Remember the contest we entered for Tim Challies’ Reformation Day Symposium? Our submission won!!! In Challies’ words:

Musings of the Dings - The strategy here worked—brownie points were awarded for including a five-year old in the symposium.

My husband said that Challies might be a bit biased because he also has little ones so he is quite sympathetic. Nevertheless, we are very excited, even more excited than our son.

Wow.

First time since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that we’ve felt a real shaker around here. This one hit about an hour ago, measured in at 5.6 on the Richter scale, and its epicenter was less than 10 miles from us.

We’re all okay though a bit shaken up (!), though I guess the local phone lines got swamped and the only way folks could reach us was via Yahoo/Skype IM! Funny how technology is.

The house, on the other hand, was not so fortunate as we:

Just kidding, of course.  Actually the above was from the famed 1906 earthquake in San Francisco. Now that was a doozy, to put it lightly.

Seriously, though, kinda humbling, to have the whole world around you not be stable. You really are in no control of nothing (except, I suppose, my bodily functions, and I hear that even that’s going to go at some point down the road).

The quake effects lasted for about 10-15 seconds in our house. Some picture frames shaken, but no damage. Unless, of course, you count the psyche of our oldest, who upon realizing it was an earthquake, just lost it and started bawling. I guess I shouldn’t have shown him those photos of the Bay Bridge collapse last week when explaining earthquakes. He thought it was one of these (below photo is of the I-880 collapse in the Loma Prieta earthquake):

The first thought that came to my mind as I ran over to the other room where the kids were dancing to music? “I don’t know how big this one is, but good thing I just bought earthquake insurance last week!” Seriously!

And now? Thankful that the God who rules over land (quakes!) and sea (tsunamis!) has promised to never leave or forsake us, and is working all things for our good. And no matter the quake magnitude (this one a 5.6), nothing will separate us from His love!

Blogging is an interesting communication medium. Depending on what you want to write and convey, readers form an opinion or idea of the person behind the blog. On occasions I read my own blog and if I can stand back and assess what kind of person behind our blog, I would say this person/couple is serious, most of the time. I’m laughing now because WE’RE TOTALLY NOT THAT SERIOUS. In reality, we are a goofy couple who likes to joke around. Our close friends (ok, all two of you please chime in and say so) can testify to that.

Two years ago we met a couple who had been reading our blog prior to our first meeting. After interacting with us for several days, the husband said to my husband, “You are not who I think you are based on your blog. On your blog you are really spiritual and serious, but in real life you’re really funny too. I think you’d be a great youth pastor.” To that we just laughed. We’re quite amused.

Based on comments and feedbacks from people who have visited on blog, we do come off as pretty serious and intense. Some have said we’re the type of people they would want to meet or have coffee with. Hmmm. . . now that I let the cat out of the bag concerning our goofy personality, I’m not sure if they would still want to meet us.

If we’re truly goofy, why then is our blog so serious? Our blog is an expression of our thought life and even though we’re quite nutty, we do have a serious side. The topics that interest us and are important to us tend to be more serious. The intent of our blog is to write about things that would bring glory to God, and thus far we are only able to express our thoughts in a more serious matter. I believe that bringing glory to God can also be expressed through being funny and goofy. However, I think at this point we lack talents and gifts in this arena.

Hot off the online press is news that Sovereign Grace Ministries, headed up by C.J. Mahaney, is now offering sermon audio at their online store for free! This is a terrific opportunity to load up your iPod with gospel-centered soul-enriching preaching and teaching of God’s Word.

Here’s a few direct links to classic messages from C.J. Mahaney to get you started:

• “The Main Thing”
• “Interrogating the Legalist Within”
• “Cravings and Conflict”

As Lois and I get a chance to listen to some of these messages (not just from C.J. but from many wonderful speakers at their various conferences, including Al Mohler, John MacArthur and Mark Dever), we’ll post links and reviews.  And I humbly request that all of our readers who happen to listen to a really edifying message post a comment for the rest of us.

And just in case you weren’t aware, Desiring God, which distributes resources from John Piper, has long been offering audio, video and reading (books/articles) resources on their site for a long time.  What a terrific example of how the Internet and modern technology can be a tremendous blessing for God’s people globally!  Get busy listening and watching, folks!

(HT: Solo Femininity)

Here’s a piercing quote from D.A. Carson on how easily we only scratch the surface of the implications of the gospel — and so easily feel no sense of remorse about it.

I would like to buy about three dollars worth of gospel, please.

Not too much – just enough to make me happy, but not so much that I get addicted.

I don’t want so much gospel that I learn to really hate covetousness and lust.

I certainly don’t want so much that I start to love my enemies, cherish self-denial, and contemplate missionary service in some alien culture.

I want ecstasy, not repentance;

I want transcendence, not transformation.

I would like to be cherished by some nice, forgiving, broad-minded people, but I myself don’t want to love those from different races – especially if they smell.

I would like enough gospel to make my family secure and my children well behaved, but not so much that I find my ambitions redirected or my giving too greatly enlarged.

I would like about three dollars worth of the gospel, please.

(Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians, pp. 12-13)

May God help us to be and to make disciples who learn to apply the gospel to every aspect of our lives deeply.

(HT: Oversight of Souls)

A couple of weeks ago, Lois posted about how we’ve seen from those around us and the broader culture how crucial it is as parents that we endeavor to make our house a “true home.”

Ann commented:

I am interested to hear how you develop this out in your family. I have a similar desire, and even came from a “true home” but I’m not sure how to practice this. Looking forward to hearing more.

Because Lois and I are just starting our family, relatively speaking, we haven’t exactly got lots of experience and anecdotes. For now, it’s mainly in principle. That said, here are a few things we try to do frequently:

• Get down on the floor. That’s right, especially with little ones, it’s so easy to sit in our chairs — whether otherwise occupied or not. And just watch the activity, until otherwise beckoned to help with something or referee a tussle. But getting down on the floor, whether lying down or crawling, seems to create wonderful opportunities not only for interacting with little ones, but also seeing the world from their perspective. Good stuff.
• Make the most of “extra time.” Lois and I are both “schedule” people. That is, we thrive on a sense of predictability and regularity in our schedules. We like to have the kids in bed at a fixed time, eat at regular hours, etc. And we’re all better for the sense of order that results. But every once in a while, when there’s no real need to be right on time, we find that some spontaneous time of just tickling or laughing or other such “no brain required” activity. It especially warms our hearts when one or more of the kids takes the opportunity during such times to give an unexpected hug or kiss and say, “I love you Daddy/Mommy” and we get to return the gesture.
• Read books to our children. Self-explanatory, and something I need to do more of. It’s obviously nice from an educational standpoint, but also a great excuse to just sit down and enjoy good stories together. I think particularly of value are Christian biographies as well as well-told fiction.
• Minimize the amount of family activities that aren’t really family activities. By this I simply mean things like watching a movie together, where we’re all in the same room, but we’re not interacting. But this could also be stuff like having friends over, wherein their children play with our children and the adults (only) interact with each other. I also like to make the most of those times not merely to supervise the children, but to interact with them meaningfully.
• Invite your children to help in age-appropriate ways. One of the things we’ve seen as particularly helpful is inviting your children to be “part of things.” For example, as Matthew has gotten older, we’ve let him little by little help around the house. From fixing things to helping cook simple meals, we find that the more he’s part of things, the more he wants to be a part of the family. Even two-year-old Emmaline is a great helper. I often take particular pains to ask her to help clean up this or that, and she loves to do so. Note: this is not about lightening our load or teaching responsibility, though those two things frequently happen. It’s about being a family serving one another, and serving the Lord together.

Well that seems like a good start. Now is a great chance for all your Musings of the Dings lurkers to jump in with ways in which you’ve sought to make your houses real homes for your families.

One of my favorite preachers / authors / theologians, and I believe one of the “great” ones of our era, is John Piper. Dr. Piper has for over twenty years served as pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, and has epitomized passionate God-centered preaching of the gospel and immense zeal for His glory. His church’s mission statement well describes the central theme of much of his own ministry:

We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.

Over the years, Piper’s writings have been very influential in my life. God has used his works to grant me a greater hunger for God, a zeal for global mission, and a desire to make Him the centerpiece of my entire life. He is a uniquely gifted man with gifts in preaching, writing and a keen theological mind. Add to this a genuine humility and love for Christ, and you can understand why he has become increasingly used of God in recent years.

The ministry Desiring God exists to make available the many fruits of John Piper’s labors, and does so at amazingly accessible costs. Nearly all of the books in the online bookstore, most of which Piper has either written or contributed to in some fashion, are available regularly at prices lower than even amazon.com. Many of these books are even downloadable in electronic format for free. In addition, there are hundreds of his sermons available for free not only in audio but also (downloadable) video format! Obviously, their commitment to spread passion for God’s supremacy globally shows in how they are willing to give away so many abundant resources.

As if that were not enough, for two days this week (June 27-28), they are having a tremendous book sale. Every book in the Desiring God bookstore is on sale for $5! GO GET ‘EM, is all I can say to that. Unfortunately for me, I already own nearly all of Piper’s books. But if you don’t, GO GET ‘EM. And if you’re new to John Piper, let me suggest some of the following as some of the best books to start with (for just $5!):

• Let the Nations Be Glad!: This was the first book from John Piper that I read, and a pivotal one for me. This is, in my opinion, the best book on missions written in the modern era. It is an eloquent plea for a Biblical, God-saturated vision for world missions.
• God Is the Gospel: One of Piper’s more recent books, this is a relatively short book that is possibly one of Piper’s most important. In this book he describes and defends his view that the heart of the gospel is God, and that when we begin to make the gifts of God more important than God Himself we have lost sight of the point of the gospel.
• The Pleasures of God: I personally found this one of the most helpful books Piper has written. Here he delves in systematic detail into what brings God pleasure, including excellent chapters on God’s Pleasure in Election and a moving chapter on God’s Pleasure in Bruising the Son. Fairly easy read.
• Desiring God: the namesake of their resource ministry, this book presents and defends what Piper calls his philosophy of “Christian hedonism.” No “Piper” collection is complete without this primary text on what he means when he says that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
• Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: An excellent plea from Piper to fellow pastors to forgo the temptation to professionalize pastoral ministry, in the mold of the world. He instead challenges fellow church leaders to take up the role of undershepherd of God’s people and servant of Christ. This book covers many areas of ministry, and addresses many of the pitfalls of vocational ministry.
• Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A classic text presenting a well-rounded vision of Biblical manhood and womanhood. It graciously defends / presents a complementarian viewpoint of gender roles in creation and in the church in particular.
• The four books in his “Swans Are Not Silent” Christian biography series: The Legacy of Sovereign Joy, The Roots of Endurance, The Hidden Smile of God, and Contending For Our All: These books provide short, readable glimpses and reflections on the lives of saints who have left an indelible mark on church history which last through today. Reading Christian biography can be a source of much encouragement, guidance and wisdom. I heartily commend Piper’s series of biography compilations. Much of the source material for these very readable books comes from the annual pastor’s conference hosted by Bethlehem Baptist Church.