Love Enough for the Taking

The roots of legalism that live in my heart have been paralyzing me as I think about approaching God. My mind has been filled with lies about my ability to approach God's throne based on my own merit. This quote from Luther and song from Andrew Peterson are in my head tonight. As long as we're here, sin is going to be with us. The best obedience of our hands is laced with selfish motives we're not even completely capable of understanding. To love and live in this fallen world is to admit we will be in a fight until Jesus comes back and makes the reality of our adoption complete. There is enough grace to cover our motives and relieve our fears. There is love enough for the taking. Father of grace, fill us with your Sprirt and gospel-centered boldness as we live as sinner-saints in this fallen world.


"If you are a preacher of mercy, do not preach an imaginary but the true mercy. If the mercy is true, you must therefore bear the true, not an imaginary sin. God does not save those who are only imaginary sinners. Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong (sin boldly), but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says Peter (2. Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign." - Martin Luther

Love Enough by Andrew Peterson

He said, "I have wandered far to yonder ocean
I have drunk from every fountain in this world
I have turned each mossy stone
And have found myself alone
But I believe there is love enough for the taking"

Well, he sat down in the sand and he took his shoes off
And he rambled on beneath the misty moon
He said, "I've spent more than I've saved
And I've kept more than I gave
But I believe there is love enough for the taking"

"Well, it covers us like rain
It washes and it stains
Poured out from heaven's cup
For you and me to drink it up
And in stubborn spite of my stubborn spite
I am loved nonetheless
I am loved all the more
And I believe there is love enough for the taking"

I watched him empty out his pockets and take his shirt off
And he smiled awhile at something in his mind
He said, "The secret of this life is found in blood and sacrifice
And so you see
There is love enough for the taking"

"Well, it covers us like rain
It washes and it stains
Poured out from heaven's cup
For you and me to drink it up
And in stubborn spite of my stubborn spite
I am loved nonetheless
I am loved all the more
And I believe there is love enough for the taking"

He said it would not be long 'til he was leaving
Then I saw this boat appear before my eyes
Then the man began to run, crying out,
"My time has come
Hallelujah
There is love enough for the taking"

Well, it covers us like rain
It washes and it stains
Poured out from heaven's cup
For you and me to drink it up
And in stubborn spite of my stubborn spite
I am loved nonetheless
I am loved all the more
And I believe there is love enough for the taking
There is love enough for the taking

Conversations With Joshua

We were playing Batman and it turned into a Batman birthday party.

Joshua sang this song.

Happy Birthday to you.
To Jesus be true.
May God's richest blessing
Be always with you.

He then turned to Batman and said, "Make a wish."

The Professionalization of Childhood

I listened to a sermon from my good friend Stuart Latimer this morning called, True Success. You can listen to the complete sermon here.

This quote comes from the sermon.

Nathan Hatch - President of Wake Forest University

"This culture of achievement can be all pervasive. In his book about the American middle class, On Paradise Drive, David Brooks describes the quiet revolution in the way Americans are raising their children, what he calls the professionalization of childhood. Even grade school children are pushed into a culture of competition, with great attention given to which school they should attend, what grades they should achieve, how many activities they should pursue.

There exists a massive organic apparatus for the production of children. A mighty achievatron. The message is loud and clear. Identity at any age is formed by what we do and what we accomplish. The family, what Christopher Lasch has called a haven in a heartless world, a counter-balance to competition, is now constructed as one more means to try to get ahead."

I highly recommend this sermon. It is a wake-up call to God's people who are in desperate need of a counter-cultural movement.

What We Lose...

My mom took a trip to White House last week. Not the White House, but a small town just north of Nashville where my friends and family from the cult live. While eating at a local restaurant, she ran into her dad, brother, and the friend I miss the most from the cult. Her brother kindly approached her. My friend kindly waved. Her dad coldly blew her off. It's a strange thing to feel dead to people you loved for a really long time. Leaving a cult strains relationships. Speaking out against one destroys them.

Jesus said the losers would be the winners and the first would be last. Everyone who is invited into the Kingdom of God will lose something. Following Jesus may cost you family and friends. It may just cost you temporal joy or ease. Every time a Christian chooses to obey God instead of giving into some momentary temptation, there is a loss to the immediate desires of our hearts.

As I've contemplated this over the years, I've thought a lot about our joy in heaven being directly related to our suffering here. The blind man will appreciate sight more than me in heaven. The lame woman will find more joy in her legs than I will. When we see him. When we become like him. When his glory heals our broken hearts. Then we will know that he has in himself everything we've ever longed for. The realization of his greatness will overwhelm any loss we've ever experienced.

Until then, we live in this middle place of knowing all will be made well, yet realizing it hasn't happened yet. Our losses will be healed. Our sadness will be turned to joy. The King is coming. He's bringing joy and peace with him. I am encouraged today to face the losses with hope, knowing eternity will be greater, not just in spite of them, but even because of them. The darkness will be gone forever when the true light shines.

The Darkness Can't Outrun the Light

Yesterday in 6th grade Bible we spent the day talking about the tendency for Christians not to think. Some of the class looked shocked. Others seemed to understand what I was talking about. We listened to several songs, Human by The Killers, T-Shirts by Derek Webb, and a slew of Andy Gullahorn (who has a new album that you can buy here).

I hadn't even thought of this poem for about seven or eight months, but as I was talking to the kids about being thoughtful in our daily lives and especially in our compassion, it came back to me.

A year ago this week, Rebecca and I found out we had lost a baby. We had known for about two weeks before the actual miscarriage began. We were out and the pain started to be pretty intense for Rebecca. We were approached by a well-meaning person who used some cliches and quickly changed the subject. This poem/song kind of just happened after that night.

He came up to say he was sorry

For our loss and that he cared

His pain was something he hid from

Our grief was too painful to share

So he told us God had a plan

And he told us our pain would end

Then he changed the subject to something more pleasant

And tried to just be a friend

As I listened my heart grew weary

Of the pious and cold reaching hand

Tho’ God has a plan and this pain will end

It’s okay to just say, “I’m sad.”

Don’t be scared, don’t run

The darkness can’t outrun the light

It’s okay to feel it, to admit the pain

Cause the day will outlast the night

There is no room for cliche for those who belong to Christ. Everything that causes pain and even awkward discomfort has been defeated on the cross. We're free to go into the darkness and let the light of the gospel shine.

Lovely Rebecca

I remember this
feeling; in the end I got
lovely Rebecca

Conversations with Ghandi (I mean Joshua)

Joshua, the night before his birthday - "Can I open my presents?"

Unified parents (actually more exhausted and ready for bedtime than unified) - "Not until tomorrow."

Joshua - "I won't eat!"

Happy Birthday, Joshua

Four years ago tonight, Rebecca and I headed to the hospital and waited for her to be induced. The next day, after she spent several hours in labor, the doctor advised us to head to the operating room before it became an emergency. Time has flown.

Joshua turns four tomorrow.

As I sit here and contemplate all the things I could say about the lessons I've learned or the memories we've created, my mind just rests on how big my love for him is. I love to hold him, laugh with him, teach him, watch him, cuddle him, wrestle him, comfort and protect him. I simply love being his daddy. (In the last few months, he's stopped calling me daddy and replaced it with dad. I missed daddy for awhile, but then one day, I heard him tell somebody he calls me dad because he knows I love it. He immediately became right.)

I'm not a dreamer. I'm not a goal-setter. Outside of my family, the things in life that God has allowed me to achieve have been things I didn't really see coming. What I've always wanted was to be a dad. I am overwhelmed with gratitude that the dad I got to be is Joshua's (and Andrew's and the new little bundle).

Happy Birthday, Joshua. I love you, and always will, because you're my son! You are a deeply thoughtful, joyful, friendly boy. I'm so glad you're mine.

New Book - Breaking the Chains by Shari Howerton (my mom)

My mom has recently published a book telling her story of being raised in a pseudo-Christian cult. The books arrived at her house today and they are ready to be purchased. If you have any questions about my background or any of the oddities of growing up in a cult, I recommend reading the book. Even if you don't, I recommend it. The story is fascinating and points to the miraculous power of Jesus' gospel. Check out her website by clicking this link. One more exciting note for me personally is that she let me write the epilogue. Sure it's my mom's book, but published is published!

Thanks for checking it out.

Strange Things are Happening to Me

We've been listening to this one a lot since the Toy Story double feature. You haven't lived until you hear Joshua sing like Randy Newman.

Conversations With the Boys

This conversation took place during a Saturday morning cars session...

Joshua - "Dad, he really, really scratched me."

Me - "Have you really, really forgiven him?"

Joshua - "Yes."

Me - "Andrew, no scratching. No biting. No hitting. No yelling. No screaming."

Andrew - "I didn't yell."

Lifted from Scotty Smith's Facebook Status

"Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world.” Francis Schaeffer

Conversations With Students - Names Have Been Changed

To the third grade class -

Me - "No talking in the hall."

Sally - "I'm explaining what Judaism is to Jenny."

Me - "Do it at recess."

Maybe I could have handled that one a little better.