So, Jon and Melissa, Jeff, Rachael, Alina and I, went to Randy Whites for dinner where we stuffed ourselves beyond comfort with some quality BBQ.  After that we spent the next few hours playing Yahtzee and The Game of Knowledge (which is a game “for kids and their parents”) were we each one of us revealed that we should have continued playing a game of chance rather than a game of knowledge.

We left our house about 9:00pm to find some seats in a field or parking lot near where the fireworks were going to go off at 9:45pm.  After traveling for what was just about the longest 3 miles of my life we arrived in a good parking lot just as the fireworks began.  The “oohs” and “ahhs” lasted for 15 or 20 minutes.  The fireworks exploding in the air to the background music of somebody’s car stereo crooning patriotic music in an operatic style. 

But, cheesy music aside, it was all worth it to see Rachael’s expressions.  You see, it was the first time that we took her to see fireworks, so she had to get over her initial fear that they where “going to get her”.  And once she did, she decided that she really “liked the blue ones”. 

It was a good time while it lasted.  But, when it ended, it was miserable.  We had to drive home.  And, so did everybody else.  And because Frisco has every road under construction and no road finished, our drive home became the longest 3 miles of my driving life.  I know, with absolute certainty that we could have walked the 3 miles faster than the hour and a half that it took us to drive it.  Getting home just before midnight was ridiculous, but I have never appreciated my soft bed more.

I’ll tell you what though, celebrating our country as everybody watches the same fireworks and everybody is equal in their participation and admiration of the display of patriotism stands in stark contrast to what people do when they get into their vehicles to drive home.  The people who were, not five minutes before, engaged in a community celebration of our nation, now had become a bunch of selfish and arrogant individuals, cutting each other off or not letting other people merge.  It sure is interesting that America is celebrated in community, but the minute that the show is over, the only American that matters is “me”.  I sure enjoyed the united America better than the driving one.  I guess our unity lasts only as long as the show is entertaining. 

Anyway, it was a good time, but next year I will figure out a way to avoid having to sit in traffic with all of those angry Americans again.

Paul says that…

“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel.”

1 Cor 9:22-23

It is an OK thing to take on the look and feel of the culture as a Christian if it is your purpose as a Christian to lead others to Christ. This means simply that as a Christian you should become a skater to the skaters and a rocker to the rockers in order to meet people where they are and bring them to the truth, just as Jesus did with the people around Him. He met them where they were, He didn’t make them come to Him (although they did, as it is the nature of mankind to want to know the truth.)

The point of this is to say that Christian music in the secular (non-Christian) world is OK as long as it stays true to its message. You see, that’s the bad thing about Christian music (and culture in general) becoming more popular in secular society; it often times looses its message. The culture doesn’t like to speak of Jesus, although most people are fine talking about god. Yes, that was an intentional lowercase ‘g’, because the “god” people are comfortable talking about is more the idea of the all encompassing idea of god, such as allowing it to mean “whichever god you worship, allah or Jehovah”. The God of our faith is not an all encompassing idea, He is Jehovah the one and only unique God. The only God, and that’s not something people like to talk about; absolute truth, but more on that some other time.

Anyway, the idea of a general, all encompassing god (one for all religions), is one of the things that is so dangerous about just talking about God in general terms, rather than getting specific about who He is and what He has done. That’s one of the things I like about this song, it is direct. It is not ashamed to say that Jesus is the point of everything. And the unique thing is that this song is very popular on secular radio and among non-Christians.

Song: I Can Only Imagine
Artist: Mercy Me
CD: Almost There

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine

[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine

I love those words. “What will my heart feel? Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still?” Read the chorus again. Just imagine that moment for a minute. What will it be like standing before God? What will it be like to finally be done with this crazy world and to be standing before the Creator and Savior of our souls? Is this a picture that you try to paint in your mind from time to time? I know I do. And every time I do, I am amazed that I even get the opportunity to meet my Heavenly Father, let alone live with Him as a loved child for all eternity.

Alina and I used this song in our wedding during our taking of the Lord’s Supper as a newly united couple. We used this song remind people that our marriage was a great thing, but would mean nothing apart from God. We wanted it to be clear that although it was a great moment for us as a couple, there was a greater moment in store for us because of the mercy that God showed to each of us individually. We wanted to say to our friends and family that this is how we will live our lives; as people anticipating the coming marriage of Jesus to His bride (the church).

Let me just encourage you to stop and listen to and think about the meanings of the music that you listen to. And when appropriate, give all the glory to the one and only true God.

MercyMe is a great group that puts the focus where it should be. If you want some good, passionate worship, go grab one of their CD’s.

Just kidding, mom.  I know you’re not crazy (all the time).  Anyway, my mom and Steve are getting married, and I wanted to say congratulations.  I will post more about it, the date and specifics, later.  I also ask that you pray for them (that God would use their marriage to bring Him glory).

The movie finally started, but was the slowest movie I think that I have ever seen. I ended up falling asleep after about 15 minutes because it was so boring. I slept for about 15 mins or so, and the decided to get some coke and popcorn to try to keep me awake, but that didn’t work either. The movie had gone on for an hour and 15 minutes without anything happening and so being as tired as we were we left and went to bed.

Not much too exciting, but at least it was together.

Before I get to the important stuff, I’d take a moment to tell you what the world looks like through the eyes of one 10 year old at the party. John, who thinks there needs to be more content about him on this website, was joking about giving the kids spankings for how many years old they were, and the kid stood up and said “hit me first, my parents will sue.” I just thought that that was an interesting view into the generation that we have raised to replace us. We don’t want to work hard for something, we just want to take it from others who have worked hard. Anyway, that didn’t have much to do with his party, but since it happened there, I thought I’d add it anway (and admit it, if you are reading this, you are probably doing it because nothing else is going on and you don’t have anywhere to be so you probably don’t mind having an extra random paragraph, so there).

I was also glad to see some of my family that I haven’t seen in about 5 years. My aunt Kim (Alison’s mom, who by the way is doing better after her surgery, thanks for your prayers) and her husband Bruce were there with their children Whitney and Andrew. As I said, it was the first time I had seen them for about 5 years and Alina had never met them, so that was cool. And then of course the loved Rachael. I am beginning to think that we are no longer who people want to see, but it is Rachael, as if we are invited places so that we will bring Rachael. I used to think that it only happened every once in a while, but now I know it is the norm. I guess it’s because she is so much cuter than us. Anyway, it was great to see them.

Happy Birthday Dear,
I Love You

Anyway, I think it’s safe to say that Rachael started walking in her 9th month.