Wow.

First time since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that we’ve felt a real shaker around here. This one hit about an hour ago, measured in at 5.6 on the Richter scale, and its epicenter was less than 10 miles from us.

We’re all okay though a bit shaken up (!), though I guess the local phone lines got swamped and the only way folks could reach us was via Yahoo/Skype IM! Funny how technology is.

The house, on the other hand, was not so fortunate as we:

Just kidding, of course. Actually the above was from the famed 1906 earthquake in San Francisco. Now that was a doozy, to put it lightly.

Seriously, though, kinda humbling, to have the whole world around you not be stable. You really are in no control of nothing (except, I suppose, my bodily functions, and I hear that even that’s going to go at some point down the road).

The quake effects lasted for about 10-15 seconds in our house. Some picture frames shaken, but no damage. Unless, of course, you count the psyche of our oldest, who upon realizing it was an earthquake, just lost it and started bawling. I guess I shouldn’t have shown him those photos of the Bay Bridge collapse last week when explaining earthquakes. He thought it was one of these (below photo is of the I-880 collapse in the Loma Prieta earthquake):

The first thought that came to my mind as I ran over to the other room where the kids were dancing to music? “I don’t know how big this one is, but good thing I just bought earthquake insurance last week!” Seriously!

And now? Thankful that the God who rules over land (quakes!) and sea (tsunamis!) has promised to never leave or forsake us, and is working all things for our good. And no matter the quake magnitude (this one a 5.6), nothing will separate us from His love!

We were tipped off to the existence of a newly released movie titled Bella, starring former Mexican superstar actor Eduardo Verástegui (described as “the Brad Pitt of Mexico” in one blog) by the Rebelution blog. We decided to make a date of it and went to watch the movie last Friday on its opening night.

The movie chronicles a day in the life of its two main characters: José, the main chef in his brother’s Latino-themed restaurant in New York City, and Nina, a waitress in the same restaurant. What’s marvelous, though, is that the movie, though billed as “a true love story” is anything but what you might expect. Rather than a typical Hollywood romance, instead the movie is a subtle but compelling presentation of the preciousness of life even amidst its complexities. The story delves into Nina’s present-day troubles as they intersect with José’s tragic past, and how they both find hope and promise for the future (and freedom from the past) as they unexpectedly spend a day together under trying circumstances.

What we enjoyed about the movie were an engaging story line, up-close and compelling cinematography (even in the big city), great acting and character development, a believable plot, and most importantly, a beautiful underlying message about the gift of life. Prior to watching the movie, Lois did some research and read more about the life of Verástegui, and how he came to faith in the Lord Jesus four years ago, and the transformation in his life that has taken place and borne fruit in this movie (and others to come from his newly founded production company, Metanoia Films).

This film is wonderfully made and should appeal to people from all walks of life. Rather than a cliched “Christian” film in which someone messes up, “gets religion,” and whose problems are all solved; Bella instead shows how easy it is to get derailed from what’s important, and how powerful an impact one can make in others’ lives with a commitment to treasure life in all its facets and complexities. One might even argue this is what “Christian” art should look like: not a mere knock-off or poor imitation of the world, but a uniquely fresh vision and celebration of the world as God intends us to see and live.

One caveat: the hand-camera filming technique made my wife nauseated about a third of the way through the film.

Bella tells a beautiful and moving story which reminded us powerfully of how precious life is. We recommend it highly.

View a trailer here.

When I first read last week of Jim Andrew’s book Polishing God’s Monuments via Tim Challies’ review, I decided to be spontaneous and order it immediately. After all, it’s not every day that an uber-prolific Christian blogger and book reviewer says of a book something of this sort:

As I closed the cover on this book, 294 pages (yet only one day) after beginning, it struck me that this is undoubtedly one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. I skimmed back through my files to see how many other books I’ve read in 2007 and can see that it is at least sixty or seventy. So it’s no small thing to realize that this is one of the best. I simply can’t recommend Polishing God’s Monuments too highly.

I received the book yesterday in the mail.

Now, twenty-four hours later (and the same 294 pages), I can say with Tim Challies that this is indeed one of the best books I’ve read ever.

At the risk of redundancy (having linked to Tim’s very thorough review above), let me offer a few reflections in the hopes of persuading you to purchase this soul-strengthening and riveting book.

Polishing God’s Monuments is both a biographical narrative and a Biblical treatise on suffering. I’d previously suggested to friends that D.A. Carson’s How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil was the best book I’d ever read on the subject of suffering. Without necessarily comparing the two, I’d say that Polishing God’s Monuments has an authenticity and element that makes it stand out. How so? The book seeks to present a “strategy” for coping with the suffering that is inevitable in this life for all of us who live in this sin-stained world. The title hints at what pastor and former seminary professor Jim Andrews refers to as “monumental faith,” which, in short, is learning to make it a point to hold onto past evidences of God’s faithfulness in order to endure present (and ongoing) trials. He develops this idea in the context of the last two decades of his life, during which his daughter and son-in-law have undergone unbelievable and agonizing ongoing, chronic, and debilitating medical problems — which have taken no small toll on their respective parents — and somehow (by God’s grace) survived with their faith intact, even though their health challenges very much remain.

I don’t want to say too much more about the narrative, at the risk of taking away the full impact of the book. I will say that Andrews provides a very heartfelt and accessible presentation of Biblical evidence for reasons to trust in God’s sovereignty and goodness, and ways that we can in our weak sin-laden flesh learn to cling to those truths no matter how severe or light our afflictions may be. He is neither overly “academic” in his presentation, nor hopelessly colloquial that the reader would fail to see the strong Biblical underpinnings of his exhortation to live a “monumental faith.” (He even addresses the horridly sad implications of recent trends above evangelicals to accept the unhelpful theology of “open theism” with respect to enduring true suffering).

Probably the most succinct praise I could offer of this book is that it manages to combine solid Biblical & theological reflection on how to endure suffering with engaging storyline of real-life struggles with suffering, all in a very readable and understandable fashion. Andrews manages to thread that difficult path of showing us how our “creeds” can and do truly affect our deeds, and not merely describe one without addressing the other.

As he opens the book, Andrews mentions that he especially has in mind readers who are enduring suffering. But he continues later on to remind us that sufferings and trials are supposed to be normal for the Christian. He helpfully argues that if we think otherwise (especially in our very comfortable American modern civilization) we are not only deceived and out of sorts with the words of Jesus, but we will be very ill-prepared for the sufferings that will come our way. After reading the book, I was deeply impressed by the importance of not living for comfort, but for eternity. And how easily the former will distract us from the latter. As Andrews suggested, Christians are saved not to seek mere comfort, but to seek conformity to Christ; and it’s primarily through trials that we grow stronger in this direction.

As I made my way through this book, I thought of dear friends who have endured chronic diseases over the past several years, and have an inclination to purchase extra copies to gift to them. Not so much, in their cases, because I think they haven’t demonstrated faithfulness. But as a marker to thank them for the testimony they have been to me of trusting God amidst suffering and pain, in the hopes of bringing them encouragement. I thank God for this sobering yet hope-filled book, for it did not only present a story of suffering, but a firm and strong reminder of God’s sovereign and gracious workings amidst all of our sufferings.

In short, buy this book. Read this book. Be helped, be encouraged, be prepared.

Hot off the online press is news that Sovereign Grace Ministries, headed up by C.J. Mahaney, is now offering sermon audio at their online store for free! This is a terrific opportunity to load up your iPod with gospel-centered soul-enriching preaching and teaching of God’s Word.

Here’s a few direct links to classic messages from C.J. Mahaney to get you started:

• “The Main Thing”
• “Interrogating the Legalist Within”
• “Cravings and Conflict”

As Lois and I get a chance to listen to some of these messages (not just from C.J. but from many wonderful speakers at their various conferences, including Al Mohler, John MacArthur and Mark Dever), we’ll post links and reviews. And I humbly request that all of our readers who happen to listen to a really edifying message post a comment for the rest of us.

And just in case you weren’t aware, Desiring God, which distributes resources from John Piper, has long been offering audio, video and reading (books/articles) resources on their site for a long time. What a terrific example of how the Internet and modern technology can be a tremendous blessing for God’s people globally! Get busy listening and watching, folks!

(HT: Solo Femininity)

Here’s a piercing quote from D.A. Carson on how easily we only scratch the surface of the implications of the gospel — and so easily feel no sense of remorse about it.

I would like to buy about three dollars worth of gospel, please.

Not too much – just enough to make me happy, but not so much that I get addicted.

I don’t want so much gospel that I learn to really hate covetousness and lust.

I certainly don’t want so much that I start to love my enemies, cherish self-denial, and contemplate missionary service in some alien culture.

I want ecstasy, not repentance;

I want transcendence, not transformation.

I would like to be cherished by some nice, forgiving, broad-minded people, but I myself don’t want to love those from different races – especially if they smell.

I would like enough gospel to make my family secure and my children well behaved, but not so much that I find my ambitions redirected or my giving too greatly enlarged.

I would like about three dollars worth of the gospel, please.

(Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians, pp. 12-13)

May God help us to be and to make disciples who learn to apply the gospel to every aspect of our lives deeply.

(HT: Oversight of Souls)

Some time ago, we got a copy of the children’s book Ruby the Copycat. The book tells the story of a young girl named Ruby who is new to a school. In order to feel more accepted, she begins to copy another student. When that student wears a nice dress and is complimented, Ruby goes home during lunch and comes back with a similar dress. When that person talks about her interests and hobbies, Ruby copies her. In the end, Ruby is “caught” in her copying, and is encouraged to discover her own “unique” traits, and not merely to be a “copycat.” Which she does — her unique trait turns out to be the way she hops to and from places, which the teacher brands the “Ruby Hop.”

The moral of that story seems a good one: to merely be a “copycat” is no great accomplishment. We should each strive to discover who we are, and not merely strive to copy someone we (or others) admire, especially for the sake of gaining equal “fame.”

Of late, we’ve seen interesting behavior patterns among our children, and especially our oldest son. Though he is merely five years old, he has three younger siblings, none of which are quite as far along in physical abilities or verbal expressiveness. Thus, at times, we’ve observed his tendency to try to get attention by being a “copycat.” For example, if one of his siblings starts babbling, he’ll start babbling. At other times, when they want to play with a toy, he suddenly gets interested in that toy. Suffice it to say that such “copycatting” often results in conflict.

The other night we were eating out as a family, and the conversation came around to not being a copycat. Matthew has so absorbed our reminders — not necessarily applied, but he certainly remembers it — that he was reproving one of his siblings for being a “copycat.” At this point, I jumped in and began to take the conversation in a slightly different direction, only to be surprised by his ultimate insight (the below is a loose recollection of our dialogue):

Me: Matthew, why are you correcting [sibling’s name] for being a copycat [since that’s something he does all the time]?

Matthew: Because we aren’t supposed to be copycats. That’s not good. We should do our own thing.

Me: You’re right. Except… there are times when it’s okay to be a copycat. For example, if Andrew is doing something he should be doing, then you ought to copy that.

Matthew: So it’s okay to copy sometimes?

Me: Yup. For example, you’re supposed to copy Mommy and me, when we are living to honor God.

Matthew: So I’m supposed to copy you as you copy Jesus…

Me: EXACTLY!

What a neat conversation. What might’ve simply been a disciplinary moment became an opportunity to emphasize a Biblical principle laid out by the apostle Paul: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). I hope to build on this “copycat” concept in terms of discipleship in coming months and years.

There is much to be learned about parenting, I think, in what the Lord expects of His disciples:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations … teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Mt. 28:19-20

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Prov. 3:5-6

“… God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor 9:7b

When our children are given a command, we require them to obey in the following ways:

• Completely: This means obeying the entirety of a command and its intent, not doing a job halfway.
• Quickly: They must not tarry but to get to the task without delay and without argument.
• Cheerfully: They must have a good attitude when obeying.

We expect them to obey completely because children can often do half of what we say, and usually only that part which is easy or preferred for them. And that’s not obedience, that’s self-interest.

We expect them to obey quickly because delay is usually a reflection of stalling and a lack of true submission. For example, a slowness to respond to a command can either be an attempt to avoid obedience, or to try to continue doing what they’re having fun with instead of submitting to the authority of their parents.

We expect them to obey cheerfully because God expects the same of us. That’s not to say that we would imagine they would have all reluctance gone. But it means that even as God’s standard of holiness for us is a heart of pure joyful submission to Him, so too we hold our children to the same standard.

And in all of the above, the goal is to instill in them an intrinsic trust in us, and actions that reflect that trust.

From time to time we chant this little ditty, “How are you to obey? ‘Completely, quickly, and cheerfully.’” One time I overheard my oldest chanting this to his siblings and it was then that I knew he caught on and remembered this principle.

Of course, when we say that we “expect” what we really mean is that we have a standard that we will expect them to attain to. It doesn’t mean we actually expect that in every instance they actually will meet it! But our goal is to help them to learn the discipline of obedience to another, so that as they grow older, they will be more able (by habit as well as by grace) to discipline themselves for the purpose of
godliness and not only submission to imperfect human authority.

Recently I was listening to a parenting seminar and I was struck by John 16:33 where Jesus was talking to his disciples:

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Although this verse was very familiar to me, the truth revealed in this passage brought a new perspective. Jesus was saying that even though you will face trials, persecutions, hardship, don’t worry because He has overcome the world. Whatever difficulty you are facing or will face is not as significant as what He has done for you. Jesus has overcome sin and triumphed over death.

I have dear friends who are currently undergoing the biggest trial of their lives. When I place myself in their shoes, I honestly don’t know what I would do. There doesn’t seem to be a solution and it is very natural to be discouraged and feel hopeless. The truth in John 16:33 offers hope. Because of what our Lord has said, we should be encouraged and trust that God knows what He is doing, even when we don’t feel a glimpse of hope.

A couple of weeks ago, Lois posted about how we’ve seen from those around us and the broader culture how crucial it is as parents that we endeavor to make our house a “true home.”

Ann commented:

I am interested to hear how you develop this out in your family. I have a similar desire, and even came from a “true home” but I’m not sure how to practice this. Looking forward to hearing more.

Because Lois and I are just starting our family, relatively speaking, we haven’t exactly got lots of experience and anecdotes. For now, it’s mainly in principle. That said, here are a few things we try to do frequently:

• Get down on the floor. That’s right, especially with little ones, it’s so easy to sit in our chairs — whether otherwise occupied or not. And just watch the activity, until otherwise beckoned to help with something or referee a tussle. But getting down on the floor, whether lying down or crawling, seems to create wonderful opportunities not only for interacting with little ones, but also seeing the world from their perspective. Good stuff.
• Make the most of “extra time.” Lois and I are both “schedule” people. That is, we thrive on a sense of predictability and regularity in our schedules. We like to have the kids in bed at a fixed time, eat at regular hours, etc. And we’re all better for the sense of order that results. But every once in a while, when there’s no real need to be right on time, we find that some spontaneous time of just tickling or laughing or other such “no brain required” activity. It especially warms our hearts when one or more of the kids takes the opportunity during such times to give an unexpected hug or kiss and say, “I love you Daddy/Mommy” and we get to return the gesture.
• Read books to our children. Self-explanatory, and something I need to do more of. It’s obviously nice from an educational standpoint, but also a great excuse to just sit down and enjoy good stories together. I think particularly of value are Christian biographies as well as well-told fiction.
• Minimize the amount of family activities that aren’t really family activities. By this I simply mean things like watching a movie together, where we’re all in the same room, but we’re not interacting. But this could also be stuff like having friends over, wherein their children play with our children and the adults (only) interact with each other. I also like to make the most of those times not merely to supervise the children, but to interact with them meaningfully.
• Invite your children to help in age-appropriate ways. One of the things we’ve seen as particularly helpful is inviting your children to be “part of things.” For example, as Matthew has gotten older, we’ve let him little by little help around the house. From fixing things to helping cook simple meals, we find that the more he’s part of things, the more he wants to be a part of the family. Even two-year-old Emmaline is a great helper. I often take particular pains to ask her to help clean up this or that, and she loves to do so. Note: this is not about lightening our load or teaching responsibility, though those two things frequently happen. It’s about being a family serving one another, and serving the Lord together.

Well that seems like a good start. Now is a great chance for all your Musings of the Dings lurkers to jump in with ways in which you’ve sought to make your houses real homes for your families.

One of my favorite preachers / authors / theologians, and I believe one of the “great” ones of our era, is John Piper. Dr. Piper has for over twenty years served as pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, and has epitomized passionate God-centered preaching of the gospel and immense zeal for His glory. His church’s mission statement well describes the central theme of much of his own ministry:

We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.

Over the years, Piper’s writings have been very influential in my life. God has used his works to grant me a greater hunger for God, a zeal for global mission, and a desire to make Him the centerpiece of my entire life. He is a uniquely gifted man with gifts in preaching, writing and a keen theological mind. Add to this a genuine humility and love for Christ, and you can understand why he has become increasingly used of God in recent years.

The ministry Desiring God exists to make available the many fruits of John Piper’s labors, and does so at amazingly accessible costs. Nearly all of the books in the online bookstore, most of which Piper has either written or contributed to in some fashion, are available regularly at prices lower than even amazon.com. Many of these books are even downloadable in electronic format for free. In addition, there are hundreds of his sermons available for free not only in audio but also (downloadable) video format! Obviously, their commitment to spread passion for God’s supremacy globally shows in how they are willing to give away so many abundant resources.

As if that were not enough, for two days this week (June 27-28), they are having a tremendous book sale. Every book in the Desiring God bookstore is on sale for $5! GO GET ‘EM, is all I can say to that. Unfortunately for me, I already own nearly all of Piper’s books. But if you don’t, GO GET ‘EM. And if you’re new to John Piper, let me suggest some of the following as some of the best books to start with (for just $5!):

• Let the Nations Be Glad!: This was the first book from John Piper that I read, and a pivotal one for me. This is, in my opinion, the best book on missions written in the modern era. It is an eloquent plea for a Biblical, God-saturated vision for world missions.
• God Is the Gospel: One of Piper’s more recent books, this is a relatively short book that is possibly one of Piper’s most important. In this book he describes and defends his view that the heart of the gospel is God, and that when we begin to make the gifts of God more important than God Himself we have lost sight of the point of the gospel.
• The Pleasures of God: I personally found this one of the most helpful books Piper has written. Here he delves in systematic detail into what brings God pleasure, including excellent chapters on God’s Pleasure in Election and a moving chapter on God’s Pleasure in Bruising the Son. Fairly easy read.
• Desiring God: the namesake of their resource ministry, this book presents and defends what Piper calls his philosophy of “Christian hedonism.” No “Piper” collection is complete without this primary text on what he means when he says that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
• Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: An excellent plea from Piper to fellow pastors to forgo the temptation to professionalize pastoral ministry, in the mold of the world. He instead challenges fellow church leaders to take up the role of undershepherd of God’s people and servant of Christ. This book covers many areas of ministry, and addresses many of the pitfalls of vocational ministry.
• Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A classic text presenting a well-rounded vision of Biblical manhood and womanhood. It graciously defends / presents a complementarian viewpoint of gender roles in creation and in the church in particular.
• The four books in his “Swans Are Not Silent” Christian biography series: The Legacy of Sovereign Joy, The Roots of Endurance, The Hidden Smile of God, and Contending For Our All: These books provide short, readable glimpses and reflections on the lives of saints who have left an indelible mark on church history which last through today. Reading Christian biography can be a source of much encouragement, guidance and wisdom. I heartily commend Piper’s series of biography compilations. Much of the source material for these very readable books comes from the annual pastor’s conference hosted by Bethlehem Baptist Church.

As referenced in Lois’ post, she ended up taking a short video of Matthew sliding down the stairs on a piece of cardboard. For your viewing pleasure:

Lois recently posted on how television watching can have a massive negative effect on our hearts and our time. I think it’s not too much to say that not only television watching, but web surfing, video game playing, music listening, movie viewing, and other prominent activities in our entertainment culture are similar black holes, when not done with constraint and careful moderation.

Desiring God recently posted an audio excerpt of John Piper’s comments from the Gospel Coalition conference on our entertainment culture, titled “Netflix and Hell.” He expresses eloquently the fundamental problems with undiscerningly participating in our surrounding culture. Paraphrased,

1. Our culture is obsessed with entertainment (cf. Neil Postman’s classic book Amusing Ourselves to Death). The success of NetFlix is an example of that.
2. When Christians absorb the culture around them (or are absorbed by it), they end up looking (and acting) just like the world.
3. Christians should rather be “obsessed” with God, not simply spending our lives seeking “entertainment” — however “clean” or rated “G” it may be.
4. All this while people are going to hell. And we are the only ones with the message that can deliver them from that fate.

As usual, Piper is Biblical, insightful and prudent and compels me to examine my life and priorities, “for the days are evil.” Here’s a transcript of his brief comments:

The fact that Christ has come, that he’s died, that he’s risen, that he reigns, that he’s beckoning me to know him, fully spend eternity with him and come with the fruits of my life into his presence makes me want very much not to buy into NetFlix. I said to Noel the other day (it’s a concrete thing, right off the front burner, she was talking to me about these deals, now, on the web where you can not just rent videos or dvds once a week & have ‘em sent to you, but now you can download them or you will be able to soon), “You know, Noel, I’m afraid for us as a family, and for my church of the entertainment culture that we live in. Almost everybody because of the internet largely, is thinking, ‘Maximize entertainment. How many movies can I see? How many iPod songs can I listen to? How many games can I load onto this computer? How many gadgets can I have?’ And pretty soon you wake up and realize Christians are just like everybody else, they’re just maximizing surround sound.” And every night, let’s eat, let’s sit back, let’s put our feet up and watch clean videos… while the world goes to hell. And I just don’t want to be part of that. I’ve just got a teeny little life to live, and only what’s done for Christ will last.

So what’s driving me is the lostness of the world, I really believe in hell. And I’d rather that people not go there if I can have any influence upon them not to go there. I want to maximize my joy in God, and I know that happens through service. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” So driving me is hell is horrible, eternity is long, Christ is beautiful, my heart is designed for him, and I want to maximize my joy and take as many with me into that everlasting pleasure that I can.

We were blessed to take a family vacation to Yosemite this past week. We stayed at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, which is in the heart of Yosemite Valley, and had a terrific time. Yosemite Falls, as well as the many other waterfalls at the park, were in full display and absolutely beautiful. Here’s a sampling of the photos we took, both of the landscapes and our family enjoying it! Click on any photo to see a larger version.

Matthew with El Capitan in the background on the left:

The children by Happy Isles, near Vernal Falls:

Lois and me with Yosemite Falls in the background:

The children squeezing into the bike trailer:

Matthew proudly displaying some excellent crayon work:

Lois and Calissa in the woods near Lower Yosemite Falls:

Half Dome:

Lower Yosemite Falls in full grandeur:

So I brought home some churros for the kids as a treat for after dinner.

Matthew: I’m full and I want a churro.

Mom: That doesn’t make any sense. If you were full, then you couldn’t eat a churro.

Matthew: Hmm… I’m done then.

Clever boy.

We were the beneficiary this past weekend of the hospitality and gifts of dear friends of ours. They have ten children, of whom four are internationally adopted, and have been a wonderful help and joy to our family as we have our four crazy little ones, and are always in need of encouragement and advice.

As those of you who follow our blog know, our two boys just celebrated their birthdays. Well, knowing we were visiting, and since one of their boys had a birthday this past weekend, these friends decided to throw a joint birthday bash with a Cars movie theme.

Here are a couple of photos, including the amazing birthday cake their two older girls baked and decorated for the occasion!

And the “lovely” gifts of finger paints they gave to the boys with a grin on their faces, no doubt anticipating a fun time of cleanup for the parents Ding!

Oh and one more photo, I just can’t resist. The dad of this family o’ twelve zonked out on the couch while holding another family’s baby: