The Good Portion

In case anyone's wondering where I've been - I've been very discouraged and emotionally drained lately. The last few months have been difficult. I've been working hard. I've been reading and trying to understand C.S. Lewis - his simple faith and his incredible joy (and the inexplicable extremes of love & hate he seems to provoke in folks). I've been troubled by the state of our nation, on many levels. Many positive things are happening (which, as a Republican and a Christian I'm not supposed to acknowledge). And some pretty terrible things are happening (which, if I'm to look like a good Christian, I'm supposed to get indignantly outraged about.) I've been troubled by the way the Church by and large is addressing the great moral issues of our time - as if She herself was not made up of sinners struggling with their own moral issues. Troubled by how we look, to me and the onlooking world, like a bunch of miserable, judgemental, bickering, isol...

I'll try to cook up something of my own soon; but for now I'll dish up something freshly prepared by my dear husband, a new Puritan Cameo. This time it's Scottish Puritan, James Durham . Enjoy!

I always feel like I need to apologize for not being good at multi-tasking - but not anymore! Here's why . It really is better to to one thing well, than several poorly. It is also quicker and more accurate to do each task with full attention than several while distracted.

Lincoln’s Logic on Slavery Applied to Abortion January 22, 2009 | By: John Piper On January 12, 2009 Samantha Heiges, age 23, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for drowning her newborn in Burnsville, Minnesota. If she had arranged for a doctor to kill the child a few weeks earlier she would be a free woman. What are the differences between this child before and after birth that would justify it’s protection just after birth but not just before? There are none. This is why Abraham Lincoln’s reasoning about slavery is relevant in ways he could not foresee. He wrote: You say A. is white, and B. is black. It is color, then; the lighter, having the right to enslave the darker? Take care. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with a fairer skin than your own. You do not mean color exactly? You mean the whites are intellectually the superiors of the blacks, and, therefore have the right to enslave them? Take care again. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first...

Here's a great John Piper sermon, dating back to the beginning of the Clinton presidency. Amazingly little has changed in the situation between then and now. You'll see what I mean. The message is on How to Be Pro-Life Christians Under a Pro-Choice President . I generally love Piper's political perspectives, because of his great respect for the God-given role of government, and the human beings God raises up to fill those roles. This message is no exception.

Thanks to my friend Barry for the link to this wonderful short film. May you be blessed, and emboldened to continue to stand up for the rights of the helpless among us. (You'll have to cut and paste the address. I couldn't for the life of me get the hyperlink to work.) http://www.thedoorpost.com/hope/Volition/

on this historic day. That beautiful piece, an arrangement of "Simple Gifts" played by the quartet today brought me back to my childhood. I was raised in the Lutheran church and went to Lutheran schools most of my youth. At one of our camps (6th grade, I think) we learned a song, sung to the tune of "Simple Gifts". It made me weepy as a child, and still does today: Lord of the Dance words by Sydney Carter, music traditional I danced in the morning when the world was begun I danced in the Moon & the Stars & the Sun I came down from Heaven & I danced on Earth At Bethlehem I had my birth: Dance then, wherever you may be I am the Lord of the Dance, said He! And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said He! (...lead you all in the Dance, said He!) I danced for the scribe & the pharisee But they would not dance & they wouldn't follow me I danced for fishermen, for James & John They came with me ...

There is a great deal to celebrate this day, a great barrier has been surmounted. There are great struggles ahead, great wrongs still to be righted, and more human lives to protect from tragic injustices; but for now I will rejoice with those who are rejoicing, and hope with those who are hopeful - with African-American parents, children, and grandparents who may now, for the first time ever feel simply like Americans. I, Too, Sing America by Langston Hughes I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes. Nobody'll dare Say to me, "Eat in the kitchen," Then. Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed-- I, too, am America.

Paul's completed another informative and entertaining Puritan bio. This time it's Thomas Cartwright . Don't know who he is? Neither did I, but here's your chance to find out.

I know this poem has made the rounds, particularly in home-school circles, but it has an interesting place in my heart. Mainly because the title became a mantra of sorts for me long before I'd ever heard the poem. To those who know me, this story is old news, you may skip ahead to the poem. For the rest, here's the story: I came to Christ in the weeks after my former husband left me for another man's wife. Knowing how God feels about divorce, I thought if I went back to "living like a Christian", He would certainly be on my side and help me get my husband back. I had turned to God after a life of rebellion, like I always did, for purely selfish reasons - to get out of a fix. This time, however, something different happened. I became so broken and so keenly aware of my sinfulness that, for the first time in my life, I realized I needed to be saved. I didn't just need a change of circumstances - a fresh start, I needed a new heart. For the first time I...

Paul's posted another Puritan bio. Find it here: http://possumbane.livejournal.com/457029.html

This is the next installment of our Reading the Classics over at www.challies.com. Okay, last week I got ahead of myself. Back when we were reading Edwards there came a time, near the end, when Tim needed to take a week off while he went to some conference or another. When he came back I found myself mysteriously two weeks behind. I never did figure out how it happened, but I never got caught up again, and finished the race to the cheers of the clean-up crew. This time he took a break for the holidays and I ended up a section ahead. Again, I had no idea. Clearly I don’t pay careful enough attention to the instruction portion of his post. So, I commented on Section 7, Forgiveness, a week early. It was, in fact the predominant focus of that post. If you haven’t already read it, you can find it here: http://lauriemo.blogspot.com/2009/01/so-in-light-of-resolutions-ive-made.html . And with all that said, I’ll carry on today with the next section of our reading. We begin with the Christian v...

No, not that Paul. My dear husband has started a series on his blog called "Meet the Puritans". Each week or so he'll be featuring a short, and (I think) rather entertaining biography of a Puritan. He began his series today with William Perkins. Hop on over and check it out.

I'd like to thank my on-line friend Barry for sharing this amazing story .

I've never been one to make resolutions, really at all, mainly because throughout most of my life I have had little confidence in my ability to see things through - particularly difficult things. I've a long history of being a quitter. That is a trait I've seen change markedly since becoming a Christian at the age of 40. I've seen how I really can "do all things in Him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). I do not mean by this, nor does the context of that Scripture reference imply, that I can run a marathon, or compose a symphony; make a million dollars this year, get on MTV, or become a faith healer. What it does mean is that I can keep doing whatever it is God has given me to do even when it gets difficult and unpleasant. I've learned that it is God who is at work in me both to will and to work according to His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). I've learned that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it at the day of Jesus Christ...