A Powerful Illustration

I found this post on a blog I follow called Take Your Vitamin Z and loved it so much that I had to post it on my own blog.  What a powerful illustration of what Christ has done for us!

From John Ortberg’s God Is Closer Than You Think:

Father Damien was a priest who became famous for his willingness to serve lepers. He moved to Kalawao – a village on the island of Molokai, in Hawaii, that had been quarantined to serve as a leper colony. For 16 years, he lived in their midst. He learned to speak their language. He bandaged their wounds, embraced the bodies no one else would touch, preached to hearts that would otherwise have been left alone. He organized schools, bands, and choirs. He built homes so that the lepers could have shelter. He built 2,000 coffins by hand so that, when they died, they could be buried with dignity. Slowly, it was said, Kalawao became a place to live rather than a place to die, for Father Damien offered hope.

Father Damien was not careful about keeping his distance. He did nothing to separate himself from his people. He dipped his fingers in the poi bowl along with the patients. He shared his pipe. He did not always wash his hands after bandaging open sores. He got close. For this, the people loved him.

Then one day he stood up and began his sermon with two words: “We lepers….”

Now he wasn’t just helping them. Now he was one of them. From this day forward, he wasn’t just on their island; he was in their skin. First he had chosen to live as they lived; now he would die as they died. Now they were in it together.

One day God came to Earth and began his message: “We lepers….” Now he wasn’t just helping us. Now he was one of us. Now he was in our skin. Now we were in it together.

Berlin

I am a little behind on my blog and slideshows as I have been out of town recently in Minnesota visiting my family.  So here I am taking a day to try and catch up on what I've been doing in the last few weeks.  In early November Matt and I took our first trip to the capital city of Berlin.  As I've said before  I really like visiting the country of Germany as it is a beautiful place with good food, friendly people, reasonable prices, and fascinating history.  During this trip we took a guided walking tour through Berlin, hitting all the major historical sites.  It was fascinating to see the remnants of the wall and hear about what it was like when it came down from our German guide who was there at the time.  I also really enjoyed seeing the Brandenberg Gate, the Reichstag, and hearing all the history having to do with the Nazis, Hitler, the Soviets, the Americans, the East and West division, how the wall came down, and the reunification after the wall came down.  My favorite site to visit in Berlin was Checkpoint Charlie which was the most famous crossing point between East Germany and West Germany during the Cold War.  I especially liked hearing the story about the standoff between the American and Soviet tanks.  You will see all these sites plus a whole lot of yummy German food on the slideshow.  Enjoy!

My Sisters

Here is a picture of me and my beloved sisters from my recent trip to Minnesota.

Collision

I just returned from Minnesota where I spent two weeks visiting my family. While there I picked up the dvd documentary "Collision" which I have been anxious to see. The documentary includes public debates, discussions, and interviews with Christian preacher and author Douglas Wilson and anti-theist author Christopher Hitchens. "Is Christianity Good for the World?" is the theme with the topics of truth, beauty, and goodness framing it. The documentary is very well done and quite interesting to watch, particularly the closing remarks made by Hitchens. I could go on and on about it but I will refrain so as not to spoil it for you. Here is a clip to whet your appetite!

COLLISION - 13 min VIMEO Exclusive Sneak Peek from Collision Movie on Vimeo.

Piper on Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ

But the most amazing thing about Colossians 1:24 is how Paul fills up Christ's afflictions. He says that it is his own sufferings that fill up Christ's afflictions. "I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,and in my flash I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions." That means then, that Paul exhibits the sufferings of Christ by suffering himself by those he is trying to win. In his sufferings they see Christ's sufferings.

Here is the astounding upshot: God intends for the afflictions of Christ to be presented to the world through the afflictions of his people. God really means for the body of Christ, the church, to experience some of the suffering he experienced so that when we proclaim the cross as the way to life, people will see the marks of the cross in us and feel the love of the cross from us. Our calling is to make the afflictions of Christ real for people by the afflictions we experience in bringing them the message of salvation.

This is why Paul spoke of his scars as the "marks of Jesus." In his wounds people could see Christ's wounds. "I bear on my body the marks of Jesus" (Galatians 6:17). The point of bearing the marks of Jesus is that Jesus might be seen and that his love might work powerfully in those who see.

- taken from the book "Filling Up on the Afflictions of Christ" by John Piper, a book about the cost of bringing the gospel to the nations in the lives of William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John Paton.

Sweet Hoedown!

Greetings from Minnesota! I am here visiting my family who live just outside of the Twin Cities. Last night my sister Jamie (who is possibly the only person in the world who loves music even more than me) took me to see the Zac Brown Band at the Northrop Auditorium on the University of Minnesota campus. I don't listen to a whole lot of country music but I do like the Zac Brown Band. I knew the concert would be good but it was even better than I expected. Zac Brown and the guys are extremely talented musicians and very good entertainers. My favorite part of the show was when the band broke in to "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." Man, they tore it up! Here is a clip of them playing it on the CMA Awards recently. Even my hubbie- who hates country music- would have enjoyed seeing this band perform! Thanks for taking me Jamie!

My Boys!

Luther's Wittenberg

Martin Luther is easily my favorite historical figure. I read Roland Bainton's most excellent book on Luther, "Here I Stand," shortly after moving to Europe and fell in love with him. My favorite part of the book was the chapter on Luther's marriage to the ex-nun Katarina Von Bora who Luther helped to escape from a convent by smuggling her and a dozen or so other nuns out in beer barrels. Only Luther! Anyway, I found cheap flights to Berlin recently and realized that Wittenberg was just a short train ride away so Matt and I went for one night. Wittenberg is a cute and cozy little medieval town full of Luther. We stayed in a hotel directly across the street from the Castle Church where Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door in 1517. Luther also preached here and is buried here. We also visit the Stadt Church where Luther preached his famous Lectern sermons and where he and Katarina got married. The University of Wittenberg where Luther was a professor is just on the way to the Lutherhaus Museum. The Lutherhaus was an Augustinian monastery where Luther lived with Katarina. They also housed students here and this is where the famous table talks took place after dinner in Luther's living room. All these places were very neat to see but my favorite part was just being in the town, walking down the main drag and thinking to myself this is where Luther walked, lived, preached, drank beer, and fought for the truth. This little town is where God chose to light the fire of the Reformation. Amazing.

On Luther's Trail

Off to Germany to see Martin Luther's Wittenberg!

Anselm on the Death of Christ

A friend of mine recently loaned me a small book titled, "A Cloud of Witnesses- Ten Great Christian Thinkers" by Alister McGrath. In this book McGrath authors a dozen or so chapters on ten Christian thinkers of the past, giving a bit of biography and then focusing on a major topic each particular thinker dealt with during his life time. Though it is quite a small book it says a lot and I am really enjoying it and encouraged by it. I wanted to share some quotes from the chapter on Anselm of Canterbury who really wrestled with the death of Christ, wondering why did God have to redeem us through the death of Christ on the cross- wasn't there another way that God could have done it? After wrangling over God's mercy and justice Anselm's understanding and argument for the death of Christ came down to this:

1. Humans beings have an obligation, but not an ability, to make the satisfaction required if God is to grant us eternal life.
2. God himself has no obligation to make this satisfaction; however, he has the ability to make this satisfaction.
3. Therefore, Anselm concludes, if God became man, the result would be a God-man who has both the obligation and the ability to restore the situation, and allow us to regain eternal life.

I really like the clarity of the way he explained it. Shortly there after McGrath goes on to say this:

"God doesn't just say something like, 'Never mind- we'll pretend that sin never happened.' Even we would find that a shockingly superficial attitude.No- God deals with sin at its root, insisting that it is taken seriously,and really forgiven. And for those of us who know how real sin can be, it is vital that we know that our real sins are really forgiven. We need to know that our sins really have been cancelled and forgiven so that we can rest secure with the God who loves us. Forgiveness is shown to be a very costly matter. But the cost of our redemption also reminds us of how precious we are to God. We must mean something to God, if he goes to such lengths to forgive us, and restore us to fellowship with him."

Wow, what an utterly amazing and marvelous God we have!

Walking the Bible with Feiler

I came across this book just before I went to Egypt and Jordan this fall. I had hoped to finish it before my trip but only got about 1/3 of the way through it before I went. Finishing up the two thirds that was left after my trip proved to be better I think. The book and the author are very liberal but having just come from most of the places the author visits in this book made the book a very enjoyable read for me. I guess I was able to chew the meat while spitting out the bones more easily because I was still on a high from my trip. I enjoy reading travel literature- particularly from Israel and the middle east. This is the first book I have read on this subject from the perspective of a Jewish man and I found it very interesting in spite of the fact that he is so liberal when it comes to the veracity of the Bible (as are all the scholars and people he interviews along the way). I was excited for a while as his faith seems to be growing as you go through the book. However, by the end he is just as unbelieving as he was to begin with (though he doesn't see it this way) and so this was very disappointing. Another sad thing is the amount of people he talks to throughout his trip who seem to believe that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all worship the same God. This is in no way, shape, or form true in the least bit. Anyway, this being said there are some very insightful and interesting passages and experiences in the book. If you long to visit the lands of the Bible but cannot this is a good book to check out. If you are interested in what people in the middle east are like and how they view the bible this is a good book to check out. If you are interested in biblical archaeology and history you'll find a lot to chew on in this book- you'll just have to read it with discernment and with a healthy grain of salt!

Here is a passage from the book that I liked:

"... I returned to the essential triad at the heart of the Bible: the people, the land, and God. I had gone to the land, I had encountered a spirit, and in so doing I had become more human. That equation drew me back to one of the defining moments of the Pentateuch, Jacob's wrestling with the messenger of God in the valley of Jabbok, just north of Nebo. At first Jacob doesn't know who the messenger is. They wrestle, they struggle, one seems to be winning, then the other, until finally Jacob is scarred. The scar, significantly, does not end up on Jacob's hand, nor on his head, his heart, or his eyes. Humans experience God, the text seems to be saying, not by touching him, imagining him, feeling him, or seeing him. Jacob is scarred on his leg, for the essential way humans experience God, the text suggests, is by walking with him."

Jordan

Here are some photos from the second half of our recent trip to the middle east.

Quick Update

A quick note to my readers-

Last week our computer suddenly died the blue screen of death. We have ordered a new one and once it arrives I will continue with my full debrief of our Egypt and Jordan trip and will also post my Jordan slideshow with many more interesting phots for you to see. Sorry for the delay. Stay tuned!

Egypt!

A full report of our trip soon to follow- stay tuned!

Why I Love Mark Driscoll

Amen, Brother!

Back from the Desert

I have just returned from Tucson where I spent a little over a week working on our new house. I was able to move our storage, make some repairs, do some yard work, and even do a little research on possible future house investments such as saltillo tile, polished concrete flooring, skylights, paint, and adobe brick sealing. While doing all of this I was able to spend a lot of time at the house which I warmly refer to as "my adobe." This is the first time I have seen the house since we bought it in June and I now have renters in it. I have to admit it was kind of weird walking into our house and seeing it full of someone else's stuff. It strikes me as funny that this should be weird to me since we have never lived there nor have we had our stuff in it. Anyway, our renters are good friends of ours and they really like the house so I am glad to have them in it. They had a small list of minor repairs for me which Sandi helped me with and then my renter Steve was good enough to help me remove some dead cactus from the yard. Have you ever had to deal with moving cactus? DANGER BATMAN! All in all it was good and productive trip. I especially enjoyed partaking in a cold beer on my porch after a long, hard, hot days work. Here is the view from my porch.

Heading Home, Again

In just 2 days from now I will be boarding a plane to Tucson- YIPPEE!!!

Matt decided (with a little help from me) that it would be a good idea for me to go home and move all of our stuff out of storage into the new house so that we don't have to keep paying for storage. So starting Tuesday I will go on a mad moving fest, and in my own car- the Element- which I haven't driven in two years. I will also have some work done on the house and do some window shopping in order to price some things out for when we return and start the massive remodel. Along with all of this I will also be hanging out with friends, family, and filling up on Mexican food to my hearts content. Oh, the excitement of it all!

Preaching in a Graveyard

"Regeneration is the act of the Holy Spirit by which he brings a man from the state of spiritual death to spiritual life. It is, in effect, spiritual "resurrection." In the act of regeneration, the Holy Spirit changes the disposition of the soul and renews the will. The new life given in regeneration immediately manifests itself in faith and repentance. Regeneration, is therefore, not the result of faith, as Arminians and others assert. Rather, faith is the result of regeneration. The state of the sinner is analogous to the state of Lazarus in the tomb (John 11:1-44). Like the unbeliever, Lazarus was dead, unable to do anything to change his condition. Jesus commands this corpse to come out of the tomb (in one brief statement, He destroys the claim of those who say that if God commands something we must have the natural ability to do it).

The command Jesus gives to Lazarus is analogous to the external call made to all unbelievers. Like Ezekiel preaching to the valley of dry bones (37:1-14), the external call is made to the spiritually dead. Those who proclaim the gospel preach in a graveyard. Lazarus cannot obey Christ's command until he is given new life, and this is something only God can do. When Lazarus is given new life, he immediately responds and exits the tomb. In the same way, the spiritually dead sinner cannot respond to the gospel until he is given new life through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Once he is regenerated, however, he immediately responds, placing his faith in Jesus. He is then justified by God." -Keith A. Mathison

I am quite familiar with the Biblical teachings on regeneration and transforming grace wrought entirley by the Holy Spirit and have read much in the area. However, when I came across these particular lines from Keith A. Mathison in the Calvin book I am reading I was really struck but the statement he makes; "Those who proclaim the gospel preach in a graveyard." I think Mathison hit the nail on the head perfectly with this description. In the pursuit of being biblically faithful Christians we would do well to remember this in our evangelistic efforts, in our realtionships with unbelievers, and especially in our prayer lives!

Calvin on Faith and Assurance

I came across some good Calvin quotes regarding faith and assurance in the book John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine and Doxology which I am currently finishing up.

"Faith then is not a naked knowledge either of God or of his truth; nor is it a simple persuasion that God is, that his word is the truth; but a sure knowledge of God's mercy, which is received from the gospel, and brings peace of conscience with regard to God, and rest to the mind."

and

"According to Calvin, faith is assurance. One does not look to Christ for justification and to oneself for assurance of being jusitifed."

U2 Live in Dublin

One thing I had hoped to do before we leave Dublin was to see U2 in concert here. Last weekend that desire was fulfilled at Croke Park. Our friend David gotus tickets and the three of us went to the concert together last Friday night. I have been listening to U2 since I was about 12 years old. They must be the biggest rock band in the world and for a good reason- they are very talented musicians and excellent entertainers. I have been to a good number of conerts but I will have to say the most exciting concert moment I have ever experienced was when the members of U2 walked out onto the stage. The place lit up with excitement. The atmosphere throughout the whole show was electric. They started out the concert with a few of their top new songs off their new album and then spent the rest of the show playing many of their best loved hits. They even played my favorite U2 song "Bad." Something a little different that I haven't seen before at any concert is flags. Many people in the crowd had Irish flags and it was quite moving to see the Irish flags being held up while U2 sang "Bloody Sunday." Seeing U2 in any city would be a real treat but seeing them in Dublin was pricelss. Bono is a frickin legend!

Enjoy a few pics from the show shown above with the best song off their new album called "Magnificent."

Goodbye, Baby

Sad news in the Likes family. Yesterday our family horse had to be put down. He was 33 years old. My mom has had him for the last 27 years. I grew up riding horses and taking lessons but did not ride him until I had been riding for about 7 years. The reason for this was because he was a whole lot of horse to handle. Even into old age he was quite a power house and full of spirit. He was also a talented horse who rode in parades and in shows doing English pleasure, jumping, and my personal favorite- dressage. I even got to learn a little dressage on him before I stopped riding. I don't know if God takes our pets into heaven but I hope he does and I hope that Baby is now grazing into the big pasture in the sky and getting lots of carrots and sugar cubes!

Baby

1976-2009

R.I.P.

Sugar Loaf

A few weeks ago my Welsh friend Catrin asked me if I wanted to hike up Sugar Loaf with her and her boyfriend's mom. I am not much of a hiker but I figured I would go just to spend time with the crazy Welshcake. Sugar Loaf is not huge and is more of a large hill than a mountain but the hike was challenging and the resulting view was amazing! Here are some pics...

Celebrating Our New House

At the end of May Matt and I traveled home to Arizona in hopes of buying a house. I got to go for four whole weeks and Matt came for two. I went a week ahead of him to start the house shopping process with our favorite realtor, Matt's dad. We saw many nice houses and put offers in on a few but finally decided on one that I saw the very first day. It was one that Matt's dad found. He suggested we look at even though I was convinced it was out of our price range. When I first saw it I thought Matt would like it even though the house was outdated and needed a lot of love. I didn't think it was a big deal that is was stuck in the 70's because Matt and I did some work to our first house and really enjoyed it. So we put an offer in on it and after a little wheelin' and dealin' by our talented realtor we got it for a good price. As of today the house is officially ours and we just finished up a bottle of champagne in celebration. Here are some pictures to give you an idea of the house. Its a 3 bedroom burnt adobe house with great mountain views and in a fantastic area of town. We have been having tons of fun over the last month planning all the things we want to do it when we move back to Arizona someday. Thanks and praise be to God who is the giver of all good things!

Dublin's Own, The Fighting

Last Friday night Matt and I headed into the city center to support a friend of ours whose band just released their first EP. The band is called The Fighting and we know the front man, Len and the lead guitar player, Chris. Both of these guys go to my church. In addition to this Len also just happens to be the beau of my good friend, Catrin the Welshie.

We saw Len play one time before this at house gig where it was just him and his acoustic guitar. This gig at the pub was much different as it was the full band and they rocked the hizzy fo shizzy! During the concert Len even gave a shout out to Matt for his recent birthday. It was really fun to see a band we actually know. They are really talented and have some great songs. To hear some good ol' Dublin rock n' roll check out their myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/thefighting. You can also go to itunes and purchase their new EP. Enjoy!

Vienna

After spending a few days in Prague with Jamie and Steven the four of us hopped a train to Austria's capital city of Vienna. Vienna is a beautiful city but sadly much more modern than I expected it to be. The experience of this city can be summed up in a few words: Mozart, music, Opera, Lipizzaner's, and Habsurgs. While here we walked around the city center via the Ringstrasse, toured the Hofburg and Schonbrunn Palaces, saw some great live outdoor music concerts, saw the Lipizzaner stables, and enjoyed many a brat and wienerschnitzel. This was all good fun but the highlight of Vienna has to be the Opera! Though I am not an opera fan my Rick Steve's guide said standing room tickets for 3 euro were available at each show for the person who wants to see what the Opera is like. I figured when in Vienna one must go to the Opera. So we dropped in on "Tosca." We stood at the very top but we could see the stage and to my surprise there were little screens above our heads which displayed the words in English which the singers were singing. Seeing the Opera live and being able to understand it was a really cool experience. We could have stayed the whole time but our feet and backs were so sore and tired that we stayed only stayed for one act- about 50 minutes. The Opera was by far my favorite experience in Vienna and is worth a try for even the most skeptical. I would have loved to see the Lipizzaners as well but they were not performing or practicing during our lightening trip to Vienna- bummer!

Prague

In April my oldest sister Jamie and her husband Steven came to visit us. This was their first trip out of the US. While they were here the four of us went to Prague and Vienna. While in Prague we visited the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, the Jewish Quarter, the main square with the Astronomical Clock and Cathedrals, and the Bethlehem Chapel which was the church of the great Reformer, John Hus. Prague is a beautiful city as you will see in the pictures. It was also a fun place to eat as we enjoyed lots of goulash, dumplings, and Czech beer.

2009 Ligonier Conference Pics

In March I attended my 6th annual Ligonier Ministries National conference in Orlando, Florida with my mom, my two sisters, my mother-in-law, my friend Cbass, and a new addition who is a friend of my sister's, Donna. This conference is always one of the major highlights of my year. I love the Bible teaching, the speakers and their banter, the beautiful music of the Westminster Brass, the bookstore, and of course sharing all of this with my family and friends. After the conference each night we go out to eat at our favorite restaurants and when the conference is over we relax by the pool, shop, and eat more. It is always a good time. This year's conference was extended a bit in order to celebrate the 500th anniversary of John Calvin. The pre-conference, on Calvin, started earlier in the day so we had a few more lectures to take in than usual. The actual conference, on the Holiness of God, also went a little longer than usual. It was great to have all the speakers and to hear all their awesome teaching but I have to admit my brain gave out well before it was over. I listened to all the speakers but suffice it to say I am glad I have the mp3s so I can listen again!

This years speakers were:

• 
  
  Al Moler
• 
  
  Ligon Duncan
• 
  
  Sincalir Ferguson
• 
  
  Steven J. Lawson
• 
  
  R.C. Sproul Jr.
• 
  
  Derek Thomas
• 
  
  Alistar Beg
• 
  
  D.A. Carson
• 
  
  Thabiti Anyabwile
• 
  
  Robert Godfrey
• 
  
  R.C. Sproul

R.C. junior and senior are always among my favorite speakers at the Ligonier conferences as well as Sinclair Ferguson. This year I was surprised to be blown away by the first sermon of Steven J. Lawson on the legacy of Calvin. This lecture was so awesome the audience gave him a standing ovation. It was my favorite lecture of the conference. If I can find a way I will post it for your listening pleasure!

Bruges, Belgium

Not too long ago Matt and I went to Belgium for the weekend. We visited Bruges and Brussels. Bruges was a pretty cool city and we had quite a fun day there. We started out by walking to the edge of town to see the old windmills. Then we toured Choco Story which is museum on the history of chocolate. The museum was very interesting and ended with a chocolate making demo and tasting. After that we walked through the city square where we had some frites under the famous bell tower. Then we walked around a little more and had a Belgian waffle. After this we we toured the Blue Moon Brewery which was very entertaining. The tour guide ripped on German beer makers the entire time claiming that Belgian beer is superior. At the end of the tour we were given a Belgian beer to try. To be honest I am not a big fan of Belgian or German beers. After this we headed over to the The Flemish Pot where we had Flemish food for lunch. I had a pancake (which was really a crepe) with a huge hunk of goat cheese wrapped in bacon with apple. It was very tasty but so rich I could not finish it. Matt had Flemish beef stew which came out in a little black pot. He was given a large bowl which the waiter filled with frites and covered with the stew. Matt's dish was also very rich. After lunch we took a boat ride around the canals where we saw many beautiful views of Bruges. Then we headed over to the Famous Chocolate shop, The Chocolate Line, where we tried Cuban Cigar flavored chocolate and peanut butter chocolate. We then stumbled across a cigar bar where we settled down for a while so Matt could have a cigar and I could have a hot chocolate. The hot chocolate came with a side of amaretto and we were also given a cup of mussels already out of their shells- I can't believe people eat these! We wrapped up our day by visiting another famous chocolate shop, Dumon, where we tried more tasty Belgian chocolate. Bruges is a fun place to visit and is worth one full day of sightseeing. It is a beautiful city full of stepped-top buildings, horses clip-clopping down the cobbled streets, and some of the world's finest chocolate. Enjoy the show!

My Jane Austen Day Out

I spent this past Saturday with two of my girl friends- my Welsh friend Catrin and my friend Honor who is from Northern Ireland. Honor lives up in the beautiful seaside town of Malahide and invited us up for the day. She packed a nice picnic lunch for us which we ate while overlooking the Irish sea. Then we took a short car ride further up the coast to another seaside town called Rush where we took a long walk on the beach. The day was perfectly sunny. After the beach we stopped for tea at an Irish lady's house from our church. She showed us her garden of sunflowers which she protects from the snails by putting diced onion all around them. After this we headed back to Honor's house where we unwound with a nice dinner. It was a great day and I am so greatful God has brough these two women into my life who love the Lord and who are so fun to be with. Here are few pictures from the day. The little bundle of joy with the "ginger" hair in the buggy is Honor's son Caleb.

Crepe Night

My recent move has brought me closer to one of my friends here in Dublin who is now just a five minute walk from my flat. Her name is Sandra and she is from France. She has been working with the Christian ministry IFES along with my Welsh friend Catrin for the last year in Dublin. Last Friday night she had me over for a crepe night. How could I resist crepes made by a French woman?! The crepes were delicious and it was fun watching her flip them in the air! I was also able to spend some time with her two Irish roommates who were there, Nicola and Edwina. I really enjoyed them and hope to have finally made some Irish friends. Here are some pics from the crepe extravaganza- in top left: Nicola, Sandra, me, Edwina, & Catrin.

Everything is Mortal but...

I picked up a book a few months back while in Manchester called "The Uniqueness of Israel" by Lance Lambert. I am not familiar with Lambert but I always find anything about Israel fascinating so I got the book. It has been a very interesting read so far. It is split up into four parts- the uniqueness of the land, the uniqueness of the nation, the uniqueness of the city (Jerusalem), and the uniqueness of the Messiah. I have especially like the chapter called "All things are mortal but the Jew." This chapter details how God has preserved the Jewish people throughout all of history. There are two great quotes in this chapter I want to share. The first is from Mark Twain in 1899:

"If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly the Jew ought hardly to be heard of; but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people. and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also way out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?"

The second is from Leo Tolstoy around the same time as he wrote on "What is a Jew?":

"The question is not at all so odd as it seems. Let us see what peculiar kind of creature the Jew is, which all the rulers and all the nations, have together and separately abused and molested, oppressed and persecuted, trampled and butchered, burned and hanged, and, in spite of all this, is yet alive... the Jew is the emblem of eternity. He whom neither slaughter or torture of himself for years could destroy; he whom neither fire nor sword, nor inquisition was able to wipe from off the face of the earth; he who was the first to produce the oracles of God; he who has been for so long a time the guardian of prophecy, and who has transmitted it to the rest of the world- such a nation cannot be destroyed. The Jew is as everlasting as eternity itself."

Florence, Italy

From Venice we hopped a train to Florence which is just over 2 hours away. After seeing Venice Florence was not nearly as impressive but still a cool place to visit. To think of all the history that has happened there (birthplace of the Renaissance) and all the famous people (Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dante, Galileo- to name just a few) who are from Florence or have spent significant time there is mind boggling! While in Florence we visited a few art museums where we saw a ton of Renaissance art, ate lots of delicious Italian food, saw the Duomo, walked across the Old Bridge, shopped in the Silk and Straw Market, visited the Science museum which holds remnants of Galileo's instruments and his finger, and saw the famous marble statue David at the Academia museum. David is by far the most impressive piece of art I have ever seen. I would say it is worth going to Florence just to see him! I didn't know where in the museum he would be and when I rounded the corner and found myself looking at him I was stunned! Stunned by his sheer size and beauty. As I stood below him I could not believe the great detail- the veins in his arms and the look on his face! Wow, what can I say but glory to God that he would create man with such skills as Michelangelo had! I enjoyed Florence though it was not as beautiful as Venice. I think it is safe to say Italy is my favorite country in Europe to visit.

Venice

Have you ever been to Venice? I didn't expect it to be so beautiful. We arrived at night and took the bus as far as we could. Upon first site of the canal- even in the dark- I was already sold. We hopped a waterbus and headed down the Grand Canal to Venice's famous Rialto Bridge where we got off. Seeing the palaces along the way was breathtaking. Venice is almost hard to commprehend at first- a city with no streets, only canals and boats, and all these big beautiful buildings sitting on top of the canals. If only they lit them up in the dark! Once off the water bus we disappeared into a maze of medieval streets. I have never been in a city so hard to navigate! I was so thankful to have Matt there or else I would have been lost the entire time. Because we got such cheap airfare we treated ourselves to a nice hotel. We stayed 2 nights and wandered around the narrow winding streets during the day, eating delicious Italian food, enjoying the sites of St. Mark's square, sitting in on a Vivladi concert in a church, and seeing all the Carnival masks and costumes while imagining what it would be like to be there during Carnival which was just a week away. If you ever have the opportunity to go to Venice don't pass it up. It is sure to be one of the most beautiful cities you will ever see.

Preparing for the Conference

These past few weeks I have been reading particular books in order to prepare myself for the Ligonier Ministries Conference which is next week. This year the theme of the main session is the holiness of God and the preconference is on John Calvin. In my preparation I recently read Sproul's book "The Holiness of God." Have you read it? It is a classic and well worth a read. Sproul is very gifted at taking ideas that are huge (like the holiness of God) or hard to understand (like predesitnation) and making them understandable and a joy to read about. He is a very intelligent man and clear communicator. If you have not read this book I highly recommend it. The other book I am just finishing up with is a short book on Calvin called "Calvin for Armchair Theologians" by Christopher Elwood. This book gives a great overview on the life and theology of John Calvin. I've really enjoyed reading the overview of his theology as it rings so true to the Bible. The bulk of the book is on his theology and is written in a clear and engaging way. Here is a short snippet from the book which I liked where the author is addressing Calvin's theology regarding order in the church:

"That is the basic aim of discipline, in Calvin's view: to hold together and strengthen the church as the body of Christ, a community that witnesses to and lives out Christ's love. So, for Calvin, discipline is not, as with the Donatists and Anabaptists, a means of creating a church of the pure. Calvin's church is a church of sinners, but it is a place where sin is being overcome through the peaching of the gospel. In his view, then, the ancient creeds that call the church "holy" are not incorrect. But instead of thinking of this holiness as an already accomplished fact, we ought to recognize it as the goal that God ultimately will achieve."

The Conference Draws Nigh

Its that time of year again- time for the Ligonier Ministries National Conference in Orlando, Florida. YIPPEE!! This conference is one of the major highlights of my year. I first went with my mom and sister, Regan back in 2003. God has been so good to let us attend each year ever since and has added to our group yet again. This time it will be my mom, my sisters, my mother-in-law, and two friends. This year the conference is lengthened in order to celebrate the 500th anniversary of John Calvin. And on top of that there will also be over twice as many speakers to bless our ears. Here is this years awesome lineup:

MINI-CONFERENCE: John Calvin (1509–2009) — Celebrating a Legacy
In 2009, we celebrate the 500th birthday of John Calvin. It is only appropriate at this time to reflect on his legacy. In the mini-conference, four participants will discuss Calvin’s impact in several aspects of the church’s life and thought. There will be four lectures followed by a Question & Answer time:
1. R. Albert Mohler – John Calvin: Preacher and Teacher
John Calvin was one of the most important figures in the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. Today, five hundred years after his birth, his influence continues to be felt. In this message, Dr. Mohler will reflect on the life and work of Calvin, focusing in particular on his role as a preacher and teacher of the Word.
2. Ligon Duncan – Calvin and the Christian Life
John Calvin is sometimes perceived as a dry and dusty academic whose writings deal only with abstract theological topics. To read Calvin, however, is to read one who was devoted to seeing God’s Word impact the lives of Christian people everywhere. In this message, Ligon Duncan will explore some of Calvin’s most practical wisdom for those who seek to follow Christ.
3. Sinclair Ferguson – The Doctrines of Grace
Much of the significance of the Protestant Reformers such as John Calvin is found in their rediscovery of the biblical doctrines of grace. After having been buried for centuries under unbiblical doctrines and traditions, their rediscovery and proclamation turned Europe upside down. In this message, Dr. Ferguson will look at Calvin’s formulation of these crucial doctrines and explain why they are no less significant today.
4. Steven J. Lawson – The Legacy of John Calvin
The modern history of the church and of the world would be entirely different without John Calvin. The influence of his thought has been felt not only in the teaching and worship of the church, but also within politics, economics, and the wider culture. In this message, Dr. Lawson will look at the legacy of Calvin, explaining what we can learn from him today.
Questions and Answers
Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Ligon Duncan, Dr. Steven Lawson, Dr. Al Mohler
MAIN SESSIONS: The Holiness of God
The angels declare that God is “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Without a proper grasp of God’s holiness we do not understand who He truly is, nor do we understand who we truly are. Once we begin to grasp the true meaning of God’s holiness, our lives and our worship will be forever changed. In this conference, prominent Reformed Christian teachers will expound and reflect upon what the Bible says about God’s holiness and ours. The main sessions will consist of eleven lectures:
1. R.C. Sproul – I Am the Lord, There is No Other
Before he discovered the Gospel, contemplation of God’s holiness and his own sinfulness drove Martin Luther to despair. What did he grasp about holiness that most of us do not? In this lecture, Dr. Sproul will introduce the topic of the conference by explaining the meaning of the biblical concept of holiness.
2. R.C. Sproul, Jr. – Train Up Your Children: Family Worship of the Holy God
The worship of our sovereign God is not to be relegated to a mere hour or two each Sunday. Instead, our worship of Him should pervade every aspect of our lives. In this lecture, Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. will exhort believers to worship God as a family, providing encouragement and practical instruction.
3. Sinclair Ferguson – Hallowed Be Your Name: The Holiness of the Father
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructed His disciples to acknowledge the Father’s holiness and to adore Him in their every prayer. He is the one whom the seraphim adore, singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!” In this lecture, Dr. Ferguson will explore what the Bible teaches us concerning the holiness of our Father in heaven.
4. Steven J. Lawson – The Holy One of God: The Holiness of Jesus
The disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ referred to Him as “the Holy One of God.” In doing so, they said something not only about His character, but also about His relationship to the Father. In this lecture, Dr. Lawson will look at what the Bible teaches us about the purity and sinlessness of Christ.
5. Alistair Begg – The Breath of the Almighty: The Holy Spirit
The third person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit, the one whom Job refers to as “the breath of the Almighty.” His work includes conforming believers to the holy image of Christ. In this lecture, Dr. Begg will look at the person and work of the one person of the Trinity whose very name includes the adjective “holy.”
Questions & Answers
Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Steven Lawson, Dr. Alistair Begg, Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. Moderated by R.C. Sproul
6. Thabiti Anyabwile – Cosmic Treason: Sin and the Holiness of God
The sinfulness of sin is not grasped in our day because the holiness of God is not grasped. Sin will only be understood for what it is when God is understood for who He is. In this lecture, Rev. Anyabwile will explain the true sinfulness of sin in the light of the holy and pure character of God.
7. D. A. Carson – A Holy Nation: The Church’s High Calling
The history of redemption reveals God calling a people out of the world to be a holy people. In this lecture, Dr. Carson will examine why God has called His people in both the old and new covenants to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, and he will explain what this means for us as believers today.
8. Robert Godfrey – Wounded for Our Transgressions: The Holiness of God and the Cross
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This is the universal problem faced by all men, a problem requiring a solution man cannot provide. In this lecture, Dr. Godfrey will examine why the holiness of God required an atonement for sin and how Jesus fulfilled that requirement for us.
9. Derek Thomas – Be Ye Holy: The Necessity of Sanctification
According to Scripture, we are justified by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Yet our Lord calls those who have been so justified to a life of holiness. In this lecture, Dr. Thomas will explain the importance and necessity of individual sanctification as well as the means God has provided for it.
Questions & Answers
Dr. Donald Carson, Dr. Derek Thomas, Dr. Robert Godfrey, Rev. Thabiti Anyabwile Moderated by Dr. R.C. Sproul
10. R.C. Sproul – A Consuming Fire: Holiness, Wrath, and Justice
There have always been those who have argued that a truly holy God could not or would not consign anyone to eternal punishment. Such, they say, is inconsistent with God’s love. In this lecture, Dr. Sproul will explain why the holiness of God is not inconsistent with eternal punishment of sin, but in fact requires it.

I CAN'T WAIT TO GO AND HEAR!!!

Tucson Surprise Visit

Wow, I am way behind in my blogging, in fact I am three trips behind! I have been very busy these past weeks traveling, having visitors, and finding a new flat. In January Matt and I made a surprise visit to Tucson for my best friend Yunuen's 30th birthday party. It was really a last minute thing. I told myself (and many others) that I would not go back to Tucson until I moved back but upon finding cheap airfare for the day of the birthday party I could not resist! We landed in Tucson the night of the party, jumped in our rental car, and headed over to the Jankowski's who live only 5 minutes from the airport. I covered myself in bows and we rang the doorbell. Ryan opened the door and was clearly shocked and confused upon seeing us. He uttered in a most confused tone,"what the hell?" We asked for Yunuen. He closed the door and went and got her. She opened the door and was quite surprised and happy to us- as were a number of other friends from church who were at the party. It was one hug after another for a long time. By the time we arrived we had been awake 24 hours. But my excitement kept me going. We stayed awake for another 5 hours and then crashed for 3 and half hours. At 5:30 I was wide awake and ready to take on Tucson! We were out the door and at Bruegger's in no time. After this we took a little detour through the U of A to kill some time before heading up to Sandi's house. I was in my swimsuit and we were riding with the top down on our rental car. The sun was shining and the desert, mountains, and cactus were as beautiful as ever! We arrived at Sandi's house and knocked on the door. She opened the door and looked at us, and looked at us. Then she turned around and went and sat down on the couch, never saying a word. Jessica was there also and was quite surprised and so was Michael when he came walking into the living room and saw us.

Surprises are PRICELESS!

Here are some pictures from the 5 days we spent in Tucson. We had such a great time with everyone!! It was perfect. Seeing our friends and family had never been sweeter and the desert had never been more beautiful. I cannot tell you how difficult it was for me to leave...

And here is one more slideshow just for fun showing you a little more of what Tucson looks like and the fun we had while we were there.

Mexico!

It has been a while since my last blog entry and for a good reason. At the last minute I found cheap airline tickets to go home for a whirlwind visit to Tucson for my best friend Yunuen's 30th birthday party. I could barely keep this exciting news to myself and I could barely sleep the week leading up to our departure. What a perfectly wonderful time we had in Tucson! This will be the first of two slide shows detailing our trip to the desert. While there I had the pleasure of going down into Mexico for the afternoon with my personal guide and Mexican native, Yunuen. We headed down I19 toward Nogales. Just out of Tucson we stopped off at San Xavier Mission. If you live in Tucson and have not been here yet- GO! It is such a beautiful place. It is the quintessential Mexican mission. Once back on the road Yunuen gave me some Mexican history lessons. We then stopped in Nogales to see her madre and then hopped back in the car headed south for Magdalena. The scenery just gets more and more beautiful as you go down further into desert and mountains. Once in Magdelena we went straight to the Mission where we visited the carcass of Padre Kino, an Italian Jesuit missionary, who was responsible for establishing a large number of missions in southern Arizona and Northern Mexico between 1687-1711. He also discovered that Baja California was a peninsula rather than an island. We then toured the mission, drove around town, bought homemade tortillas, and then went and ate DELICIOUS Mexican food. On the way home God gave us a beautiful sunset. We had a great day. Thanks mi amiga!!!

Minnesota Trip

My husband is the best as he let me go home in early December for almost three weeks to see my family and celebrate Christmas with them. I have not celebrated Christmas with them for 10 years as I always had to work or was at least on call for work. Matt went back with me for the first week I was there. We went up to my Mom's house in northwestern Wisconsin the first weekend there to celebrate Christmas. Many of us were praying for snow but it was looking doubtful. The Sunday we celebrated on God dropped a good amount of snow on us and even gave a few more snowstorms while I was there. It was great fun as I had not seen real snow for a long time. Sharing Christmas with my family was fun and we got to enjoy all my mom's good cooking. Matt couldn't believe there was no rush to open presents as we just took it easy all morning, coloring with the kids, playing games, and grazing. After presents and h'orderves we went outside to enjoy the falling snow. Then we had our grand turkey dinner with all the fixings- stuffing, cranberries, my mom's magically silky mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, popovers and EGGNOG! We played games all night- including a game I learned over here in Dublin called "Empire" which my family loved and a game my sister Regan knew called "Telephone Pictionary which was a RIOT!

After Christmas we returned to Minnesota where my sister Regan lives. I usually spend most of my time at her house when I visit do to the fact that this is where my nephews and niece live and Regan is a stay at home mom so I am not left stranded. While I remained I did much shopping, went out to eat at all my favorite restaurants, and saw most of my extended family and a few friends from high school. It was great to see everyone and to go to my dad's side of the family Christmas party in Hastings which I haven't been to in years. Eating my Aunt Mary's delicious sloppy joes brought back memories of when I used to go as a child. It was just like the old days only now the children sitting on Santa's lap receiving presents were my sister's and all my cousin's kids instead of us- wild! I of course missed my dad being there and looked for him in my relatives- parts of him I found. It was great to see my aunts and uncles and my cousins all grown up and married with kids of their own. Its so fun to see where you come from. My dad's side of the family and is large and loud and lots of fun. Most of this side of the family believes our ancestry is English- although I had one uncle tell me he went to Ellis Island and looked up our last name on the wall and found out we were from Greece! My mom's side of the family (mostly German) is much smaller but also friendly and my Grandma on this side- what a spitfire!

This was one of the best trips to Minnesota I have had. With each year that comes we seem to get along better by the grace of God. Thanks again for letting me go, honey!