Fun

I'm sitting in the study this morning, trying to type quietly as Rhett lays in his baby cot below snoring softly.  Figuring out which topics to discuss on this is rather difficult.  Too many things I could weigh in on.  Going to have to leave the majority of them for you to learn through experience, I guess.  Going to have to put my trust in God to lead you by his spirit along with the godly men and women he places in your lives.

One thing that does come to mind is the idea of balancing work/fun.  In a world like this where it seems there is always someone in need, we may think we should be working all the time to alleviate those needs.  Well, that is why the Lord designated 6 days for work out of 7.  Most of the time we should be working.  The idea of "retirement", where one does nothing but play golf and watch tv all day is ungodly.

We don't have to be pharisaichal about this.  There are times when it is appropriate to work through the sabbath (when it is unavoidable due to the need at hand), and times when it is ok to relax for more than one day at a time.  But these are exceptions to the general rule of life - work hard!  ...but save some time for rest/rejuvenation/worship.  It is also okay to work and rest/play in the same day.  We must not forget the intent behind God's weekly plan:

"The sabbath was made for man" - Jesus, Mark 2:27

God ordained a time to put up the work and rest joyfully in his presence.  Some may turn this into a labor in itself - you must do this and/or that to observe the sabbath correctly.  Don't fall into that error, or its opposite - being lazy and selfish, ignoring the call to worship with God's people.

Play is an acceptable form of rest/rejuvenation.  God delights in us delighting in his creation and our freedom.  As John Piper says, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him".  A loving father wants his kids to have fun amongst all the work to be done.  Find whatever lifts your spirit and go enjoy it!

Be prudent about your choices - "all things are lawful for me", but not all things are helpful - 1 Cor 6:12, 10:23.  For example, choosing to spend all your time playing video games by yourself - fun, sure, but you'll get fat, vitamin-D deficient, and friendless : P and many video games have you practicing ungodly behavior within them anyway.  Make sure to balance fun with work responsibly and don't allow your spirit to lose its sense of wonder and passion!

I love you boys,

Dad

God's Law

Recent events in this country's history directed my attention to the importance of God's sovereign, unchanging law - the absolute standards by which we judge good and evil.  The Supreme Court has ruled homosexual marriage to be legitimate and has ordered all states to comply with granting them licenses.  Obviously the U.S. has gone astray here.  We must always remember, as God's people, we belong to His kingdom and not to any geo-political entity here.  We can bless a nation by our presence/deeds, much like Daniel in Babylon, but we can never forget that worldly nations will always hate Christians and will continue to ostracize and persecute us, even those founded by Christian men.

Many Christians believe wrongly that the law is of no more importance to us since we are forgiven once and for all from any sin debt.  While the latter is true, the law still has tremendous importance, as discussed in this excerpt from a devotional I subscribe to:
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Romans 7:12: “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”

Romans 7:22: “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.”

Does this sound like a man who believed the law of God has no place in the Christian life? Read Paul’s writings carefully and you will find a man whose heart longed for the law of God as much as David’s.

The law drives us to the gospel. The gospel saves us from the curse of the law, but in turn directs us back to the law to search its spirit. The law of God is still a lamp to our feet. Without it we stumble and trip and grope in darkness.

For the Christian, the greatest benefit of the law of God is its revelatory character. The law reveals to us the Lawgiver. It teaches us what is pleasing in His sight.
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Yes, we must study the law to better know the character of God.  We can come to delight in his goodness, justice, mercy, and holiness.  While we are forgiven of wrongdoing, the law shows us how to avoid offending God in the first place.  We will not obtain perfection this side of glory, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for obedience.  He does, afterall, promise blessings in the here and now for those that honor him with their lives (not talking "health/wealth gospel" here, though).  Take time to study the law and how it applies to us today.

I love you guys!

Dad

Tough Job

"Hey buddy!"

That's my preferred address for each of you it seems.  I love how you, Keegan, are always running up to me to put books or toys in my lap in a not-so-subtle way of saying you want attention.  Sometimes you bring me my flip-flops, meaning you want me to take you outside.  It appears you don't care what we do so long as you get to do it with me.  Funny, that's how I feel about you boys too.  Keegan, I'll reread your truck book for the millionth time if I get to hold you in my lap again.  Rhett, I know it will be no different when you're a bit older.  In the meantime, I get to study your face as I feed you a bottle.  Truth is, I'm really looking forward to being your buddy as you two grow up.  So many things I daydream of enjoying with you.

I'm fatigued and finding it difficult to motivate myself to write these days.  Back to zombie mode since bringing Rhett home and rediscovering what life is like on 6 or less hours of sleep a night.  Trying to take care of the priorities with the energy and time I do have - helping your mom with babysitting and household chores, keeping Keegan entertained, taking the family places to break up the periods of being homebound, Bible studying, keeping up with friends/family, etc.

But then I hear about some local tragedy, like a fatal wreck on Hwy 17a (my commute road to work) yesterday, and it reminds me I better get back to this in case I get taken home earlier than expected.  My new life insurance policy doesn't take effect for another 9 days and it scares me somewhat.  I know I need to place more faith in my God in this regard ("do not be anxious about anything..."), but you may understand what I mean if/when you have kids someday.  You want so bad to make sure they are provided for if something were to happen to you.

Only lesson here is, if I'm gone, it's up to you two to look after your mother.  Yes, you will have plenty of help from our respective families, but don't forget you will be her primary caretakers.  She's a tough woman, though, and probably won't need much help until she's older.  I trust you will use your good judgement in determining how best to do that.  Companionship would mean the most to her, I can tell you that much.

As men, looking after the welfare of others is our biggest responsibility.  Family first, but also those in your community - even strangers.  Think Golden Rule and you'll be fine.  Don't get caught up trying to help everyone ("savior complex" they call it).  Sometimes you'll just have to leave people in God's gracious hands (he cares even for the sparrows, afterall).  But we are tasked to accomplish good works wherever we find ourselves.  That may mean sacrificing things we would like - a LOT.  Be it play time, "chill" time, workout time (I haven't run for almost 2 years), sleep time, money, that last piece of dessert, etc.  It's not easy, but it is rewarding.  JOY = Jesus, Others, Yourself.  Reevaluate your use of time often and prioritize as needed.

That's all for now.  I love you guys!

Dad