The Voyage of the Dawn Jammer

I have to admit, the title cracks me up. Having just finished the book and with the movie coming out next month, I couldn’t resist. I thought the book was okay. In any Narnia book by C.S. Lewis you simply have to recognize the symbolism. There were plenty in “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” although, referring to the books, I enjoyed “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"” and “Prince Caspian" much better.

In any case, I didn’t really want to talk about the book or the movie (although I plan to see it once it hits the dollar show). I wanted to talk about a discussion we had at my Grace Group (Home Bible Study) last night.

Kenny Clark preached this past week and used an analogy of the rearview mirror, symbolizing the things Jesus saved us from, and the windshield, symbolizing the things Jesus saved us for. We actually took that analogy and each of us started writing down the things Jesus saved us from and what Jesus saved us for.

As you could imagine, the list on my rearview mirror was quite extensive. Actually, it didn’t even fit (although I did have a small piece of paper). Some of the people in my Grace Group became Christians when they were young children and can’t even imagine life without Christ, which I think is a beautiful testimony. Since I became a Christian in high school and didn’t really feel the affects until late high school, I could easily envision my life without Christ as it was.

My rearview mirror had in it things like, self, bitterness, depression, meaningless, bad company, bad girlfriend(s), bad relationships and an extremely destructive lifestyle of complete indulgence. Picture the parable of the Prodigal Son but the son never returning to his father. Yes, that would be me. It was a little depressing thinking about it. Although I’m thankful Jesus saved me from that road, it still weighs heavily on my soul to think about those days and what easily “could’ve been” (details notwithstanding).

However, once I started on the windshield portion of the exercise, I began listing what Jesus saved me “for,” which was no surprise, a complete contrast with what He saved me “from.” Namely, He saved me for service to others, peace, joy, purpose, amazing brother-like friends, an amazing wife, a productive member of the community of the redeemed, and a life-style that honors Him (sometimes anyway).

I wanted to take the analogy further and say that we (Christians) are headed towards the Kingdom of God. The closer we get to that destination the more things make sense to us. Also, the closer we get to the Kingdom, the smaller our past sins (and even our present ones) seem to be in the rearview mirror. The vehicle is the church and the fuel is the Holy Spirit (we’re not meant to ride alone). If we focus too much on our past we could stray off course. If we don’t check our rearview once in a while, old vices could sneak back up on us.

Furthermore, it’s Jesus who is doing the driving. We often think we’re driving, however, “a man makes his plan but the Lord directs his steps.” We get in trouble when we try and take the wheel. This analogy gets me excited about the journey.

In the book “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” the focus is as much on the journey as it is on the end goal. I’m enjoying my “Voyage of the Dawn Jammer” (this still cracks me up). There are certainly some rough patches along the way but that only makes for a more interesting book.

Here's the trailer of the movie for kicks:

Thankfulness For Thanksgiving

As I was thinking about starting new holiday traditions I thought it would be good to write down all the things I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving. During this time of year, I often think about things to be thankful for but actually writing them down and being more reflective might have more of a lasting impact than just thinking about them passively. So lets get started, shall we? In no particular order (except for #1, thanks to the wife who is editing this):

The wife: I love my wife to no end. That’s why I tolerated painting the new house despite the fact that I don’t like painting (more on this in another blog later). I couldn’t ask for a better wife. She’s beautiful AND smart. Which is obviously important because I can be an idiot most of the time. Basically, she’s a perfect fit for me. That’s not to say we don’t have our disagreements every now and then but you just have to ask yourself, “Who else do I want to work out issues with?” Answer? No one.

In addition, there is also the person(s) I didn't end up with. My buddy Dom and I were discussing how thankful we were of who we didn't end up with when considering all the ex-girlfriends we've had and/or girls who simply rejected us when we were interested. Most of those girls have turned out crazy, quadrupled in size, or would've been terrible fit(s). I guess God does really know what He's doing when providing a wife. Speaking of the wife…

The wife’s family: A few years ago during our communion service at church, one of our pastors asked my father-in-law (aka The Big Boss Man) “How does it feel to have your daughter engaged to Junior?” My father-in-law answered, “He’s an answer to prayer.” That’s right people; I’m an “answer to prayer.” Although I’m pretty sure when The Big Boss Man was praying for his daughter’s future husband he didn’t have a pot-smoking, D-average GPA(ing), street racing dude. It makes me wonder who Becky (the wife's sister) is going to end up with.

However, I’m not thankful for The Big Boss Man only for his free cable TV and his lovely daughter but also because he comes with a wife and therefore I also have a mother-in-law (aka The Mother-In-Law). Having lost my mother a few years ago, the holidays are typically tough. I remember my mom would always get me things that I liked regardless of whether they were healthy for me or not (e.g., Boxes of Snickers, Gatorade, and tons of other junk food). Interestingly, The Mother-In-Law brought home my favorite pie (Pumpkin) the other night and happily showed me knowing that I would destroy it shortly. (Speaking of which, what’s the over/under for full pumpkin pies I will destroy by myself this holiday season? 4.5? 5.5? Let’s settle on 5.0. I’m taking the over, easily.). It was a nice motherly touch that warms the heart.

In any case, being a part of a family has been great. Not only for the fellowship and bonding but also for a place to go watch cable TV without paying for it. I like not paying for stuff.

My Job: I’m grateful that God has provided a job in these hard times. Not everyone is blessed with a job and not everyone is blessed with a teacher’s schedule (e.g., weekends, holidays, and summers off). Yes there are times when I wonder if my students wake up in the morning and say, “What can I do to drive Mr. J up the wall?” Overall, it’s been a good year. The students are learning and they’re growing as little human beings. This isn’t my ideal job but it’s where the Lord currently has me so I’ll continue to put forth my best effort (or at least pretend like I am).

New NBA Season: Need I say more?

Friends: I love these guys. Except Bryan of course.

Church: Before I began attending my church regularly, two of the pastors were already investing into my life during my time at Biola University. They never really had any expectation for me to even start attending their church either. After graduating grad school, the transition made sense. I can’t begin to tell you the amount of healing that’s taken place in my life from past hurts because of the pastors at my church and other members as well. I feel myself getting emotional even as I type this so lets move on.

Food: People who know me well know that I have an unorthodox way of describing good food. I won’t mention how I describe good food here because I would get an earful from the wife (and for good reason). Anyway, I love good food. That doesn’t always mean it’s healthy but I just loooooovvvvvvveeeeeee good food. Since it’s the holiday season families get together and eat tons of good food. The other night I told the wife that when I retire I wanted to take a bath in whip cream. I also want a bowl of strawberries on the side to dip in the bathtub with angel food cake as my pillow. How awesome would that be!?! That’s how much I love food.

It’s the little things in life that you have to be grateful for as well. Food has to be at the top of my list of things we don’t think about that often but make life so much more enjoyable. Speaking of the little things . . .

My Car: I have a 97’ Ford Explorer. I bought it brand new. It is far from brand new now but it’s lasted longer than Hitler’s reign. On my way to night class the other day, however, I was on the freeway going about 65mph and the front left tire decided that it had enough of life and exploded (If you’re not a cop reading this then it was more like 75mph). I guess I’m thankful that I’m still alive.

All the things I’ve mentioned come with the understanding that God is the provider of all these things. Acknowledging that fact is good but living it out in personal holiness and generosity towards others is the ultimate “Thank You” to God.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

November Rain

Is it November already? Is it early or something? In any case, this November seems a little different than other Novembers in the past. Don’t get me wrong; I’m still excited about the annual release of McDonald’s McRib(s). I’m also excited about the beginning of a new basketball season (4th season as a season ticket holder).

But what makes this November seem a little different to me is a story I shared with a friend from my Grace Group (small home bible study). First let me give some background. I grew up in a broken home without any real assembles of family tradition. The holidays were always miserable to me because it felt like a time when my family were forced to be together when we didn’t really want to be. As I got older the holidays got worst and more depressing.

When I started attending Biola University, it signaled a new season of my life. I had met friends who are closer to me than brothers. My buddy Aaron Brown invited me to the Christmas tree lighting event that Biola holds every year on campus. He was always trying to talk me out of having such a negative attitude towards the holidays. Since I didn't have anything else better to do I decided to go. So there I was with my friends all bundled up, each having their own cup of warm apple cider waiting with child-like anticipation for the lighting of the Christmas tree. Once the tree was lit, I remember having a “There is something right about this” moment and realized that this is what the holidays was suppose to be about. I never shared that story until a couple nights ago. And only now do I realize the significance of it.

It feels great that I could reflect on the painful past and see that God does indeed “turn ashes into beauty.”

Now that I married into an All-American family, I feel ready for make the most out of the holiday season. The wife already said that she wants a “real” Christmas tree this year but that sounds like a lot of work. Not to mention that a fake tree is cheaper, last longer, and is a lot less messy. On the other hand, maybe starting a new era that deeply appreciates the holiday season with a “real” tree would be a good symbol (Of course I say that now but once I’m dragging one into the house I’ll be regretting it).

PS - Thanks Aaron for inviting me that night. Good times.

Buddy’s new buddy

If you remember, my wife wanted a dog. I repeat; my wife wanted “a” dog. Doesn’t the indefinite article “a” mean only one? It certainly implies it, right? I wanted zero dogs, and I made that abundantly clear. The reason being is that I don’t want to put in the work to take care of them. I would rather be wasting my time doing something completely unproductive like trying to get a new high score on Bejeweled.

Anyway, since we got Buddy it has been quite the ride. He’s a playful dog that never barks and is eager to please. Yes I have to walk him every now and then when the wife is busy. I usually just download some John Piper sermons on my iPod and listen to them while I walk the dog. Of course there are those moments that make my blood boil when he’s Exorcist vomiting all over the house, sleeping on the couch, or runs off into the street chasing cats. Not to mention all of the dog food and dog toys we’ve spent money on to keep him alive and happy. I’m not exactly sure if I’d spend this much effort on my own children.

My brother-in-law PJ is being stationed, with his family, in Guam for the next three years. They have a dog (a Boxer) name Samson. They don’t really want to take him on a sixteen-hour flight. Also, in the event that PJ gets called to active duty it would be easier for Ally, his wife, to travel back to the states with only the kids.

Interestingly, my wife approached me recently and said, “Honey, would you want to take Samson for PJ and Ally?” My reply, “Why? I don’t even want our dog.” She responded, “Because they’ve had him since he was a puppy and he was a gift from Ally’s parents (Her dad passed away from cancer not three years ago.). I’m sure it would mean a lot to PJ and Ally if they knew Samson would be taken care of but no pressure. If you don’t want to take him it’s okay.” I thought to myself, “How is that ‘No Pressure?’” My wife should’ve just said, “Honey, you need to take Samson because you’ll look like an A-hole if you don’t.” Fair enough. Although I’m not sure how I got duped into getting two dogs when I didn’t want either one.

I knew that my only escape was going to be that Samson and Buddy wouldn’t get along and they’d try and kill each other. So before committing to a second dog, we decide to have a “road test” by letting Samson stay with us for the week. I just kept thinking, “double the dog food and double the dog feces to pick up. Wonderful, more work.” Truthfully, I was holding out hope that they wouldn’t get along, so I would feel better not taking in Samson.

At first there was hope on that front. Samson decided to pee in Buddy’s food bowl in an attempt to assert himself as the alpha dog. Samson even drank out of the toilet. I told the wife, “See, Buddy’s only going to pick up bad habits from Samson.” Furthermore, we recently got Buddy to stop sleeping on the couch (or so we think). Guess who’s sleeping on the couch now? That’s right, Samson. This is looking promising.

However, things started taking a turn for the worst. The wife started walking them together. No problems. They actually run well together. Interestingly, they even have their sides picked out. They like to be next to each other, but Buddy runs on the right side closest to the wife and Samson runs on the left. If they ever get tangled up or crisscrossed, they can’t continue walking until each one is on the correct side. It’s if as though they made an arrangement. Not only that, but while they’re in the house they wrestle like a couple of brothers quite frequently. When they’re out of breath they both stop, look at each other and agree it’s time for a water break. Then they both happily stroll to the same water bowl and drink out of it like a couple of horses out of a trough. As it turns out, . . . you guessed it . . . they get along. As a result, we now have two dogs. Interesting how life turns out sometimes. Of course I told my wife that if we take a second dog we’d have to put off kids even further. She didn’t buy it. Great. At least the weekend is here.

A Tribute to Aunt Tippy

A month ago I attended my Aunt’s funeral (mother’s sister). As I sat in the chapel with my sister (Vicky) and my cousins, who have just lost their mother, I realize that death is the tragic reminder that something is horribly wrong. My Aunt was actually the first Christian in my family. The Chaplin spoke kind words about my Aunt. Interestingly, there were similar types of stories spoken about my Aunt that were spoken about my mother. The attributes that were emphasized in these stories were kindness, compassion, and a love for others that shined so intensely bright you can’t help but be moved by their mere presences.

Sadly, seeing my cousins and uncle mourn the death my aunt reminded me of what my sister and I recently went through with the death of my mother. Although it brought back ill emotions it also brought back the hope that is in Christ Jesus. Namely, that He has conquered death.

Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
1 Cor. 15:55 – NIV

Being on the brink of death is the closest a person could be between this life and the eternal. Jesus took the bitter taste of death. He fought it for three days and three nights and resurrected in eternal victory. If you live long enough you’ll lose loved ones. That’s the way it is in a fallen world. However, the theological truth of Christ’s resurrection gives me the boldness and confidence to stare death in the face and hold my ground. Though my life may be taken, I shall fear no evil.

In her last days, my aunt was in a lot of pain. However, she never stopped smiling and telling the people around her how much she loved them. The intense pain was not enough to take away the joy that was set before her. She stared death in the face for a time. Now, she stares at the beautiful face of the one who destroyed death. Pain free and in a new glorified body, my aunt is the envy of us all. My prayer and hope that the legacy of her joy in Christ would be lived out in her beautiful daughters and in this nephew of hers.

The Beauty of My Woman

My friend, Kristi, from Biola University sent an email to some male friends asking our opinion of our special women. This was the email:

Men of God,

I am preparing a bible study for women on beauty. This will be totally anonymous. Can you please reply by sharing what makes a woman or your woman beautiful to you? (Of course this will lead back to God's perspective of women). Your answer is up to your interpretation. Physical, inner qualities, actions or all the above! Thank you for your transparency and help!

Grateful,
Kristi

Since Kristi is a good friend, I wanted to give it some thought and not just email her back with lame clichés that have no meaning behind them. All men want godliness, but it looks different for different people. There are many women I personally know who are godly women. Does that mean I would be willing to marry any one of them? No. So lets get the vagueness out of the way and get started.

First the Physical component:

It’s not a big secret that men are visually driven. That’s just how we’re wired. Before you start thinking we’re shallow and only pursue “hot chicks,” there is an aspect of female physicality you may not know. Did you ever consider that how a girl looks physically could reveal something of her character? If a girl is in good shape, works out regularly, dresses modestly, doesn’t use too much make-up and still manages to look smokin,’ doesn’t that give insight into her character at least a little? I say yes. (Let me make it clear that I’m not saying every girl should look like Megan Fox but I’m simply saying its good to have a healthy life-style.)

It is true that God loves all His people and that everyone is “wonderfully and fearfully made.” There is a uniqueness of being created in the image of God. However, it is also our responsibility to be good stewards of what God has given us, including our bodies.

My wife is great at all the things mentioned above. I appreciate these things about her. It comes so naturally to her. And yes, she’s smokin’.

Second – Approachability:

Do you ever notice those women who give off that vibe that they could care less about you? They act like they’re an exclusive club and should have a red velvet rope around them? They don’t greet anyone but their friends and go out of their way NOT to acknowledge you. Yes, I like to call those types of girls bee-otch-es. I can’t stand that kind of arrogance. Can a girl be friendly, warming, and approachable without looking easy? I say yes.

Interestingly, some guys are attracted to the standoffish behavior because they think it’s a challenge. It’s a mountain to be climbed. Since I’m afraid of heights, I just stay away from mountains altogether.

Thirdly – Servanthood

My wife does an amazing job taking care of me by cooking dinner every night and making sure I have a lunch the next day. Of course I thank her by doing my share around the house (e.g., taking out the trash, making the bed, pretending to like the dog, etc.). She does this willingly and is joyful in doing it.

Fourth – Easy-going/Flexibility

When it comes to planning things we want to do, she’s rather easy-going about it. She could do whatever whenever. She’s not high maintenance and is extremely flexible. This does not come without its frustrations because sometimes neither one of us can make a decision. I will say, “What do you want to do honey?” She usually replies, “Whatever, dear.” This exchange repeats itself for about another twenty-seven times before I finally make a decision.

Finally - Complementary

My wife complements me well. I remember talking to my buddy Dom regarding how thankful we were for our wives. We both looked back at the girls we used to date or were interested in and praised the Lord it didn’t work out (I won’t get into details but God is truly merciful). She gives me another perspective on issues that I’m trying to think through. She’s very intelligent and offers sound reason from her side of the equation. She’s exactly what I need to become a better man, a man shaped more and more in the image of Christ through a personified picture of God’s grace towards me.

I know I could write tons more but that’s it in a nutshell. I hope that helps Kristi, and I’ll be praying for your Bible study to go well.

Think: Conference - Desiring God Ministries

This past weekend my father-in-law (aka The Big Boss Man) and my brother-in-laws, PJ and Jon, went to Minneapolis, Minnesota to attend Think: The Life of the Mind & the Love of God conference hosted by Desiring God ministries.

I wrote before that I was extremely blessed by the fact that they were even having this conference. The basic premise of the conference, as you could probably tell by the title, is fighting the anti-intellectualism within the church.

I prayed for my brothers and my father-in-law that the Lord would become more real to them this weekend. I hope the conference would fan a flame in them that they would bring back transformative truths to share with the rest of the body of Christ and build her up. This was my thinking throughout the weekend. Namely, praying for them and fighting jealously.

Of course I plan on buying the book of the conference and read what everyone had to say. I would encourage all of us to do the same. I can't begin to tell you how much John Piper's sermons, books, and ministry had impacted my life. I don't even know the man personally and he'll probably never know who I am. However, that doesn't change the fact that we worship the same Lord. There are countless times where I've heard a sermon by Piper where he's stirred my heart and helped realign my perspective towards eternal things and to live for what truly matters. Interestingly, my father-in-law brought back a book, which is a collection of essays written by Bruce Ware, C.J. Mahaney, Jon Bloom, Albert Mohler Jr, and Wayne Grudem to name a few. The book, titled "For the Fame of God's Name", is a tribute to John Piper and the impact he and his ministry has had on a global scale. It was a surprise to John Piper and my father-in-law described Piper being completely fronted and simply unable to talk when they presented it to him.

There is a note at the being of the book with the editors stating that they believe they could give tribute to a man while still giving all the glory to God and what the Lord has done through that man's life. I agree. I'm certainly glad these other godly scholarly men did it. And I'm certainly glad that I have family members that pursue God and have a hungry for His word and want to hear what gifted preachers have to say. I'm also thankful that now I have an earthly dad who would think of me and bring me back a book from the conference and share some of the things he's learned. I didn't even attend the conference but I'm still fired up!

Fighting anti-intellectualism within the church is a real issue. I felt like I had to fight that battle by myself for years. Apparently, I'm not the only one aware of the issue nor am I the only one fighting it. This has made me reflect more on my time at Biola University and the purpose God had for me going there. "Thinking is a dangerous thing . . . do this dangerous thing but do it well."