day no. 17,402: the beginning and the end of all days

"The best way to shorten winter is to prolong Christmas." — G. K. Chesterton

Christmas will someday conquer the world. Christendom will do for June what it has already done for December, which is to say, deliver it from darkness.

The summer months flooded with sun will someday be eclipsed by the Son.

The postmillennial leaven spreads through the lump of January. Twelfth night is punctuated by Epiphany.

The calendar belongs to Christ. 

Every day is the day of the Lord. We set aside some days for special purposes, like one in seven being recognized as the Lord's Day, but we do so as part of seeing all days bow their knees to their Lord and King.

day no. 17,389: free to give and costly to get back

"Freedom is already being lost in a network of police prohibition... English liberty may well be entirely lost. I should not write this if I did not think that it may also be saved. But I could not write it without recording my own conviction that there is only one way of saving it." ― G.K. Chesterton, The Illustrated London News (1920)

Freedom can be freely given away, but it cannot be taken back that way. 

Galatians 5:1

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

If you have been set free, you must resist the temptation to use your freedom to enslave yourself. Freedom is full of responsibility and that can be a heavy burden to carry, so heavy that some opt for the weight of chains. They prefer bondage and endless bureaucracy to the weight of personal responsibility and endless liberty.

John 10:9

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

When attempt to break yourself free from the kingdom of Christ, you break away from the kingdom of freedom. You do not find open prairie beyond the fence, you find the abyss. Inside the fence through the narrow gate, there is space to play, but outside the gate and beyond the fence is only the void.

"We have lost our national instincts because we have lost the idea of that Christendom from which the nations came. In freeing ourselves from Christianity, we have only freed ourselves from freedom. We shall not now return to a merely heathen hilarity, for the new heathenism is anything but hilarious." ― G.K. Chesterton, The Illustrated London News (1920)

There is no heathen hilarity waiting to embrace those who adopt a libertarian pipe dream. There is no freedom at the end of the road of every man doing what is right in his own eyes. You do not get Heaven on earth like that, you get the book of Judges. If we are to be free, we must return to Freedom. He is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father or to freedom but through Him. Getting back to Christ will cost us a lot. Not just something, but everything. And if we are not willing to give up whatever gains we imagine we have found without Him, we will never get back to the font of freedom that gave us the freedom in the first place.

day no. 17,388: satire and society

"It may be that the modern world has outstripped satire." ― G.K. Chesterton, The Illustrated London News (1920)

Over 100 years ago, Chesterton worried that the world had robbed us of satire. If he thought that about that world, imagine what he would think about ours. It is nearly impossible to outcrazy the crazies. You can invent the most absurd scenario only to discover that it is currently being used as a curriculum on a major university campus somewhere. You can try to flex your hyperbole muscles, only to have a trip to Wal-Mart show you how weak minded your exaggeration exercises have been.

Satire assumes a center. It requires a generally accepted standard. In that way, satire is a lot like society. Without widely agreed upon norms, you cannot satirize anything and you cannot have a functioning society. The punchlines only work when you can provide an unexpected outcome. When the unusual becomes the expected, it ruins the ability to surprise you. Insanity is humorless. It is no joke. It refuses to join in with laughter and instead passes legislation to make mockery a hate crime.

day no. 17,386: cannibals or cousins?

“Christmas is utterly unsuited to the modern world. It presupposes the possibility of families being united, or reunited, and even of the men and women who chose each other being on speaking terms. Thus thousands of young adventurous spirits, ready to face the facts of human life, and encounter the vast variety of men and women as they really are, ready to fly to the ends of the earth and tolerate every alien or accidental quality in cannibals or devil-worshippers, are cruelly forced to face an hour, nay sometimes even two hours, in the society of Uncle George; or some aunt from Cheltenham whom they don't particularly like. Such abominable tortures cannot be tolerated in a time like ours…It is intolerable that such sensibility should suffer the shock of the unexpected appearance of her own mother, or possibly her own child. It was never supposed that Parents were included in the great democratic abstraction called People. It was never supposed that brotherhood could extend to brothers.” ― G.K. Chesterton

The embittered consider the cannibalism of a stranger more endurable than the politics of a parents. They would rather come face to face with a devil worshiping foreigner than have any face time with a boring relative.

"If all cultures are equal, then cannibalism is just a matter of culinary taste." — Léo Strauss

Where Christ is not obeyed, the cannibalistic butchery of the barbarian can be tolerated, but the antiquated customs of your cousin cannot. In some exceptional cases, cannibalism may even be adopted by some as a way of trying to take the bite out of the whole situation.

Galatians 5:15

If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

Some people would rather run the risk of chewing others up for the chance of getting to chew others out. They'd rather be friends with those who consume men than be friendly to those men God has called their brothers. But the best measure of a man is not his ability to get along with those he has to travel a long way to meet, it is his willingness to get along with those he has to travel home to see again.

"The best way that a man could test his readiness to encounter the common variety of mankind would be to climb down a chimney into any house at random, and get on as well as possible with the people inside. And that is essentially what each one of us did on the day that he was born." ― G.K. Chesterton, Heretics

All of our neighbors were once strangers, including our parents. We do not prove our mettle by finding new strangers to admire, but by finding new ways to admire old friends.

"When we step into a family, we step into a world that we have not made. In other words, when we step into the family we step into a fairy tale." ― G.K. Chesterton, Heretics

We can choose our surroundings, but God chooses our foundings. Everyone is born into something somewhere. Everyone belongs to someone and owes someone something. We must love our neighbors as ourselves which in this case means realizing that they may feel just as stuck with you as you feel you are with them.

“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” ― G.K. Chesterton

It is easy to get along with people you share nothing in common with. Getting along in that case is easy, it costs you nothing. They don't need anything from you and demand nothing from you. You have no obligation to any of them and they do not owe you anything. The fact that you don't share anything in common means you have less to fight over because neither of you want the same thing.

"In a world of increasing disconnectedness, the very act of gathering together at Christmas is an act of defiance." ― Ryan Whitaker Smith, Winter Fire

In the end, it will be Christ or chaos. There will be connection in Christ and there will be disconnectedness outside of Him. As the world around us chases chaos, we must gather around Christ. This includes coming together for Christmas. We are at war with the world and one family sitting around home with one prayer before one meal is a nuclear family bomb. It is devastating to those who bow before devastation.

day no. 17,374: two times two (knox and eulalie turn two)

Happy Birthday, wonder twins!

Today is two times two day. What a blessing!

Knox, you are the butteriest boy. Of all the buster browns, you're the busty browniest. You are a quiet little lad. You keep to yourself. You are calm until you aren't. When you get frustrated you melt into a puddle. You are a tiny mama's boy. There are some problems no one else can solve. Sometimes you just need your mom and she is the only one who will do. You have a great laugh. You dig deep when you find something really funny. You like to shake hands unless you don't know or recognize the person and then you don't even want them looking at you. You retreat somewhere deep inside and hope that they stop looking at you. 

Eulalie, you are the beaniest babe. Of all the beanie babies, you are the beanie babiest. You are a loud little lady. You are outgoing and energetic. You run everywhere. When you get frustrated you get loud. Or should I say, louder. You are a daddy's girl. There are some problems no one else can solve. Sometimes you just need your daddy. You like to smile with your teeth. You are a baby shark. You are smart and you like to babble. You like your milk cup full. If you take a drink, you want it filled up again before you take another. You like being the center of attention and seek out the spotlight.

You two are so much fun. You are so distinct and the contrast is only highlighted by the fact that you share a birthday. Of all people who you'd think would be the same, it would be twins, but in your case, you are very different. One is a boy, the other is a girl. One is pudgy, the other is wiry. One is quiet, the other is loud. One doesn't like attention, the other does. One ambles along, the other runs. One sometimes falls back from going too slowly, the other sometimes falls forward from going too quickly. You complement each other very well. 

I love you babies and I am so excited to watch you both grow up and become the grown up versions of what God has so clearly already designed you to be respectively.

Happy Birthday, da babies.

Love,

Dad

day no. 17,358: the game of risk

“God requires us to risk things. This risk includes all that we hold dear, and to shrink back from it is to incur the displeasure of God. The wicked and lazy servant was the one who would not risk what had been entrusted to him. To play it safe is to play it dangerous.” — Douglas Wilson, No Such Thing as Bad Words

When it come to faith, safe is dangerous and dangerous is safe. The one who tries to save his life loses it and the one who risks his life for Christ's sake finds it. God is a safe bet, but He is still a bet. You have to push all in on Him. He has promised us what will happen if we do, i.e. we will find life, but we have to believe in His promises. The promises do not remove the risk, but they do reward it. You cannot have the reward before you take the risk, but if you take the risk, you will get the reward. If that doesn't sound like much of a risk to you, ask yourself why you are tempted to hold on to things. Why can't you die to that? Why won't you let that go? Is it because you're worried that the risk isn't worth it? Is it because you don't believe the promises of God? And now you begin to see why faith requires risk. True, it is a calculated risk, but it is nevertheless a risk. 

So, the only question that remains then is this: will you take the risk? Will you believe God's promises and push all in? If not, why not? Do you distrust the promises of God or do you believe that what you have now is better than what God promises to give you?

day no. 17,355: penelope is sixteen

Happy 16th Birthday, Penelope!

You are a beautiful, smart, funny young woman. You are taking college level courses and passing them without much effort. You are babysitting and earning some extra cash as  you earn a good reputation with our church people. You are writing songs, writing stories, drawing pictures, and doing shows, and all of that in addition to reading all the books.

You are a good sister. You love your siblings and look after them. You like looking after the babies and you enjoy debating with your older brothers. You like playing with the little girls and you like making or buying the perfect gifts for all your siblings on their birthdays.

You are a good daughter. You love talking to your mom and watching shows with her on restful Sunday afternoons. You like me and enjoy bouncing ideas off of me when you're trying to gather your thoughts.

You are learning how to stretch yourself and how to increase the threshold of your limitations. You are going to more places, staying longer at them, and participating in them when you are there. It is fun to watch you having fun. 

You love discovering new worlds and you enjoy the suspension of disbelief in order to better enjoy fictional worlds. You like story grip and gladly give yourself to it. When you are into something, you are really into it. 

You take yourself seriously enough to know what you believe and why you believe it and you take yourself lightly enough to know what you like even when others are ribbing you for liking it. You know who you are and you know what you want. You are clear headed when it comes to categorical distinctions and when it comes to fantastical creations. You somehow keep all your increasing number of characters straight.

You love music. You like listening to music, singing songs, playing the guitar, playing the piano, and singing with your sister in perfect harmony. I love hearing you play the piano while I am working. I can you you through the floor creating new songs or trying to teach yourself to play a new song you heard during clean up time the night before.

You love to tell jokes and you like finding the wittiest way to say something. You have a good sense of humor and you like enjoying the humor of others. You have a good laugh and we all love it when you're having a good time.

Happy Sweet Sixteenth, Penelope! 

May you continue to grow in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and with those around you.

So, here's to Penelope!

Love,

Dad

day no. 17,341: juniper is SEVEN!

Happy Birthday, Juniper!

You are SEVEN years old today. It seems like just yesterday you were toddling down the hallway of our Columbia house to knock on the door as I began working from home for the first time. You have always enjoyed being where I am and I have always loved having you around.

You are always full of energy. Sometimes this looks like laughing and screaming for joy and sometimes it means crying and screaming bloody murder, but rest assured, somewhere, for some reason, you are always screaming!

You love running around and jumping and hugging with all your might. You hug like it's a contest and more often than not, you win.

You love your friends well. You love writing notes to your friends and church and enjoy receiving little notes from them.

You like little kids and enjoy looking after them. You are growing in your ability to discern what is helpful and what isn't. You often help to look after the babies in the morning while mom is doing school and you like being responsible for them.

You are scrappy. Always have, always will be if I had to guess. You like to mix things up. You don't like being left out of the action and often create some if there is nothing else going on.

You are smart. You are doing well at school and you genuinely like learning stuff. 

You are pretty. You have a great smile, beautiful eyes, and cute hair. 

You like wearing dresses, but you also like getting your dresses dirty. Well, I'm not so sure that you like getting them dirty as much as you are indifferent to whether or not they get dirty in the process of doing things that you do like. You do not shy away from a game because you might get dirty. You dive in.

You are a great daughter and I love being your dad. I hope you have a great birthday and that your seventh year of life turns out to be the very best so far.

To Juni!

Happy Birthday!

Love,

Dad

day no. 17,335: kingdom building and culture shaping

"I desire my children to be educated south of the Mason Dixon line and always to retain right of domicile in the Confederate States." — J. E. B. Stuart

When you know what you want, you know what you want for your children. When you love your land, you want your children to love it and to inherit it.

"Men who raise families that remain in fidelity to tradition will end up with descendants ruling the world.” — E.H. Looney

Covenantal continuity is the key to kingdom building and culture shaping.

“People who take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants.” — Thomas Babington Macaulay

Those who despise their parents will raise children who despise them. The first commandment with a promise is, "Honor your father and mother," and anyone who fails to do so, or goes as far as to despise their fathers and mothers, not only misses out on the promise to inherit the earth, but they incur upon themselves the curses of those who rail against their God-provided patriarchs.

Proverbs 30:17

The eye that mocketh at his father, 

and despiseth to obey his mother, 

the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, 

and the young eagles shall eat it.

Those who flip off their fathers and mock their mothers end up flipping off their futures. They are the kind of people who end up being left for dead and devoured by wild animals instead of honored by their loved ones in burial. No one risks their lives to retrieve their bodies as men did for Jonathan. No one risks their heads to get a cup of cold water as men did for David. Those who disobey their parents dishonor the Lord and end up dying to the regret of no one.

day no. 17,318: wickedness and weakness

"A civilization is not destroyed by wicked men; it is destroyed by weak men who cannot defend what is good.” — G. K. Chesterton

Civilizations undefended lead to barbarism unintended. 

Weakness is worse than wickedness. Good men who are not good at being men are no better than wicked men. Wickedness, for all its faults, never skips leg day. It is always raring to go and it keeps its eye on the prize. Goodness, for all it virtues, sometimes gets soft. It prefers peace to war and so it sometimes forgets that it is in war. Wickedness never forgets.

“Every high civilization decays by forgetting obvious things.” — G.K. Chesterton

Society's are smashed from without because they have gone soft from within. They end up with rosters rounded out by round men who cannot rise up to defend their people. Civilization, if it is not in shape, will be overcome by barbarism.

“If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.” — Thomas Sowell

If civilization cannot or will not use force, it will be conquered by that which will. Barbarism is brutalitarian. It believes that might makes right and if the right have no might to debate with, the battle will soon be over. The good, the true, and the beautiful can make a better case for their way of life being better, but if they cannot meet the force of the bad, the false, and the ugly, their force will overrun civiilization.

In short, a civilization can only be defeated by the inferiority of chaos by forfeiting its strengths. If it adopts a "diversity is our strength" mentality, they deserve the whooping they're about to get.

day no. 17,300: the shattered fortunes of our old state

“Go home all you boys who fought with me and help build up the shattered fortunes of our old state” ― Robert E. Lee, The Wit and Wisdom of Robert E. Lee

What can the righteous do when the fortunes of their fathers have been destroyed by others? Go back and build back better.

Psalm 11:3

If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

There is only one things to be done: begin again. Christendom is fueled by the indomitable power of resurrection. You cannot kill that which can resurrect. You may bury it, but not for long.

“Shake off those gloomy feelings. Drive them away. Fix your mind and pleasures upon what is before you. All is bright if you will think it so. All is happy if you will make it so. Do not dream. It is too ideal, too imaginary. Dreaming by day, I mean. Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn them to your advantage.”

― Robert E. Lee

There may be no situation so bad that you cannot make it worse, but there is also no situation so lost that grace cannot help you find it. God takes us from where we are, not where we should have been. So, if we have gotten off track, our best bet is to go back to where the mistake was made and then go forward from there in the right direction. That means tearing down what's left of the mess in order to rebuild what should have been constructed.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

By faith we believe that God will establish what He has called us to construct. By faith we build according to His blueprints. And by faith we trust our children to carry on the good work, to correct any mistakes we have made, and to preserve any good that we have done.

"Grand strategy must always remember that peace follows war. " — B. H. Liddell Hart

We must wage the good warfare with the good peace in mind. We should not fight in a way that makes peace harder to secure. We must fight in a manner that both produces the peace God requires and preserves it according to His Word.

day no. 17,268: the united apostates of america

“[Modern man] says, 'Neither in religion nor morality, my friend, lie the hopes of the race, but in education.' This, clearly expressed, means, 'We cannot decide what is good, but let us give it to our children.'" ― G.K. Chesterton, Heretics

Modernity combines the modesty of open-mindedness with the hubris of heathenism. It wants everyone to disagree on the ultimate things and everyone to agree to avoid disagreeable subjects. In short, it wants a neutral space and it claims that secularism is the only thing that can provide that sanctuary. But neutrality is impossible and secularism cannot build anything. Antithesis is woven into the warp and woof of the world by God Himself (Gen. 3:15) and the United Apostates of America is living off of its inheritance from Christendom after it asked for it in advance and walked out of the house of God. But that capital will not last forever. It is being spent, not invested. It is being squandered away, not stored up. And so we are becoming increasingly morally and spiritually bankrupt and soon enough the depression is going to hit.

The prodigal sons of the republic are one step away from envying pig slop and some have already developed a taste for waste.

Luke 15:11-14

And he said, A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

America is like the prodigal son. She was born into a good home built upon Christian principles. And when she grew too big for her britches, she was given her portion of the fortune on demand. But the fortune was the Father's doing. She left the protection of her Father's house and began squandering her inheritance making friends with the world. But the riches, with no source now to replenish them, began to dwindle and the bank account evaporated.

This is our current cultural moment. All of our freedoms were inherited from the house in which America grew up, yet she has despised its foundation and abandoned them, wasting its riches on entertaining worldly friends. So America is poor and a famine of righteousness has begun to descend upon the land. America has not yet reached the point of want, however. She knows something is wrong and she can feel that she is broke, but hasn't hit rock bottom yet. She still refuses to turn her eyes back to her home. She still insists somehow that her upbringing is the reason she is going broke. So, rather than seeking to humbly return, she is conspiring with the world to make an assault on her former home to find more riches.

May America, like the prodigal son, find herself feeding the swine and wishing for something more, something that it used to possess, something that, Lord willing, could again be hers if she merely repented and returned in a spirit of submission.

And may the other America, the older sibling, back on the ranch, dutifully doing what has been required and enjoying the blessing of the Father's house, not resent the younger if and when she returns in humility -- for the riches she squandered, while lost opportunities, do not diminish the Father's ability to produce more.

day no. 17,267: an idiot's paradise

Then the idiot who praises,

with enthusiastic tone

All centuries but this, 

and every country but his own;

— Gilbert and Sullivan's "I've Got a Little List"

The idiot would be happy to live in any place but here at any other time. He lauds cultures of peoples he does not know and the times and places of lands he has never visited. But that is for fools. God has made each man for his own time.

Acts 17:26

God made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.

God has called us to honor our fathers and mothers and the lands from which they came and He has called us to bless our sons and daughters by making it easy for them to honor us.

“People who take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants.” — Thomas Babington Macaulay

The idiot ignores his present duties not only when he ignores his ancestors, but also when he obsesses over them. In the first instance, hes refuses to honor his fathers and mothers and in the second instance, he refuses to be where God has determined him to be. In his arrogance, he thinks there is another time or place that would have been better for him. He will not bloom where He has been planted.

"Men cannot give a meaning to history that they themselves lack, nor can they honor a past which indicts them for their present failures." — R.J. Rushdoony, The Biblical Philosophy of History

The idiot forsakes the present while praising the past. It is not that the past is not praiseworthy, but that he demonstrates his ignorance of their virtue by refusing to do what they did. They did not live in the past, they lived in their present and they did noble things worthy of being remembered and lauded. They did not sit around despising their circumstances. They got to work and did something worth remembering. The idiot remembers only the good that they did, but he forgets that they blessed him, their descendant, by honoring their own ancestors in working hard in their own time.

The present is always an idiot's paradise, not because there is anything particularly wrong about the present, but because the idiot thinks he can enjoy today by forsaking the past and ignoring the future.

day no. 17,250: who you worship and who you marry

"Marrying a sinner is a perilous thing. Doing so while being a sinner yourself is doubly so." — Douglas Wilson, Samuel and Johanna

The two most importation decisions you will ever make are who you will worship and who you will marry. And the first must inform the latter because the latter will influence the first. 

2 Corinthians 6:14

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

If you are a Christian, you cannot be interested in, date, court, get engaged to, or marry an unbeliever. You cannot hitch your wagon to someone going in a different direction. This begins with who you worship, but goes beyond even that. Of course you cannot want to go North and marry someone who is wanting to go South. That is impossible. You cannot make vows to that person before God because either you will break apart as you both pull different directions or you will end up going their direction in order to avoid divorce. 

But beyond that, it is unwise to be going north by northwest and marry someone who is going north by northeast. The differences aren't as severe and someone can compromise NE for NW easier than they can NE for SW, but still, it will cause tension as you pull apart on particulars. A paedobaptist cannot lawfully marry an unbaptized unbeliever, but a paedobaptist could lawfully marry a credobaptist. But even then, it may be ill-advised since once they have kids, the tension will ramp up if they haven't resolved it before then.

All that to say, be careful with whom you enter covenant. Do not take it lightly or simply assume that everything will work itself out. It does, but not the way you think. It works out just like anyone with eyeballs would have predicted: pain, separation, hurt, and divorce. Don't do it.

The two most important questions you will ever answer are: (1) who will I worship?, and (2) who will I marry? And the first must determine the second for the second will impact the first. Who you marry affects how you worship and sometimes, it can even change who you worship.

day no. 17,248: more the images of Caesar or more images of God?

“Fellow citizens, why do you turn and scrape every stone to gather wealth and take so little care of your children to whom you must one day relinquish it all?” — Socrates

Most Christians know that children are a blessing and that money is a trap, yet most Christians also have more imagination for more money than they do for more kids. If you asked a random Christian man or woman what they would do with a million dollars, they could immediately begin naming off things they would do. They would find the exercise invigorating. While the whole thing remained hypothetical, they would find themselves listing off ideas and then revising them as they developed a full scale chronology and prioritization of what those dollars would do for them. Those same people, however, if asked, "What would you do with a million descendants?" would not have a clue. They would likely not even understand the question or the premise behind it. It would probably be the first (and last) time they ever considered the notion. 

All that to say, most Christians who confess that children are a blessing would still choose a thousand dollars over a thousand descendants. They would probably take $5 over five children. A joke about making five bucks instead of paying $5 million to raise them all would likely be made. The problem is that most Christians see people as a consumer instead of a producer. The more people, the more mouths to feed. And as far as the observation goes, well enough. Point granted. But they do not see image bearers as a force multiplier. They children and grandchildren as compound interest that is working against them instead of compound interest that is working for them. Children are good stock that returns more on investment than vacations and fast cars. Children are a better and more faithful retirement plan than your 401k. You can either save up enough $ to pay someone else's kid to take care of you when you are older or you can invest in your own children so that they are there to take care of you as you were there to take care of them.

The image of God is worth more than the image of Caesar, but most people, including Christians, get more excited about the idea of more coins in their pockets than they do about more children in their homes. 

day no. 17,238: alphabetical areas of interest January 2026

"There are no uninteresting things, only uninterested people."

— G.K. Chesterton

Interested people are interesting people.

Be interested... stay interesting.

AI funk covers (been having fun listening to some of these)

Almost Impossible Game Show (been watching together as a family)

AMVs (watching during Saturday breakfast)

Ave Marias (sweet cigars I got from member for Christmas gift)

Bathtub (has been dripping, need to fix)

Beer n Books (Finneas asked to begin attending)

BIG cigar (got as a gift from Kevin Lucas - it was really good)

Black Jack Cola (Finneas likes this for 3rd Fridays)

Boylei Hobby Time (fun diorama making channel on YouTube)

Canon+ (approved by session for officers)

Christmas gift (got a nice gift from my parents for our family)

Cigars (Drew Estates Factory Smoke Sweets: Robustos are my new jam)

Couch (kids broke downstairs couch while playing)

Custer (house was under contract, but fell through, may get another chance to see it)

Dark Country (interesting covers of popular songs)

Date night (song from Bob's Burgers)

Doorknobs (kids have broken garage doorknob and dining room doorknob)

Drama (so much church drama since joining session as elder candidate)

Duck eggs (been getting these from Behlers)

Eggnog (most kids really liked it this year)

Emporia (made first trip to preach there in August)

Family Reunion (Paige's Dad's family in Washington, IA)

Field Trip (scheduled tentatively for week before Thanksgiving)

Fire Cider (Paige made a batch - sooo good!)

Fires (trying to do them most Sundays, weather permitting)

Goodwill (found some new church clothes on date night with Paige)

Holiday Cheer (beer by Shiner Bock that we liked)

Ice cream (Lolo likes yellow vanilla with a fork)

Jazz (fun date night destination for cajun food)

Kent (new neighbor kid who has been coming over to play)

Kingdom Core (fun IG page culling great Christian metal)

Liturgical ties (Paige got me a red one and I picked out a green, gold, and purple one)

Losers (Russell Moore called Canon Press people losers, got a coffee cup from KJ)

Milk (now up to 9 gallons a week)

Money (neighbor left card with $200 for Christmas)

Mopping (new nightly routine with sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping)

Nate Bargatze (enjoying his comedy with kids, Christmas special)

Night driving (Atticus working on night time hours)

Ninjago (kids have become HUGE Ninj-nerds)

Oatmeal (Paige had some instant stuff sitting around that I liked)

Penelope (been having a rough season of weakness and dizziness)

Postmillitant (passed 150k followers on IG and nearing 400 on YouTube)

Psych (Paige and I at end of last season of this show)

Quince (Paige started getting clothes from this online retailer)

Raise (getting a Jan 1st salary adjustment at work)

Red light (Paige put this up on her side of the bed)

Red Pill Reformation (fun new channel on YouTube we've been watching)

Red Postmillitant shirt (finally opened and wore for the first time)

Roller Skating (kids have been using garage for skating rink)

Sermon prep (my favorite is outside with a cigars surrounded by my sons)

Sherlock Hound (kids watching on Canon+)

Smash-Ups (been having fun finding smashups of songs during clean up)

Sonic the Hedgehog (waching the movies)

South Dakota (made a trip out to Custer for possibly the last time)

Studio C (continues to be a family favorite for comedy)

Tee Hee Hee Tuesday (fun Michael Knowles videos we've been watching)

Thai food (Sila Thai, new restaurant in LV, which is awesome!)

Trolls (kids have enjoyed these movies and soundtracks)

United States are (not is - this was the cause of the War of Northern Aggression)

Vacation (SD in September to see parents in Custer - maybe last time???)

Warrior Poet (enjoying his YouTube with kids)

Wipe Out (finished Australia, then watched through Canada)

Wipe Out (kids made makeshift course in backyard to simulate playing)

X (still not on Twitter, no X; not opposed, just an hours in the day thing)

Yellowcard (their version of Coldplay's "Christmas Lights" is epic)

Zzzs (Paige going to bed earlier, first time we've been going to be at diff times on the regs)

day no. 17,237: a year in books, 2025 edition

2025

1.   The Hands of Fate: Book One - Nefarios - Atticus J.R. Van Voorst

2.   The Light Brigade - Atticus J.R. Van Voorst

3.   Mere Fundamentalism - Douglas Wilson

4.   On Being Faithful Heirs of the Reformation - Ben Merkle 

5.   Why Children Matter - Douglas Wilson

5.   The Black Regiment - Douglas Wilson

7.   How to Be Free From Bitterness - Jim Wilson

8.   Biblical Courtship - Douglas Wilson

9.   You Who? - Rachel Jankovic

10. Worldview Wheel - Douglas Wilson

11. A Serrated Edge - Douglas Wilson

12. Nehemiah - Douglas Wilson

13. Bad Whiskey - Douglas Wilson

14. Learning Contentment - Nancy Wilson

15. The Resurrection of the Church - Douglas Wilson

16. Blood Bought World - Toby Sumpter

17. The Gospel & Your Government - Douglas Wilson

18. The Clouds Ye So Much Dread - Hannah Grieser

19. Motivation for Evangelism - Douglas Wilson

20. Celebrating the Holidays - Douglas Wilson

21. On Secular Education - R.L. Dabney

22. Women's Rights Women - R.L. Dabney

23. The Five Points of Calvinism - R.L. Dabney

24. Preachers and Politics - R.L. Dabney

25. The Public Preaching of Women - R.L. Dabney

26. Introduction to a Great American Christian Theologian - R.L. Dabney

27. The Necessity of Chivalry - C.S. Lewis

28. Introduction to Athanasius’ On the Incarnation - C.S. Lewis

29. The Four Loves - C.S. Lewis

30. Cantus Christi - Various Authors

31. The Abolition of Man - C.S. Lewis

32. You Have the Right To Remain Innocent – James Duane

33. The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis

January

34. A Grief Observed - C.S. Lewis

35. Everything On It - Shel Silverstein

36. The Weight of Glory - C.S. Lewis

37. The Biggest Story - Kevin DeYoung

38. The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis

39. Spirits in Bondage - Clive Hamilton (aka C.S. Lewis)

40. The Giving Tree - Shel Silverstein

41. A Moral Alphabet - Hilaire Belloc

42. Catholic and AntiCatholic History - - Hilaire Belloc

43. The Winter King - Christine Cohen

44. The Free Press - Hilaire Belloc

45. The Schools - Hilaire Belloc

46. Verses - Hilaire Belloc

47. The Servile State: Birth of the Welfare State - Hilaire Belloc

48. Architecture - G.K Chesterton

49. Cousin Companions - Douglas Wilson

50. The Sins of the Saints - A.W. Pink

51. Wine, Water, and Song - G.K. Chesterton

52. A Biblical Refutation of Dispensationalism - A.W. Pink

53. Eternal Punishment - A.W. Pink

54. Satan’s Wiles to Accuse and Trouble the Saints - William Gurnall

55. Cardboard - Doug TenNapel

56. Fight Laugh Feast 4.4: Deck the Heretics - Various Authors

57. Beware of False Prophets - A.W. Pink

58. Looking After a Woman to Lust after Her - A.W. Pink

59. The Great Revival - Charles Hodge

60. Persuasions - Douglas Wilson

61. Regeneration - Charles Hodge

62. Emancipation - Charles Hodge

63. Ghostopolis - Doug TenNapel

64. What is Darwinism? - Charles Hodge

February

65. Slavery - Charles Hodge

66. The Ordo Salutis - A.A. Hodge

67. Revolting Rhymes - Roald Dahl

68. Bad Island - Doug TenNapel

69. The Day Changed and the Sabbath Preserved - A.A. Hodge

70. Creature Tech - Doug TenNapel

71. Thirty-Nine Steps - John Buchan

72. Prayer and God’s Sovereignty - A.W. Pink

73. Concerning Christian Liberty - Martin Luther

74. The Dragon and the Garden - N.D. Wilson

75. In The Time of Noah - N.D. Wilson

76. The Sword of Abram - N.D. Wilson

77. Tommysaurus Rex - Doug TenNapel

78. The Ninety-Five Theses - Martin Luther

79. On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church - Martin Luther

80. Gear - Doug TenNapel

81. The Small Catechism - Martin Luther

82. The Smalcald Articles - Martin Luther

83. The Confession of St. Patrick - St. Patrick

84. Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus  - St. Patrick

85. A Simple Way to Pray - Martin Luther

86. Prologue to the Epistle to the Romans - Martin Luther

87. Cautionary Tales for Children - Hilaire Belloc

88. On the Jews and Their Lies - Martin Luther

89. Ratfist  - Doug TenNapel

90. The Lost Tools of Learning - Dorothy L. Sayers

91. The Fates of Empires - Sir John Glubb

92. The Search for Survival - Sir John Glubb

93. The Declaration of Independence - Thomas Jefferson, Committee of Five

94. War Is A Racket - Smedley D. Butler

95. Dulce Et Decorum Est and Other Poems  - Wilfred Owen, Various Authors 

96. The Law - Frederic Bastiat

March

97. Bigfoot Bill: Shadow of the Mothman - Doug TenNapel

98. What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen - Frederic Bastiat

99. Bigfoot Bill 2: Finger of Poseidon - Doug TenNapel

100. You Have the Right To Remain Innocent – James Duane

101. The Art of War - Sun Tzu

102. On the Shortness of Life - Seneca

103. Beowulf - translated by Seamus Heaney

104. The Battle of Brunanburh - Alfred, Lord Tennyson

105. The Battle of Maldon - Anonymous

106. Life of King Alfred - Asser

107. Bigfoot Bill 3: Born Twice - Doug TenNapel

108. The Song of Roland - Anonymous

109. Poem For Patriarchs - Douglas Phillips

110. Samson Agonistes - John Milton

111. Going Solo - Roald Dahl

112. Lucky Break - Roald Dahl

113. The Landlady - Roald Dahl

114. Revolting Rhymes - Roald Dahl

115. 30 Theses on Culture Shaping - New Saint Andrews College

116. The Witches - Roald Dahl

117. Earthworm Jim: Launch the Cow! - Doug TenNapel

118. Danny the Champion of the World - Roald Dahl

April

119. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - Roald Dahl

120. Billy and the Minpins - Roald Dahl

121. Earthworm Jim 2: Fight the Fish! - Doug TenNapel

122. Royal Jelly - Roald Dahl

123. The Boy Who Talked with Animals - Roald Dahl

124. The Hitch-hiker - Roald Dahl

125. The Lotus and the Cross - Ravi Zacharias

126. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me - Roald Dahl

127. Edward the Conqueror - Roald Dahl

128. The Holy Bible (KJV) - The Holy Spirit

129. The BFG - Roald Dahl

130. Lamb to the Slaughter - Roald Dahl

131. Pig - Roald Dahl

132. The Soldier - Roald Dahl

133. The Way Up to Heaven - Roald Dahl

134. Genesis and Catastrophe - Roald Dahl

135. The Sound Machine - Roald Dahl

136. The Mildenhall Treasure - Roald Dahl

137. Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat - Roald Dahl

138. The Great Switcheroo - Roald Dahl

139. 300 - Frank Miller

140. The Great Automatic Grammatizator- Roald Dahl

141. Georgy Porgy - Roald Dahl

142. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

143. Jack and the Beanstalk - J. Roberts

144. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L. Frank Baum

145. The Raven  - Edgar Allan Poe

146. The Black Cat - Edgar Allan Poe

147. The Cask of Amontillado - Edgar Allan Poe

148. The Masque of the Red Death - Edgar Allan Poe

149. The Purloined Letter - Edgar Allan Poe

150. The Pit and the Pendulum - Edgar Allan Poe

151. The Fall of the House of Usher - Edgar Allan Poe

152. The Monkey’s Paw - W.W. Jacobs

153. Some Aspects of the Grotesque in Southern Fiction - Flannery O'Connor 

154. A Good Man is Hard to Find - Flannery O’Connor

155. The Life You Save May Be Your Own - Flannery O’Connor

156. A Temple of the Holy Ghost - Flannery O’Connor

157. Ascensional - Todd Henry Van Voorst

May

158. Everything That Rises Must Converge - Flannery O’Connor

159. The Barber - Flannery O’Connor

160. The Geranium - Flannery O’Connor

161. Parker’s Back - Flannery O’Connor

162. Good Country People - Flannery O’Connor

163. The River - Flannery O’Connor

164. Revelation - Flannery O’Connor

165. Wildcat - Flannery O’Connor

166. Why Do the Heathen Rage? - Flannery O’Connor

167. Enoch and the Gorilla - Flannery O’Connor

168. The Crop - Flannery O’Connor

169. The Turkey - Flannery O’Connor

170. The Lame Shall Enter First - Flannery O’Connor

171. Falling Up - Shel Silverstein

172. Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter

173. Eden: A Skillet Graphic Novel - John Cooper and Chris Hunt

174. What’s Wrong With the World - G.K. Chesterton

175. William Blake - G.K. Chesterton

176. Eden II: The Aftermath, A Skillet Graphic Novel - John Cooper and Chris Hunt

177. Irish Impressions - G.K. Chesterton

178. The Ballad of St. Barbara and Other Verses - G.K. Chesterton

179. Twelve Types - G.K. Chesterton

180. The Sins of Prince Saradine - G.K. Chesterton

181. The British Review - G.K. Chesterton

182. The Noticeable Conduct of Professor Chadd - G.K. Chesterton

183. The Actor and the Alibi - G.K. Chesterton

June

184. The Century Illustrated - G.K. Chesterton

185. The New Jerusalem - G.K. Chesterton

186. A Light in the Attic - Shel Silverstein

187. The 4th of July Story - Alice Dalgleish

188. The Declaration of Independence - Thomas Jefferson, Committee of Five

189. The Horse of the Invisible - William Hope Hodgson

190. The Devil and Tom Walker - Washington Irving

191. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Washington Irving

192. Rip Van Winkle - Washington Irving

193. The Haunted Mind - Nathaniel Hawthorne

194. Robert Louis Stevenson - G.K. Chesterton

195. Thomas Carlyle - G.K. Chesterton

196. A Ballade of Suicide - G.K. Chesterton

197. Leo Tolstoy - G.K. Chesterton

198. An Introduction to Aesop’s Fables - G.K. Chesterton

199. The Catholic Church and Conversion - G.K. Chesterton

200. The Barbarism of Berlin - G.K. Chesterton

201. The Victorian Age in Literature - G.K. Chesterton

202. Defiant Joy: A GKC biography - Kevin Belmonte

203. Alarms and Discursions - G.K. Chesterton

204. Reflections on the Psalms  - C.S. Lewis

205. Full-Time - David L. Bahnsen

206. Man Overboard - Francis Marion Crawford

207. The Wendigo - Algernon Blackwood

208. The Eighth Green Man - G.G. Pendarves

July

209. The Little Colonel - Annie Fellows Johnston

210. Agricola - Publius Cornelius Tacitus

211. Somebody’s Luggage - Charles Dickens

212. The Seven Poor Travelers - Charles Dickens

213. A Utopia of Usurers - G.K. Chesterton

214. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis

215. The Battle of :Life - Charles Dickens

216. The Wise Woman - George MacDonald

217. Wise Words - Peter J. Leithart

218. Diary of an Old Soul - George MacDonald

219. The Idiot - John Kendrick Bangs

220. Ghosts I Have Met - John Kendrick Bangs

221. Mrs. Raffles - John Kendrick Bangs

222. The New Testament (RSV) - The Holy Spirit

223. Leadership and Emotional Sabotage - Joe Rigney

224. A Field Guide on False Teaching - Ligonier Ministries

225. Christendom’s Last Stand - George Grant

226. Prince Caspian - C.S. Lewis

227. Christendom’s Last Stand - George Grant

August

228. Heaven: A World of Charity - Jonathan Edwards

229. 21 Prayers for Pastors on the Lord’s Day - Douglas Wilson

230. Cousin Companions - Douglas Wilson

231. Dealing With Musical Culture - Douglas Wilson

232. Keep Your Kids - Douglas Wilson

233. The Importance of Dad in Education - Voddie Baucham

234. Recovering the Family Unit - Voddie Baucham

235. The Family: The Educator of Children - Voddie Baucham

236. Family Driven Faith - Voddie Baucham

237. Teaching Critical Thinking to Children - Voddie Baucham

September

238. Children of Caesar - Voddie Baucham

239. Dragons Abounding - Voddie Baucham

240. Are You a Christian Nationalist? - Voddie Baucham and Douglas Wilson

241. Eggs Are Expensive, Sperm is Cheap - Greg Krehbiel

242. Beowulf - translated by Seamus Heaney

243. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis

244. Lincoln and Lenin - George Grant

245. Saint Brendan - George Grant

246. Cotton Mather - George Grant

247. Van Til - George Grant

248. Boniface - George Grant

249. Starting All Over: Learning from Chalmers and Kuyper  - George Grant

250. The Last Crusader - George Grant

251. Jesus on Right Wing Evangelicalism and Politics in America - Stephen Nichols

252. Leadership and the Sin of Empathy - Joe Rigney

253. Socialism is Legalized Theft - Gary Demar

254. Feasting and Fasting: Combat with the Devil - Michael Shover

255. Rapunzel - Paul Zelinsky

256. Luther and the Reformation - R.C. Sproul

257. The Duties of Parents - J.C. Ryle

258. Fight the Good Fight - Robert G. Rayburn

259. George’s Marvellous Medicine  - Roald Dahl

260. The Future of Protestantism - Peter J. Leithart

261. Then Tweets My Soul - David Regier

262. The Gospel and the Gentiles - Steve Wilkins

263. Then Tweets My Soul - David Regier

264. Karl Marx and the Satanic Roots of Communism - Richard Wurmbrand

265. Here We Stand: A 31-Day Journey with Heroes of the Reformation - Desiring God

October

266. Tulips on Fire - Ben Zornes

267. How to Be a Responsible Man - Jim Wilson

268. How to Be Free From Bitterness - Jim Wilson

269. The Silver Chair - C.S. Lewis

270. Boys of Blur - N.D. Wilson

271. Machen’s Warrior Children - John Frame

272. What’s Wrong with the World - G.K. Chesterton

273. Avoiding Burnout - Nancy Wilson

274. Made in the Image - Joffre Swait

275. Shelf Life - George Grant

276. Taking Men Alive - Jim Wilson

277. Blue Ice and Other Stories from the Rink - Frank Ewert

278. The Thanksgiving Story - Alice Dalgliesh

November

279. No Time to Be Dumb - Rachel Jankovic

280. Where the Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein

281. The Church-Friendly Marriage - Uri Brito

282. A Christian View of War - Douglas Wilson

283. Calvinism and the Future of America - Douglas Wilson

284. A Worldview Guide to Frankenstein - Jake McAtee

285. The Sign of the Broken Sword - G.K. Chesterton

286. The Priest with Dirty Clothes - R.C. Sproul

287. The Other Side of the Coyne - Douglas Wilson

288. Church Music and the Other Kinds - Douglas Wilson

289. Pomosexuality - Douglas Wilson

290. European Brain Snakes - Douglas Wilson

291. The Seven Deadlies - Douglas Wilson

292. The Neglected Qualification - Douglas Wilson

293. The Advent of Glory - R.C. Sproul

294. Fathers and Sons, Fathers and Daughters - Douglas Wilson

295. Teens: Is Rebellion the Norm? - Douglas Wilson

296. Her Hand in Marriage - Douglas Wilson

297. Saturation Love - Jim Wilson

298. The Horse and His Boy - C.S. Lewis

299. 8 Errors Parent Make and How to Avoid Them - Michael Brock

300. Praise Her in the Gates - Nancy Wilson

301. Jesus Christ, Forgiver of Our Sins: The Advent of Christmas - Penelope Van Voorst

302. Dangerous Alphabet - Douglas Wilson

303. Blah Blah Black Sheep - N.D. Wilson

304. The Power of Parental Example - Douglas Wilson

305. The Duties of Parents - J.C. Ryle

306. How Should We View Our Children in the Church? - Joel Beeke

307. God Rest Ye Merry - Douglas Wilson

308. My Utmost for His Highest - Oswald Chambers

309. Success in Parenting - Gregg Strawbridge

310. Two Kingdoms - John Frame

December

day no. 17,220: ophelia is four

Ophelia is FOUR! She is O-four-lia. Nope. Nevermind. Sorry.

Oey, you are so much fun. You are full of energy, attitude, and personality. You like to tell jokes and you love being funny. The other day you were at the table singing, "The stu word, the stu word!" You are at that fun age where you say silly things, most of the time unintentionally, but every once in a while on purpose. Another time I overhead you singing, "I like marshmallows. They are good for my teeth." 

You like to say, "I'm scared" before bed so that I will respond by saying, "I will keep you safe" You like to say. "bum bum" at the end of singing Amazing Grace and you do not like it when anyone else joins in to say, "bum bum."

You like doing things for yourself except for when you don't and then you demand that other people do them for you. Typical threenager stuff, nothing new under the sun.

You like to talk about Dreesuz. You've heard enough churchianity and Christianese in your young life to say some really profound things... when you're not accidentally promoting outright heresy. You like to pray and you like to talk about God. You are a little Christian lady. You are the first Van Voorst to be raised entirely within the world of Presbyterianism. This is the air you breathe. You will never know a time where we didn't sing psalms.

You love your sisters and like playing with them, until you don't. And then you like playing by yourself in the back room, especially if trains are involved. If you have your trains, you can easily be on your own in there for hours without needing anything. You also disappear to play with Knox and Eulalie at times. You love your siblings.

You like building things with Duplos and just like trains, you can get lost in them and spend a morning making and playing in a world made out of colored blocks. 

You like Ninjago, especially Cole. He's the rock ninja.

You like being outside, especially without shoes. Speaking of shoes, where are your shoes? Why am I asking you? You don't know. :)

If you say, "Pwease" like three times, you expect to get what you asked for. 

You like to play games. In fact, sometimes, you just start playing them and expect other people to realize that they are now part of whatever game you are playing. Sometimes we discover we've been playing a game with you and we didn't even know it.

You know how to stay dry in your diaper, you just don't care enough to consistently stay dry in it. Sometimes you do, sometimes you do do.

You have a lot of chutzpah to harness and by the grace of God, when it is someday, you're going to wreak havoc on the heathen. You were born to be a handful. May your enemies' hands always be incapable of handling you and may their minds never know what to do with you.

All things considered, you are a delight, Oey. You are cute, smart, funny, and fiesty. I love being your dad and I'm glad I get to spend my days getting to know you.

So, here's to Oey!

Happy Birthday!

Love,

Dad

day no. 17,211: saint nicholas of myra

"St. Nicholas of Myra (a city in Turkey) was a fourth century bishop. He was renowned for his kindliness to the needy and to children. He inherited a large fortune which he gave away, establishing orphanages, hospitals, hostels for the mentally infirm. Legends of course spread concerning his generosity, which included him delivering gifts secretly by night. During his time, the famous Council of Nicea was held, and according to one legend, the orthodox Nicholas slapped Arius in the face for his blasphemy." — Douglas Wilson, Santa Claus At Nicea

The history of the church is the smackdown of heretics. Our heritage is full of right-handed hermeneutics. It is not merely, or even primarily a story of right handed fellowship, but it is a story punctuated by a punch or two here and there.

Isaiah 54:17

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

So, be like Santa Claus. Be known by most for being open-handed and benevolent and be known by a few for being close-fisted and violent.

day no. 17,210: Atticus turns SEVENTEEN!

Happy Birthday, Atticus!

They say that time flies when you're having fun, so it makes sense that it goes even faster when you're having as much as we have. You are seventeen years old today and it has been a blast and it has really flown by.

I am proud of the man that you are and excited by the man you are becoming. You are reliable, humble, faithful, respectable, hard-working, interesting, fun, and kind. You are a good big brother to your siblings and a good son to your mother and me. You are a churchman. You like being where the men of our church are and you like helping out with what needs to be done. You do this at home when it comes to dishes and at church when it comes to chairs. You are a good artist and a good worker. You know how to create a world on paper and how to better the world with your hands.

I am proud of you. I love you and I like you and I like telling others that you're my son.

So, here's the Atticus!

Happy Birthday, son.

Love,

Dad