1 Thessalonians 5:11

Surprisingly, he had trouble with this short one.

It must have been a tough day at school...

Children Desiring God Part 2

Bruce Ware was the speaker for the 2nd plenary session and his topic was "The Biblical Foundations for the Centrality of God" or in short - God alone is God. He talked about 3 main themes:
1. God is creator - He alone created (exclusivity) and no one else can do it (incomparability)
2. God is redeemer - He owns us. We do not have rights.
3. God is sovereign - He reigns over good and evil.

• Exodus 8:10 Then he (Pharaoh) said, "Tomorrow." So he (Moses) said, "May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God."
• Deuteronomy 4:39 "Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other."
• Psalm 86:8-10 There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, Nor are there any works like Yours. 9 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name. 10 For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.
• Jeremiah 10:6-8 There is none like You, O LORD; You are great, and great is Your name in might. 7 Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You.

The 3rd plenary speaker was Paul David Tripp and his topic was "His Story or Your Story: Who Reigns Supreme in Your Heart?" It brought all of these incredible truths of God's greatness that I had just heard from Piper and Ware down to the reality of my life, my heart, my thinking, and my attitude. Convicting! In a good way. If you have the time, I encourage you to listen to the messages. They just put them up on the CDG web site - http://www.childrendesiringgod.org/events/conference2009.php

Popsicles

What do you get when you put popsicles and little kids together? That's right all you parents, a big mess. So this is our solution!Everybody wins!

Just another night at the Lee household...maybe they'll make this an Olympic sport someday. And if you're wondering how Emery doesn't get dizzy and pass out, so am I.

Wichita

We went for a trip to Wichita this weekend. I've never been there before, and I liked it. It was a definitely a city, but it didn't feel like any city I'd been to before. We went to the Botanical Gardens.Emery liked the flowers.Matt liked the scenery.Andrew liked the hot rods! We found these when we went out for dinner.
We went to Wichita so that I could run in a 10k (6.2 miles). I've never done that before, but praise God I finished! The medal was for 5th place. Just kidding, everyone got a medal. I was probably more like 5,000th place.

Children Desiring God

So I went to this conference last week with another couple from our church. I was familiar with John Piper and Desiring God, but I was not too familiar with Children Desiring God (www.childrendesiringgod.org). Boy was I pleasantly surprised.

The conference was great for my soul. The theme was Our Glorious God! And though I think that I generally have a high view of God, I am such a sinner and really do not view God as He describes Himself to be in His Word.

Piper was the keynote speaker and started off the conference with a message titled "The God-Centeredness of God." He talked about how the key to being God centered is to acknowledge that God is God centered. He is focused on His glory and thus by default not mine. Do you feel more loved by God when He makes much of you or when He enables you through the cross to make much of Him? I am not being God centered when the core of my love for God is centered on what He has done for ME.

• Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Who created the heavens to declare His own glory?
• Isaiah 43:7 "Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made." We also were created for His glory.
• John 12:28 "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." Christ was willing to go to the cross to make God's name great.
• Philippians 2:9 "For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name," God raised Jesus for His own glory though Jesus.
• 2 Corinthians 5:15 "and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." And we are redeemed, not to live for ourselves and our own glory, but for His.
  

Much has been made of God's love and justifiably so. But the main way God loves us is not by making much of us or sparing us from trouble. The main way God loves us is by lifting up the 1 thing that will provide the highest value and is the deepest act of love - the glory of God. Love provides the deepest and longest satisfaction - that can never be found in yourself but only in God and His glory. God exalts God so that we must exalt God.

I have been guilty lately of seeking God's grace for my comfort, for my purposes, for my service to Him, for my family, and for my happiness. Praise God that He so lovingly redirects me back to His mercy, His greatness, His sovereignty, His goodness, His kindness, His wrath, and His glory.

While I was gone...Part 2

Apparently, a lot happened while I was gone. Good times for all...

When did our kids get so brave?

While I was gone...

I left Thursday for the Children Desiring God Conference. It was a very, very good conference (more on that later). I returned late last night so things are a bit hectic at the moment. But while I was gone, Andrew received 2 medals!
1 medal was for finishing 6th (out of 7) in his basketball league - truly an honor to not be in last place! And the other medal was for finishing 3rd (out of 8) in a writing contest at school. But I am the most proud of Andrew for voluntarily sharing 1 medal with his brother - Heb 13:16 in action! Praise God!