this, I'm convicted of the times I've tried to conquer sin by "trying harder", excercising my strength, my understanding, my plan toward freedom. All the while, Stanford contends, Christ tells us that freedom lies not in our exersion of strength, but in realizing how helpless we really are. Only our submission to Him will bring the power we need. As another mentor of mine, Mark Driscoll would say, "We take ourselves too seriously and don't take God seriously enough"
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