day no. 16,230: we hide ourselves in Him, not from our foes

Psalm 144:1-2

Blessed be the LORD, my rock,

who trains my hands for war,

and my fingers for battle; 

he is my steadfast love and my fortress,

my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield and he in whom I take refuge,

who subdues peoples under me.

God trains us for war by being our rock. He gives us solid stone on which to build, in which to anchor, from which to launch, for which to fight.

God gives us principles by which to battle. He trains our hands for war and our fingers for battle by giving us the grammar of life. He helps us to remember by rote what He and the world He made is like. He disciplines our dexterity by His drills. He runs us through the ringer and we come through it the richer.

We fight from victory, not for it.

We fight from love, not in order to be loved. 

We risk it all because we're safe, not in order to secure safety for ourselves. We hide ourselves in Him not from our foes. We obey His marching orders and watch the nations submit themselves to Him.

Just as Jesus conquered us, He now commands us to conquer the world.

What He has done in, for, and to us, He will do to others through our obedience to Him.

Let us, therefore, go forth to battle for King and kingdom come.

day no. 16,229: abiding my time

John 15:7-8

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 

Christians are not saved in order to bide their time waiting for real life to begin in eternity. No, we are to abide here and now in the time that they still have. Eternal life is not on hold. It is found in Christ in this very moment. Abiding is not doing nothing. A white picket fence left to the elements will not remain a white picket fence for very long. If it is to abide, it must often be renewed. It must have new coats of the old white applied in order to stay what it was and become what it was meant to be.

Abiding is holding a consistent course. Christianity is not a set it and forget it kind of life. You cannot follow Christ by staying put. In fact, that is a surefire way to unfollow Him.  Perseverance is daily faith over time and abiding is not remaining still, but remaining in step with the lively steps of the living God. So, we must be about abiding our time, not merely biding it. Life is not simply something we wait for, but something we wait upon. We serve the Life by living and dying for Him daily. And we are kept, not by our abiding, but by His. We keep up, because He keeps us. We hold on because we are held.

Philippians 3:12-14

I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;

The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.

When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;

Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see;

O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word,

But as Thou dwell'st with Thy disciples, Lord,

Familiar, condescending, patient, free.

Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Come not in terror, as the King of kings,

But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings;

Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea.

Come, Friend of sinners, thus abide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile,

And though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,

Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee.

On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.

What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?

Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?

Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.

Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;

Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.

Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;

In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me

- Henry Francis Lyte (1847)

day no. 16,228: in favor of being more against

John 15:18

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

Athanasius was a man who wouldn’t back down. He was falsely accused. He was exiled five times. His church was attacked. He was called to stand alone before emperors. On one such occasion the emperor said to him, “The world is against you Athanasius!”  as if to say, "Why don’t you just give up? Everyone is against you."

Athanasius boldly replied, “Well then, Athanasius is against the world.”

Athanasius contra mundum.

He did not set out to oppose the entire world. He set himself to follow Christ. His goal was not to be on an island, but to be in God's presence. If that commitment to Christ required him to be left alone, then so be it. If his desire for oneness with Christ led him to be separated from everyone else, so be it. He did not begin with being alone as his goal. His goal was God. He did not begin with being at war with the world and the church as his aim. The fight in him was for the faith and whoever would come against it. You cannot love something without wanting to fight for it. You cannot commit to something without wanting to declare it. He bound himself to Christ which meant he was free to be at odds with the world if they insisted upon it.

Athanasius was for being opposed to the world because he longed for the world to be more for Christ. He was in favor of being more against the world in order to bring more of the world into Christ's presence.

day no. 16,227: cashechism

Luke 16:8

The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

Whether or not we Christians take money seriously, the world does. It is well versed in its cashechism while many Christians do not know their own catechism.

Matthew 6:21

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Worldlings know that hearts get hot for cold, hard cash and that cold, hard hearts are easily bought. This is true of all people and the more money, the more opportunity. So, it should come as no surprise that politics should be governed by this particular cashechism.

"No one will really understand politics until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve their own problems -- of which getting elected and re-elected are number one and number two. Whatever is number three is far behind." --Thomas Sowell

Bills are passed where bills are passed. Money moves the machinery of ministries. So much so, we should say that new laws are minted, not passed.

"When people start to say things like 'follow the money,' I do not object to this — it is an admirable rule — so long as they follow all the money." -- Douglas Wilson, And Now for a Spot of Good News, However Unwelcome That Might Be

As sure as morning follows night, legislation follows the money. If it can be bough and it will be sold. For some to buy in, they must sell out. A Christian ought not to be so easily purchased and should not be so naive as to ignore the compound interest of those with compounded interests.

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Money isn't the worst, but people often are. So, Christians should stay clear-headed by staying content and grateful for what they have been given and keeping their wits wherever and whenever bills of both kinds are being passed.

day no. 16,226: feasting and fighting like we believe God's promises

Zechariah 10:7

Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD.

Children are glad when their fathers fight for them. They feel safe when they know that their parents are rising up to provide and protect them. Where the parents are courageous and grateful, the children are watching and glad. They join in and participate in the celebration. God is praised by young tongues where the adults are feasting and fighting like those who believe in God's promises.

day no. 16,225: when your wife turns thirty-seven

Happy 37th Birthday!

It is a joy to celebrate you and the gift that you are to so many. God has made you a wife to me, a mother to our children, a sister and daughter to one, and a friend to many and we all look to you for different things, but we all find in you the same reliable resource.

You look to the needs of our home as you look to the Lord for guidance. You look to the questions of others as you look to the Lord for your answers. You look to the productivity of your life as you look to the Lord for your priorities. You look to the beauty of our environment as you look to the glory of God. Many look to you because you look to the Lord.

You are a great writer and I love reading your weekly what's up blogs where you provide color commentary to the colors of our lives. You have a great sense of comedic timing and whit and understand the value of taking yourself lightly by scoring points on yourself. You cull our family photos and edit them down in quantity and up in quality in order to capture the still shots of our busy days. I look forward to them each week, miss them when they're delayed, and look forward to reviewing them with you when we are older. What a gift you are curating for us all when you sit down to hammer out these details.

You are a great counselor. You never lack a voicemail to review or respond to. Someone is always reaching out to you for your advice or counsel. From homemaking to healthcare or homeschool to head coverings, someone always has something they want to hear from you about. You are a trusted authority. People know that you know what you think and why you think it. They keep coming back to you because you are admired and respected. I am so grateful that my kids have you at their hip for all their questions and concerns. Many women who reach out to you likely envy the amount of access our little kids have in spending their days with you.

You are a great cook. You have your go to meals that you have dialed in over the years and you still flirt with new recipes here and there. You have stepped up our Sabbath game by taking over cooking as we moved it from Sunday lunch to Saturday dinner. From tablecloths to candles to sparkling cider and place settings, our Sabbaths are more spectacular because of you and something it is fun to invite others into.

You a great manager of resources. You review our inventory and order items before they go out of stock. Our shelves always have what we need because you always take our needs into consideration. In a very Christ like manner, you consider our needs before have the chance to notice their lack. You richly stock up and supply us with good things each and every day.

You are a great teacher. You enjoy walking our children through ideas and their consequences. You are good at guiding young minds through complicated issues. I am glad my children have you as their instructor. What a blessing for them to have you as a mom, but also as a schoolmaster.

You are so good at so many things and I'm glad that we get to have you here for all of them. Our home is blessed because of your presence in it. You rule your realm well and as a result our little kingdom is full of life and liveliness. 

Consider all that God has accomplished through you in only 37 years. Consider how productive the last 15 years of those have been. I can only imagine how much is left to be done and what blessings we have yet to enjoy because of you. God has prepared good works beforehand for you and I cannot wait to watch you walk in them for His glory, our good, and your own glorification.

I love you, Paige.

Happy birthday!

Your husband,

Todd

day no. 16,224: we fight because God is with us

Zechariah 10:5

They shall be like mighty men in battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight because the LORD is with them, and they shall put to shame the riders on horses.

A clear indication of God's presence in a group of people is that they rise up like mighty men in battle to face their foes head on. They fight because the Lord is with them. Some refuse to fight because they say that they are with God. Others prefer not to fight because they'd rather not get their hands dirty. But since the Fall, God has added enmity into the batter. There is a fight, like it or not. The only ones not fighting are those who imagine themselves on God's side.

The forces of darkness may have many flaws, but giving up the ghost isn't one of them. They know they're in a war. They know it's a forced choice situation. They know it's binary. That's why they are so motivated to get you to choose their side. They hate the light and employ their time, energy, talents, and tithes to snuff it out at every turn.

The only ones sitting on the sidelines are those who seem to think they're on God's team, but if they looked down, they'd see they that they are wearing the enemy's jersey. Everyone is enlisted. So, to be on the bench is to be with the bad guys. In other words, only the bad guys have a bench. There are no spectators. Those who sit back or stay out of it are simply celebrating the serpent. Apathy is one of their loudest cheers.

Those in whom God dwells shall be like mighty men in battle.

They fight because God is with them.

day no. 16,223: the finish line is admired by all, but enjoyed by those who cross it

Acts 14:22

Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is not made any less meaningful by being made difficult to reach; but is made, in fact, all the more glorious. It isn't enjoyed for the exclusion of others, but for the satisfaction of persevering to its gates. The finish line is admired by all, but it is only enjoyed by those who actually cross it.

Winning isn't worth it if anyone can do it. Hard work makes winning worth while. The attraction of achieving greatness is breathing the rare air of those who sucked the wind of adversity long enough to get there. The summit is admired by all, but it is only enjoyed by those who reach it.

Hard things are entered into for the joy of achieving them. A man endeavors to reach the South Pole precisely because it is difficult. A man sets out to become a Navy Seal because he knows how hard it will be. Those who've run 26.2 miles often announce it with stickers on their back windows precisely because of how hard it was. They want you to know that while you're both in cars at the moment, they could be running. No one counters with a "I walked around the block once" sticker, unless they're being cheeky. Difficulty makes a destination all the more delightful for having arrived there, not less.

"If you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one." -- C. S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy

The kingdom of God is not achieved through one difficult duty or decision. It is gained through many trials and much tribulation, not because it isn't worth it, but because it is... and only those who hold out and hold on will reach it, but all those who do, enjoy it.

day no. 16,222: do not despise the day of small things

Zechariah 4:10

For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.

Do not despise the day of small things. Plodding is productive. Inching away can go for miles. Do not think small of small things. Great ends often have humble beginnings and great gains are achieved by those making small strides. Do not, Like Naaman, look down on the small matters at hand.

2 Kings 5:13

And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?"

We often go looking to make a majestic gesture or sacrifice while an ordinary opportunity remains in front of us overlooked. But God is gracious and those who thought little of the little things will see it come together. The discouragement of not seeing any progress will give way to seeing it finished before their eyes. Those who have walked by sight will walk by faith and those who have seen only the chaos of the renovation will be given eyes to see the finished product.

Do not sleep on the small stuff. 

A wall is made up of many bricks and each was laid down with the end in mind and an unfinished wall before it.

day no. 16,221: earthly achievement cannot purchase eternal real estate

Zechariah 4:6

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts."

It is a good and godly thing to go hard given one keeps in mind it is God's Spirit who must move in order to achieve anything of eternal value. In the Lord our labors are not in vain, but outside Him they are... no matter how hard we're getting after it. No might or power of mankind can establish itself. It cannot secure a place in eternity. Nothing can span the gap. No earthly achievement can purchase eternal real estate. God's kingdom will be established by God or it won't be established at all. The faithful hands and hearts of His people employed in the building also have faithful lips which give all the credit to Him as they give all their effort for Him.

day no. 16,220: Jesus turned the tables

Zechariah 8:19

Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.

Jesus turned the tables. He turned fasts into feasts. He changed seasons of lent into seasons of lavishness and made empty expectation give way to full realization.

God has everlasting pleasure at His right hand and those who love truth and peace will party like they believe it. Seasons of joy, gladness, and cheerful feasting are preparing us for eternity. We need to get fit for feasting. We are in sorry shape. We get tired of joy far too quickly. So, let's practice partying and get ourselves into feasting trim.

day no. 16,219: a flame outside to save and inside to sanctify

Zechariah 2:5

I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.

God is a pillar of fire for those who love Him. He establishes a perimeter that consumes any who would attempt a breach. He is a wall of fire surrounding His people. He is also a fire within their midst. He burns within their respective hearts and in the atmosphere of their communion with one another. He is a flame inside igniting faith and good works accompanying the proclamation of His Name. He is a fire in the camp that keeps everyone warm and fed.

2 Timothy 1:6

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Our God is a fire for us. Fire is dangerous. If it were not, it could not protect, it could not cook. It must be hot in order to be of help. Fire is a friend when it burns for you and against those who come against you. God is that fire. A glory that guards the gates and a glory that grips the guts. He lives and burns outside us as a wall and inside us a wellspring. He renders our enemies impotent. He burns up their attacks from without and from within. He cleanses His people with fire that consumes His enemies. His people are protected and purified while His enemies are charred and discarded.

God is a wall of fire around us and a call to fire within us. He is heat all around us and abounding within us. He is a flame that surrounds outside to save and abounds inside to sanctify.

day no. 16,218: your head on straight and your hatchet on your hip

"But in general, take my advice, when you meet anything that is going to be Human and isn’t yet, or used to be Human once and isn’t now, or ought to be Human and isn’t, you keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet.”— The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis

Good advice from Mr. Beaver. Keep your head on a swivel, your eyes on the exits, and your senses situationally aware when you're dealing with what isn't human, but says it is; used to be human, but isn't anymore; or should be human, but isn't for some reason. Artificial Intelligence and social media algorithms obviously come to mind, but also people who are given over to base thinking.

Romans 1:28

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient

When people give themselves over to insanity, God sometimes let's them have it.

Psalm 73:22

So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

But being a beast is only bad in situations where being a man is essential. There is nothing inherently evil about getting hungry or tired like the beasts do. The issue is not sharing anything with the animals, but in failing to exhibit the attributes of an image bearer of God when those are what the situation demands.

"Nothing in Man is either worse or better for being shared with the beasts. When we blame a man for being 'a mere animal' we mean not that he displays animal characteristics (we all do) but that he displays these, and only these, on occasions where the specifically human was demanded. (When we call him 'brutal' we usually mean that he commits cruelties impossible to most real brutes; they're not clever enough.)" -- C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

A man acting like animal when he should be acting like a man or acting in a manner no animal or man should ever act is something of which to be wary. When you see people acting like this, keep your head on straight and feel for your hatchet at your hip.

day no. 16,217: the eternal Fact will keep the cancelers in check

James 4:11-12

Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

Hell is full of fact checkers forever revisiting and re-registering their complaints.They will spend their respective forevers with clenched jaws and fingers feverishly resurrecting and correcting every perceived grievance they ever imagined experiencing. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth as they relive every intuited injustice. There will be hell to pay for making life a living hell. There will be everlasting judgment for those who set themselves above the law. There is one Lawgiver and one Judge who will in the end check the facts. The eternal Fact will keep the cancelers in check. He will cancel the cancelers and establish what they have concealed.

day no. 16,216: don't follow anyone you don't want to end up like

Luke 6:40

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

You become like who you’re following.

Hebrews 13:7

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Don't follow anyone you don’t want to end up like.

day no. 16,215: a whole lot of shakin' goin' on

Haggai 2:6-7

For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

God shakes in order to reveal what is unshakable. The unflappable are found by all that flaps away. The best of what mankind accomplishes will be redeemed, refined by fire, and kept for the house of the Lord. Like the gold of Egypt, the best was destined for the household of faith.

Haggai 2:21-22

Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;

And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

When God shakes, the shaky fall. That which had only an appearance of stability and longevity evaporate in an instant and disappear like a bad dream a moment after waking. God shakes in order to sift. That which falls off is the fray and that which remains is the fruit. The chaff gets caught in the wind and the wheat gets gathered together and God is gracious to protect His elect from slipping through the cracks.

Luke 22:31-32

And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."

day no. 16,214: Christ is the ultimate catharsis

Psalm 130:5-6

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

If you’ve ever been driving through the night, dead tired, but trudging on, you know the hope of destination. If you’ve ever been awake in bed overnight in a strange place as a child watching for morning, you get it. If you’ve ever been at work watching the clock waiting for quitting time, you understand.

The watchman was at work and the sunrise was his queue to punch out. The watchman was on edge, scanning the horizon, eyes peeled, ears attentive, nerves taught. Like driving through a snow storm with poor visibility and poorer road conditions, every muscle fiber is active until the destination reached. 

This is how we wait for the Lord. We sit on the edge of our seat like 4th and goal with one second left in the game. We lean in like a full count with bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th. We anticipate an outcome, we hope for the best, we struggle to stay optimistic and then… glorious, triumphant, resolution! We arrive, the sun comes up, the danger is diverted, the roads are cleared, the fear is gone, the food is found.

Sweet release. Every mental and physical fiber of our being sighs in relief and sinks into bed, exhausted, fulfilled, comforted and grateful.

Christ is the ultimate catharsis. For Him the world waits and at His coming, the saints will sigh with relief and rejoicing forevermore.

Maranatha! Come,

Lord Jesus. Come quickly!

Revelation 22:20-21

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

day no. 16,213: the alphabet mafia and the devil

"The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn.” -- Martin Luther

The alphabet mafia and the devil have this in common: they cannot bear being made fun of. They take themselves very seriously and cannot bear being mocked.

"The devil, the prowde spirite, cannot endure to be mocked." -- Thomas More

If an entire worldview can be dismantled by a good ol’ fashioned horse laugh, perhaps it’s not as indomitable as it claims.

Revelation 12:12

He knoweth that he hath but a short time.

The reason the totalitolerance crowd is so cancel happy is because they know they’re a joke. They know how vulnerable the whole thing is. Snowflakes have to find a way to set the world's thermostat to freezing in order to survive. They can't take the heat.  A simple laugh makes the whole thing plain as day like the boy who chuckled at the emperor’s new clothes. One laugh and everyone sees that he’s naked. One joke and the joke of trans-logic evaporates like a vape trail on a windy day.

So keep laughing.

Keep mocking.

Be like your Father and find it funny.

See the humor in their hubris.

Psalm 2:2-4

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

The fact that they’re kicking back simply shows that you’re on to something.

"If you throw a rock into a pack of stray dogs, the one that yelps is the one that got hit."

-- D. L. Moody

When you hear the shrieks, you know the humor has struck its mark.

day no. 16,212: jumping on the sland wagon

Ephesians 4:31

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

It is easy to jump on the sland wagon. Everyone else is always doing it. It is easy to speak negatively about people who aren't around and it is even easier to agree with someone who is slandering someone who isn't there. Once that dollar bill gets put into circulation, it's off to the races. Put away all slander. Stop running your mouth and run the race set before you, sidestepping the ordinary sins that so easily entangle and trip people up. 

day no. 16,211: ownership

Galatians 6:6

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.

We are called to be somewhere. And in that place, we will receive. And in that place, we ought to give back. We need to take ownership of our place. This includes being associated as a member of part of it and being or assuming the roles and responsibilities of a member in that place.

Ownership is picking up clutter because it's your home, not your job.

You know you have taken ownership of something when you do the little things without being asked. If you pick up the tissue next to the bin and toss it in the trash, you are expressing ownership. If you grab the lint from the carpet on the stairs, you live there. The difference between occupying a space and owning it is taking responsibility for it. You want it to be clean because its yours. You don't need a chore chart to make you tidy up. It's where you live, so you take it upon yourself.

Ownership is giving to where you get from, serving at the table from which you are served, and doing the dishes where your plate is filled. Those who do so get all the benefits of belonging. One of those often overlooked is the privilege of giving back to and pitching in where you get.

day no. 16,210: be grateful for what you have and work for what you want

Philippians 4:12-13

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Sideways glances are often motivated by discontent and laziness. We are easily envious of those around us when we're hard to please with what surrounds us. We lust for that which we avoid the labor. We covet because we can't count our blessings. We want what others already worked for. The only cure is to be grateful for what you have and to work for what you want. This frees your eyes up to focus on God above and the good work ahead. It will spare them from sideways glances and self-indulgence. 

day no. 16,209: public schools produce public fools

Psalm 14:1

The fool hath said in his heart,

There is no God.

They are corrupt, they have done abominable works,

there is none that doeth good.

Proverbs 18:2

A fool has no delight in understanding,

But in expressing his own heart.

Public schools produce public fools.

And it isn't by accident. Government schools aim to produce students who say in their hearts, "There is no God," and who say out loud whatever it is they feel at the moment. By Biblical definition, that person is a fool. And that is the goal of government schools. So it isn't by mistake, but by mission. 

"Government schooling is inevitably an exercise in statist brainwashing, not genuine education." -- Thomas J. DiLorenzo, Foreward to The Law by Frederic Bastiast 

Government schools produce fools pretty well. They've got the recipe down pat. Every once in a while, it's true, someone escapes the clutches of the catechisms, but not often. Government schools do not typically expect their disciples to have a wild season in their teens where they go off grid by reading their Bibles, experimenting with abstinence, sobriety, and sound judgment. Every once in a while, that happens, but it's the exception, not the rule. Government school converts learn their catechisms well. They are baptized in the ordinances of the State eight hours a day and sent home with additional work to keep them focused. Government schools do not typically find many backsliders. They practice discipline and excommunication that keeps most of their disciples in line for life. The cult of the classroom keeps their kids, which is to say, they more often than not, successfully take yours.

day no. 16,208: everyone gives their first and best to something

Proverbs 3:9

Honour the LORD with thy substance,

and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.

Everyone tithes to what they worship 

Everyone gives their first and their best to what they most prioritize. They find a way to give to it. They go without other things in order to give to it. They endure other difficulties in order to avoid the difficulty of going without it. Everyone tithes because everyone worships and giving your first and best is the most natural expression of sacrifice. 

Everyone gives financially to what they value spiritually. They give the most to what they value the most. They give their time, energy, worship, money, and mind. We are all worshipers and where our treasure is our heart is also. Our dollars follow our adoration and our adoration follows our dollars. We give to what we love and we love to give to it. 

We stand in lines for hours to be the first to pay homage to it. We pay top dollar to be as close to it or have the best view of it as possible. We find a way. We make room in our budget for what occupies the board room of our hearts. We promote certain passions to the corner office and then bend over backwards to provide them with the choicest portions of our life and livelihood. We sacrifice with a smile on our face. We go to great lengths. We cheerfully set aside our best in order to offer it. 

Everyone gives to and glorifies something.

day no. 16,207: sage against the machine

“Their labour-saving devices multiply drudgery; their aphrodisiacs make them impotent: their amusements bore them: their rapid production of food leaves half of them starving, and their devices for saving time have banished leisure from their country." -- C.S Lewis, The Pilgrim's Regress

Many of our machinations have produced or exacerbated the very problems they were made to solve: Pornography has produced impotence. Entertainment has produced boredom. Social media has produced isolation. Production has produced poverty. Efficiency has produced waste. Sustainability has produced consumption. Organic has produced corporations. Education has produced insanity. Green has produced Red. Socialism has produced antisocial behavior. Inclusion has produced exclusion. Antifacism has produced facism. Peaceful protests have produced destruction. Security has produced terrorism. Political correctness has produced identity politics. Critical theory has produced racism. Gender studies has produced transgenderism. Sensitivity has produced hatred. Love has produced evil.

Modernity isn't progress. New isn't improved. It might be, but it isn't necessarily. You have to have a presupposed standard by which to assess it. There must be something away from or toward which you measure distance. Without a fixed point or a defined target to which you are heading or away from which you are fleeing, you can never tell if you have made any progress. We need wisdom to discern where an advancement is advancing us or what a development is developing. We need sagacity to sift through every step forward in order to determine what we've stepped in.

day no. 16,206: faith riseth up again

"‘There is no avoiding danger in our country,’ said History. ‘Do you know what happens to people who set about learning to skate with a determination to get no falls? They fall as often as the rest of us, and they cannot skate in the end.’" -- C.S Lewis, The Pilgrim's Regress

If you want to be good at something, you have to be willing to first be bad at it. No one learns to skate who is unwilling to learn how to fall, or more to the point, who learn how to get back up. Everyone falls down. No one goes from novice to expert. Far too often we flatter ourselves by assuming that other people's skills were all gifted to them by the gods in some kind of savant-style situation. 

In most cases, however, the reason other people are good at something is because they were willing to be worse at it than they wished for longer than they wanted. But they had grit. They had resolve and hard work and calling back to the earlier point, they got up. They were willing to fail more than we were. Success follows a long train of failures. If we were willing to fail more, we'd be better equipped to succeed now.

Proverbs 24:16

For a just man falleth seven times,

and riseth up again:

but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

I need this reminder. I don't like falling down. I like to do my homework ahead of time in order to avoid falling on my face. And I can all too easily become discouraged at falling down and count it as a sign of not being cut out to be good, when in reality, it is merely the curriculum by which anyone understands or achieves anything. 

The difference between the righteous man and the wicked one, is that the righteous believes in the power of resurrection. The righteous or diligent man lives by faith that he will rise again by the power and grace of the good Lord Almighty. The wicked or lazy man falls away and then looks for a way to make a life for himself under the bleachers or in the gutter.

The righteous fall and trust God to forgive their failings as they get back to work.

Micah 7:8

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;

when I fall, I shall rise;

when I sit in darkness,

the LORD will be a light to me.

day no. 16,205: finneas is eleven!

Happy Birthday, Finneas!!!

Today you become what you always have been... an eleven. You now have the number of years to match your level of intensity. Eleven, you just met your match! Look out world, Finneas Haddon Foxe, the eleven of all elevens, is now eleven years old. Never before have so many elevens congregated in one place, than today, in this young man. It's going to be a fun ride. I'm glad I’ve got a front row seat.

You are growing in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and people. You are always a fan favorite wherever we go. People like you. Can't blame them. You're easy to like. 

You have great comedic timing and a willingness to be silly in order to make others smile. You don't mind being the center of attention, but don't need to be either. 

You proactively look to the interests of others. When you're given the chance to pick a meal, you are often quick to consider what others would want. You like to dominate, but you feel the weight of responsibility for your decisions. That is exactly what a man should do. A man who dominates without care for others is a tyrant. May God help you continue to be more and more like your namesake, Phinehas, who knew how to leverage his strength for the sake of others, but also had the self-control and strength to hold back for the sake of others.

Remember how you were really into tank tops for a while? I do. That was awesome.

You and Rocco are best buds. Rocco looks up to you and likes doing what you do. This is a great honor and a great responsibility. It is also a good opportunity to practice being a dad. A father sets the example for his kids to follow. A good father leads his children well so that the more they follow in his footsteps, the more like Jesus they become.

You are a natural disciple-maker. You ride your own melt and people naturally gravitate to you and want to get caught up in your current. May you continue to use that privilege to lead others for their good and the glory of God.

You still care a great deal about lost people. You worry about the people you know who don't know Jesus or don't act like they do. It bothers you to think of people dying in their sins. You are not ashamed to share the Good News or to ask people about their spiritual beliefs. May God continue to bless you with this boldness and give you increased wisdom and understanding in your own faith so that you can respond well to your questions.

You insist on giving me a hug every night after I tuck you in. You like to have the last word, or the last whistle, I should say, as I walk up the stairs. You like to say, "Goodbye" before I go on walks and you like to greet me once I'm home. You are aware of peoples comings and goings and like to let people know that you care about their comings and goings.

You are a great cartoonist. You have developed your own style of drawing characters. You also write funny poems like your “Brains! It's the End” series. You are a creative kid.

You also love music. You really like P.O.D., Red, and Showbread. You rock out on your headphones on Sunday afternoons in the conservatory while you play with your Joes. You are always banging a beat on something. You seem like you need a set of drums. Maybe someday?

I am proud of you, my son. You are strong, brave, fun, smart, caring, and cool. 

I can't wait to see what 11 holds for you. Many people have often predicted that God has something special assigned for you. You were born for such a time as this and I can't wait to see how you take on such a time as this with all the gifts God has given to you.

I love you, Finneas and I like being your dad,

Happy Birthday, brother.

Love,

Dad

day no. 16,204: the marriage bed as metanarrative and mircocosm

"Do you not know how it is with love? First comes delight: then pain: then fruit. And then there is joy of the fruit, but that is different again from the first delight. And mortal lovers must not try to remain at the first step: for lasting passion is the dream of a harlot and from it we wake in despair. You must not try to keep the raptures: they have done their work. Manna kept, is worms."  -- C.S Lewis, The Pilgrim's Regress

The marriage bed is a metanarrative. It captures the expansive abstract of what we call life in the specific particulars of how life is reproduced. Marriage is a microcosm and a pattern of all fruitful living. The marriage bed is a portent of the grander picture and an entire novel summarized in a single chapter.

Hebrews 13:4

Marriage is to be held in honor among all.

The marriage bed begins with delight. That delight leads to new life. That new life causes discomfort in the carrying and pain in the delivery. The newborn is then a new delight who sleeps in or near the marriage bed. Such is the way of fruit and fruitfulness. Delight gives way to pain that then produces fruit which is a new source of delight.  Delight gives way to new delight. The fruitful bed has more delight than the unfruitful one. Attempting to indulge the first delight without experiencing the pain of fruitfulness cuts one off from deeper delights and eventually even robs the possessor of the initial one.

day no. 16,203: we say grace for our sake, not the food's

1 Timothy 4:4–5

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

Food is made holy by the word of God and prayer. The word of God has declared all foods good. The Bible says so. In the beginning He provided all kinds of vegetable life for food. After the Fall, He provided animals for clothing and required animals for sacrifice. After the flood, He declared that the menu now included animals and Jesus during His earthly ministry opened up the menu to all that is edible.

Mark 7:18-19

And Jesus said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, since it enters, not his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.)

So food is made holy by the Word of God. This has been declared prior to your plate. It has been served up before you sit down to table. The food has already been blessed by God before you add salt.

Given that, it is appropriate for us to bless it and those sitting around it by saying grace over it. The food is already blessed, but we add our agreement to it. We say a blessing not because without it the food would be tainted, but because without grateful hearts, we would be. We say grace before meals for our sake, not the meal's. The food would not ruin us, but it would be ruinous to receive such goodness without feeling and expressing gratitude for it.

So say grace over your food. Not because you have to, but because you get to. You get to eat. You have been given an expansive menu and every item on it has already been declared good by Someone who knows a little something about the subject. So enjoy. Count the blessings instead of the calories. Anytime you eat, you're eating food from holy foods. 

day no. 16,202: beware of Baalfare and Feducation

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help.'" -- Ronald Reagan

Family is a form of government under God. Health, welfare, and education are, according to God, the responsibility of the Family. As such, it has been given jurisdiction over what does or does not go into a child's body and mind. The family is free to seek outside help in fulfilling these responsibilities, but they cannot delegate them. The responsibility, in other words, is non-transferable. 

Ephesians 6:4

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Nurture and admonition are the responsibility of the parent. Nurture includes nourishment of body, soul, mind, and strength. It is a parent's duty to consider carefully what goes into and what does not go into their child's head and heart and what gets placed into their hands. Health, welfare, and education are here placed primarily on the plate of a child's parent. God has assigned them this post and they are not free to loan it to someone else or abandon it altogether.

1 Timothy 5:8

But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

God has made it clear. You are responsible for your own. He assigns you those who are your own by making them your family. In other words, simply stated: your family is your responsibility.

The State has no jurisdiction over our bodies or our minds. It has no say in what our children eat or read. God has not given it to them and we are not free to hand it over to them. Baalfare is the State's attempt to take over health and welfare. Feducation is the State's attempt to take over education. The State wants to absorb the jurisdiction of the Family in order to eliminate its authoritative structure. If the State can offer to serve, provide, and protect you, you can functionally eliminate fathers and mothers. But not because they don't think fathers and mothers don't matter, but because they know that they DO. That's why they want to PLAY father and mother for you and make your health, welfare and educational decisions. They don't want to eliminate the concept of one person making health and education decisions on behalf of someone else, they want TO BE the ONE person making ALL health and education related decisions for everyone else.

So Christians, let us take our lumps as pariahs, but not as participants. Let us suffer as Christians honoring our responsibilities before God, not as appeasers trying to win favor with the world. Let us hold the line, not our abuser's whips. Why make it easier for them? Why help them rob you of your God-given responsibility? Why support Caesar's power grab for that which does not belong to Caesar? 

The State is not God. The State has a God and will answer to Him, whether they pass a law or not. They do not have standing in His presence, so let us not bow down in theirs.

----

Baalfare: a system of distribution predicated upon the notion that the State not only has the authority to dispense the rain, but the ability to produce it.

Feducation: a system of indoctrination predicated upon the notion that the State not only owns the trademark on truth, but also the means of production and distribution.

day no. 16,201: in umbra, igitur, pugnabimus

Xerxes’ massive forces attempted to intimidate Leonidas and his 300 by threatening, “Our arrows will blot out the sun,” to which the 300, undaunted, replied, “Then we will fight in the shade.” (in umbra, igitur, pugnabimus)

We, too, are being threatened and bullied by the benighted. They, too, have placed their confidence in their ability to veil the sun. But their darkness will evaporate soon enough and the light will outlast their darkness. It will shine brighter than ever when their darkness eventually goes out.

John 1:5

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

And in the meantime, we fight like soldiers of light, illuminating the landscape like cities on a hill even if shoved underground or into a basket. We burn through the blanket. The light never goes out. The darkness dies with the coming day.

Ephesians 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

This present darkness is doomed. It is passing away. Death is on life support. Darkness is on death row. Resurrection is the new Rule.

1 John 2:8

The darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

day no 16,200 continued... Jude Doxology (original, metrical rendering)

Now unto Him

That is able

To keep you from falling

And to present

You faultless ‘fore

The presence of His Gl’ry

With exceeding joy

With exceeding joy

To the only

God of wisdom,

Glory to our Saviour,

Pow’r, dominion,

Majesty be

Both now and forever

With exceeding joy

With exceeding joy 

Amen.

— Jude Doxology

Postmillitant original rendering

..

*original second stanza

To the only

God our Saviour

Wise in all His glory

Pow’r, dominion,

Majesty be

Both now and forever

With exceeding joy

With exceeding joy 

day no. 16,200: clamoring for the curse it didn't get

"Eve's curse isn't good enough, they want to share Adam's too" -- Voddie Baucham

Feminism multiplies curses.

Rather than multiplying disciples by faithful, fruitful child-rearing and evangelism, feminism seeks to multiply mayhem by clamoring for the curse it didn't get.

Feminists would rather work for someone else's husband than serve their own. They would rather watch someone else's children for a paycheck than watch their own for posterity. They would rather take care of someone else's sick relatives for the sake of revenue than comfort and care for their own sick at home for the sake of relationship. They would rather be in charge of the spreadsheets at the office for prestige than those in their own kitchens for productivity. They would rather balance the budgets of someone else's money in order to earn some of it  for their efforts than spend their days balancing their own in order to manage their household.

Feminism believes that the thorns and thistles of the workplace perfectly complement the pain and discomfort of being a female. Feminism multiplies sorrow and does not lift even a finger to help a woman carry it. Feminism assumes masculinity as the center and harangues women into aspiring for it. Feminism despises men because they are naturally better at being masculine than it is.

Feminism is envy in a pantsuit. It cannot have what it wants or ever be content with what it currently has. It would rather attempt to have a double-portion of bad news than to be content with the blessing of only having its own curses to deal with. It demands, "Ladies first!" whether it be the front of the lunch line or the first for the firing squad.