The girl

Emery is really starting to blossom. I think age 6 is one of the best years of childhood where things start to click both mentally and physically. We got to enjoy Matt hit a bunch of milestones last year. Now Emery, always so precocious, is starting to develop in those ways 6 months early.She has carried around a variety of bags and pretended they were purses. But none were quite realistic enough or the right size for her to really stick. They were always soon replaced. Thanks to the magic of duct tape - can you believe this purse is made of duct tape?! - and the talented Kiersten, Emery has the perfect fashion accessory.Emery practically sleeps with her new purse. She takes it everywhere and is constantly putting things in and taking things out. She couldn't have gotten a better gift. Thanks Kiersten!

#4 - Gates of Fire

I'm not sure what happened, but here we are with my 4th book read in the first month of the year. I just finished Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. It is a fictional book about the historical battle of Thermopylae (translated "Hot Gates" for its regional hot springs).The battle of Thermopylae occurred in 480 BC when King Xerxes I of Persia led some gigantic army (scholars aren't exactly sure about the exact number but guesses have been anywhere from 100,000 to 1 million though it seems more likely to be lower on that scale) into Greece to conquer it. King Leonidas of Sparta led a much smaller force of about 7,000 soldiers to a narrow mountain pass to stem the invasion temporarily.

It was a death mission, a courageous last stand for the greater good of Greece. Outnumbered and out-supplied, the Spartans and their fellow Greek comrades held strong for 2 full days of battle despite the odds against them. Unfortunately, the Greeks were betrayed by a local traitor who informed the Persians of a narrow path that went behind the Greek army. Upon hearing the news, the Spartan king dismissed the bulk of his small army and made one final stand with his few remaining troops.

I'm a sucker for these inspiring, courageous, military stories of commitment, loyalty and valor. Here's a quote describing this ethos, "When I first came to Lakedaemon and they called me 'Suicide,' I hated it. But in time I came to see its wisdom, unintentional as it was. For what can be more noble than to slay oneself? Not literally. Not with a blade in the guts. but to extinguish the selfish self within, that part which looks only to its own preservation, to save its own skin. That, I saw was the victory you Spartans had gained over yourselves. That was the glue.

"When a warrior fights not for himself, but for his brothers, when his most passionately sought goal is neither glory nor his own life's preservation, but to spend his substance for them, his comrades, not to abandon them, not to prove unworthy of them, then his heart truly has achieved contempt for death, and with that he transcends himself and his actions touch the sublime."

There is so much biblical truth in this perspective. A Christian should truly die to himself and love his brothers and sisters - the Church. The church of God should have this commitment, this unity, this eternal love. It reminds me of John 12:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. 26 "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him."

The book nailed biblical servant leadership too. Here's a quote of a Spartan soldier rebuking the Persian King who did not exemplify servant leadership like the Spartan king did. "I will tell his Majesty what a king is. A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall. A king does not command his men's loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them. He serves them, not they him."

What a description of humble leadership! It does describe the King of Kings, Jesus Christ and should describe me as one of the leaders of my church and as the leader of my home.

All in all, a very entertaining read with good spiritual illustrations. However, it does not romanticize war but describes it in plenty of gory detail. I know actual war is far, far worse and is the closest picture of hell on earth, but the book made you feel what war could be like.

Proverbs 22:9

Sometimes I wonder if Andrew should/could memorize the whole book of Proverbs. There are so many good ones.

He looks a tad casual here, eh?

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Yesterday for Spirit week, it was "what do you want to be when you grow up day"?Andrew wants to play in the NBA. Matt wants to bend it like Beckham. Matt wants to be a soccer player but he's afraid to actually play soccer. We keep asking him if he wants to play on a team, and he keeps saying, "Nah. It's too scary." And Emery wants to be a nurse. I'm pretty sure 2 out of the 3 will have to deal with disappointment in life pretty soon.

#3 - John MacArthur by Iain Murray

I recently finished Iain Murray's biography of John MacArthur. This is a pretty unusual biography for Murray in that MacArthur is still alive. I guess he'll have to either revise this edition or write a part 2 someday.

I must admit that I have a fond affection for the life and ministry of MacArthur. I attended Grace Community Church where MacArthur preaches as a child. In fact, I was saved by the grace of God at that church and was baptized there. I also know many who have attended or still do attend there. I have several friends who graduated from the Master's Seminary where he is president. I've been to a couple of Shepherd's Conferences and have listened to many of his sermons and read several of his books.That being said, I also am not a blind MacArthur follower. I agree with him on many things, but I do have a few minor disagreements of substance and style. I know there are many who have strong disagreements with him as he is a very polarizing figure.

But regardless of how you feel about him, I think his biography is a fascinating read because he is a fascinating person. His background, his family, his character and his ministry all attest to a man who loves God and loves His Word.

Here are a few gems:

• You cannot be faithful and popular, so take your pick.
• Success isn't measured in hours, or even centuries. Our focus is fixed on eternity.
• It was my father's preaching that made the greatest impact. You don't grow up a pastor's son without hearing a few thousand sermons - some more than once...What I found as I watched - and what has most profoundly influenced me - was that my father's life rang true. His actions and his attitudes didn't change according to where he was or whom he was with. He lived by the same standard he encouraged his family and congregation to embrace, and by doing so, refused to give us an excuse to compromise. In a word, what he taught me was the value of integrity.
• [Grandfather MacArthur] often said there were others who could preach it better, but they could never preach a better gospel.
• A congregation that evangelizes 365 days a year is better than church which has a week of 'revival' meetings once a year.
• Whether a woman works outside the home or not, God's primary calling for her is to manage the home. It is the most exalted place for a wife...far more crucial to the future of a woman's children than anything she might do in an outside job.
• If you have no opposition in the place you are serving, then you're serving in the wrong place. MacArthur quoting G. Campbell Morgan
• I needed to continue teaching the powerful Word, reiterating sound doctrines from all the rich texts of Scripture. Because God's Word is timeless, dynamic, and fundamental to godly living. No one ever outgrows it or exhausts its immeasurable death.
• Pastors should study to know God, not just to make sermons. For me, the greatest joy of preaching comes, not in the final step, proclamation, but in the transformation of my own life.
• I have learned to embrace failure and criticism as probably the most productive work of God in my life. I can exegete a passage, what I cannot do is to refine myself. I cannot crush my own pride. So there is a sense in which the best things that have happened to me have been the disappointments and misrepresentations.
• MacArthur was convinced that the best illustrations to use are those taken from the Bible itself. To stay close to Scripture in everything is to rely on the highest authority. 'Stories have emotional impact, but they are lightweight compared with Scripture.'
• The love between husband and wife is the real key to a thriving family. The properly situated family has marriage at the centre; families shouldn't revolve around the children.
• There is nothing to prohibit a man from seeking his wife's counsel about such matters as where the family should live, what job offer he should accept, whether the family should participate in this or that activity, or a host of other similar decisions. In fact, the man who is not interested in his wife's opinion in such matters is a foolish and uncaring husband.

I think Murray did a great job letting MacArthur, and those close to him, speak for him. I feel like a got a very good sense of who he is and the major events / controversies of his life. Personally, I think MacArthur is the greatest preacher of his generation. He can explain the meaning of a text better than anyone else I have ever heard. I also appreciate his emphasis on the church. My passion has always been to serve and be a part of God's church. Even though MacArthur is involved with many other para-church organizations, they all seem intentionally designed to support the ministry of the church.

I highly recommend this book and listening to John MacArthur preach.

Crazy clown day

This week is Spirit Week at Victory Christian School. The boys and girl have LOTS of spirit and unbeknownst to me, they have a strong inner clown that they have not let out previously.Andrew was the mime clown animal trainer, notice the animals strung around him. Matt was the fireman clown with the sad clown eyes. And Emery was the ballerina clown. Our house has become the greatest show on earth...

Mozart

Mozart he is not. But I don't want him to spend his life trying to be either. As I mentioned earlier, Andrew is starting up his piano lessons again - mostly just reviewing his old lessons for now. He's learning to play sharps.

It's funny to me that our society has emphasized self-esteem so much that every child is supposed to be the next Mozart or Beethoven. I guess the people who push this have never been around the average kid. I, for example, was a pretty average kid but never became the next Itzhak Perlman or the Korean Magic Johnson as I had hoped. But that's ok because I became something better, a child of the most high God. Hopefully, the boys and girl will follow me as I follow Christ and will be proficient with music enough to serve God for His glory.