New Year’s Resolutions

Each year at this time, people everywhere make new year’s resolutions. Usually they have to do with exercising more, going on a diet, etc. If you are one who does the resolution thing, I’d encourage you to make some deeper, more significant resolutions this year. Below is just the beginning of the list of resolutions that Jonathan Edwards made when he was 19-20 years old. There are 70 resolutions in all. This list would be a great place to start your resolutions this year.

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

Click here to read the rest of the resolutions.

Joseph’s Song

Merry Christmas

This Christmas Eve I thought I’d share a few lines from what we just read with the boys. They come from “The Jesus Storybook Bible” by Sally Lloyd-Jones.

They knelt on the dirt floor. They had heard about this Promised Child and now he was here. Heaven’s Son. The Maker of the Stars. A baby sleeping in his mother’s arms.

This baby would be like that bright star shining in the sky that night. A Light to light up the whole world. Chasing away darkness. Helping people to see.

And the darker the night got, the brighter the star would shine.

Merry Christmas!

Still Shopping for Christmas?

A couple of days ago I linked to a post where you could see all that the Snuggie had to offer. Today, I thought I’d share a few serious ideas for Christmas gifts, for those that are still shopping.

CDs/Downloads

• So High the Price (also available in the church bookstore and the iTunes store)
• Christ Only, Always (also available in the church bookstore and the iTunes store)
• T4G Live (also available at the iTunes store)

Books

• The Bookends of the Christian Life (Jerry Bridges)
• Just Do Something: How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc. (Kevin DeYoung)

Video

• The Nativity Story (75% off at CBD for a limited time)

For any Kansas fans you know

• KU Hat
• KU Shooting T

Okay, so the last two weren’t serious, after all how many KU fans do you really know here in Michigan…other than that live at my house?

Ernie Harwell

1984 was a memorable year for me. It was the year that I fell in love with Ernie Harwell and the Detroit Tigers as a 7-year-old boy, while we were living in Warren with Papa and Nana Cummins. I love baseball, Ernie and the Tigers because it is not just about a game, it is about so much more than that. It’s about life and family and relationships and many other things.

Ernie recently announced that he has been diagnosed with cancer. You can watch his recent thank you to the fans at Comerica Park here.

Several years ago my sister wrote about Ernie, the Tigers, baseball and me. I want to share it with you. It is too long to include in this post so you can read it here. Here is just a bit of  it:

Few see his closet turned office, yet he has chosen the décor with care. Pictures of his wife smile from the desk and filing cabinet, but the focal point of the tiny room is The Shelf. Half a dozen favored books, along with a packet of pictures and a card, have been selected to grace the west wall of his office. Above The Shelf hang the pictures that tie the décor together—the pictures of The Stadium.

As we talked, I could almost see him as a seven-year-old boy shivering in October darkness on the front porch. Frost had long since silenced the last cricket’s song, but summer’s final chapter had just been written. Moments earlier, Ernie Harwell’s radio voice had announced, “And the Tigers are the champions of 1984.”

The relationship, begun that day between a boy and his team, continued after the child’s family moved from the Detroit area. It continued as his team fell from greatness, ending year after year with a losing record. It continued because of a voice, rich with the lore of baseball past, that tied the boy to the present.

It is not Death to Die

Recently the reality of death has been on my mind. Several weeks ago my Papa Cummins met his eternal reward, tomorrow we will be attending the funeral of Stephanie Z’s grandpa and today marks 8 years since the day of the most gruesome attack ever on American soil where thousands of lives were taken. I cannot fathom facing the reality of death apart from the realities of Christ and the gospel, for without them there is no hope in death, only despair.

The text below has run through my mind often over the past several weeks. It is an expression of the hope we have in death because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, in death there is still pain. There is still hurt. There is still loss. Yet there is also great hope for the Christian, because with His death and resurrection Jesus Christ has conquered the grave!

It is not Death to die, to leave this weary road,
and join the saints who dwell on high,
who’ve found their home with God.
It is not death to close the eyes long dimmed by tears,
and wake in joy before your throne,
delivered from our fears.

It is not death to fling aside this earthly dust,
and rise with strong and noble wing
to live among the just.
It is not death to hear the key unlock the door
that sets us free from mortal years
to praise forever more.

O Jesus, conquering the grave,
your precious blood has power to save.
Those who trust in you will in your mercy find
that it is not death to die.

MSM Recap

Well, we had a great time during Mid-Summer Mania. On Wednesday night, during Wacky Water Wars, Andrew walked away with the guys record in the slip ‘n slide and and Katy did as well for the girls. On Thursday, while at Metro Beach Park during DU, Bri turned a quintuple play during three ball “kick ball”. On Friday, at the Tigers game, Mercedes learned that hitting a home run in real life is harder than hitting one while playing on the Wii. We had a great time and I hope that you all not only had a great time but were also challenged in your walked with the Lord because of the reality of what He did for you on the cross.

Update: Here is a link to pics from Friday night at the Tigers Game.

Happy Independence Day

I am so grateful to those who have given their lives to attain and protect my freedom and to those who are currently in harms way to do the same. Thank you.

Should they be able to do that?

That is what I was asked a few weeks ago concerning parents going through a teenager’s stuff, like his room, computer, email, iPod, facebook, phone, etc. So, should parents be able to do that?

My answer in short is YES!

I know that’s not the answer that you might want to hear, but I think it’s the right one. Here are a few thoughts to consider.

• Your parents are your authority. You live in their house. They are in charge, and not you. Simply put, that’s the way God made things. He has given them the opportunity and responsibility of raising you and if they believe they need to go through something of yours, they can.
• Accountability to your parents is a good thing.We all need accountability. You can read more about that in this post from a few days ago. Personally, my wife knows every password to all of my stuff and she can check any of it at any time. This does make it hard to surprise her with something and ensure she doesn’t know it’s coming, but other than that, it is a great accountability.
• The stuff isn’t yours anyway…it’s Gods. I Corinthians 4:2 tells us that we are stewards, we are people that have been given things to take care of. All that we have is from the gracious hand of God, so when your parents go through your stuff, they’re not really checking out your stuff, they’re checking out God’s stuff that He has entrusted you with.

One objection I heard raised was this, “but if they go through my stuff, it shows that they don’t trust me.” To that I simply say that I understand what you are saying and want to agree, but then I look at my own heart and I read what the Bible says about all our hearts, that they are deceitful and desperately wicked. You say, when they look through my stuff that shows that my parents don’t trust me and I say,  to some degree yes…and you shouldn’t trust you either.

Having said all this, I am not advocating that parents should always look through their teens stuff, but simply that they have the right and responsibility to do so from time to time.

In The News

In the past few days the news media and the web have been buzzing about the actions of Heritage Christian School in  Findlay, OH. I just read a blog post titled “Kudos to Heritage Christian School” by a pastor from Ohio and think he pretty much hit the nail on the head. You can read it here and I think you should. The post is full of truth, grace and gospel and is well worth the 3 minutes it will take of your time.  I’ll share his punch line with you here. He says:

Bottom line: Even if you don’t agree with the rule or the principles behind it, you have to appreciate the fact that Tyler and his parents agreed to it and should therefore be willing to accept the consequences without whining about it on the airwaves. Tyler’s not a martyr or a hero. After all, it doesn’t take courage to break your word. It takes courage to keep it, even when you’re being misrepresented and mocked for doing so. Kudos to Heritage Christian School.