August 09, 2010
Blog Vacation
No blogging this week as my family and I are visiting with extended family in the Chicago area.
July 15, 2010
Star Wars Subway Car
Reenactment of a classic scene from Star Wars episode IV:
HT: Al Hsu
April 05, 2010
April Fool's Day Shadow Trick
Matthew Weathers of Biola University pulls off a pretty good trick:
March 31, 2010
Easter Week Questions For A Four-Year Old
Our 4-year old daughter Karis is good at memorizing. These are some questions we're working through this week. They are not just applicable at Easter. I'm posting them in case others might find this a good springboard for your own catechizing. The answers are admittedly a bit short and simplistic, but I figured that would make it easier for her to memorize and we can build on these concepts later. And there's a bit of repetition, which I figure will only foster better memorization. Also, each can be associated with Scripture texts, which she can also be memorizing.
Q: Who is Jesus?
A: Jesus is God’s Son.
Q: Why did Jesus come to earth?
A: God sent Jesus to live and die in the place of every sinner who would ever trust in Him, love Him, and obey Him.
Q: What do we celebrate this week?
A: The death and resurrection of Jesus.
Q: Why did Jesus die?
A: The wages of sin is death. Jesus died for the sins of other people. Jesus took their punishment. And Jesus perfectly obeyed God on their behalf.
Q: Which people did Jesus die for?
A: Every sinner who ever puts their trust in Him, loves Him, and obeys Him. To them, Jesus is a merciful Savior, Lord, and Treasure.
Q: Are you a sinner?
A: Yes. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Q: What are sins?
A: Disobeying Mommy and Daddy and not doing what I should.
Q: Was Jesus a sinner?
A: No. Jesus never sinned. Jesus rose from the dead because death had no power over Him.
Q: Do you need a Savior?
A: Yes
Q: Who is the only Savior to whom you should go?
A: Jesus, God’s Son, who lived and died on behalf of every sinner who would ever trust in Him, love Him, and obey Him.
February 20, 2010
Pachelbel's Canon in D - On the (Electric) Guitar
Our 2 and a half year old son is fascinated with guitars. My wife found and showed him this interesting rendition of the famous Pachabel's Canon in D. It is pretty amazing. The kid can't be that old, either.
January 04, 2010
At The Buzzer - Nothing But Net
Absolutely amazing end to the Florida vs. North Carolina State game. (My apologies to N.C. State fans.)
HT: Kevin DeYoung via Denny Burk
December 13, 2009
Want to Be An Author?
First let Joe Carter dispel some of the myths. Here are his points:
1. (Almost) nobody will read your book.
2. You won't find your book at the front table of Borders.
3. Most book marketing today is done by authors, not by publishers.
4. You won't make much money.
Read his post for an explanation of each point.
Public acknowledgment: Joe Carter, an author himself
Christmas Greetings From John Piper & Family
Beyond hilarious:
HT: Noel Piper
December 02, 2009
Blog was "Dark": Thanksgiving Travels and Possibly Moving
Just a brief note on why this blog was "dark" for awhile. First, we traveled to northern CA to be with my wife's family for Thanksgiving. Then, we returned to find out that a short-sale offer we made on a home was conditionally accepted, but there are a bunch of complications, including the fact that the listing agent on the home would like us to rent the home prior to consummating the purchase (which is subject to the bank's approval). This has led to a scurry of activity. But I'm (mostly!) back now....
July 17, 2009
On Vacation
We'll be back sometime during the last week of July. Blessings!
June 12, 2009
Preaching in Bakersfield, CA on With One Voice
I'd cover your prayers for my message this Sunday at Sovereign Grace Church of Bakersfield on the topic of With One Voice. It has been an unusually challenging week in some ways and I feel drained. I was pulling up some data related to attitudes toward marriage, and the last two slides of this 2008 report from the National Marriage Project stood out.
1. A majority (~56%) of high school seniors believe that having a child without being married is "experimenting with a worthwhile lifestyle or not affecting anyone else."
2. About 60% of high school seniors “Agreed” or “Mostly Agreed” with the statement “It Is Usually a Good Idea for a Couple to Live Together Before Getting Married in Order to Find Out Whether They Really Get Along.”
April 06, 2009
Font Size Increase
I went from size 12 to 14. The hope is that larger font will be easier on the eyes. Any feedback would be most appreciated.
December 03, 2008
Returning From Blog Hiatus
I've had a long break from posting. My wife and I had a very restful time visiting her family in northern California over Thanksgiving (discounting two brutal road trips with a few hours of heavy traffic and two children in tow). While up there I slept about 10 hours a day. Upon our return I was immediately thrown into the end of the semester push (Final Exams less than two weeks away). To my regret, I was not as enterprising as this guy who sold ads on his tests. A few odds and ends:
In other news, I've been really enjoying The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression
I also enjoyed reading about half of one of Dr. Albert Mohler's recent books, Desire and Deceit: The Real Cost of the New Sexual Tolerance. For the sake of full disclosure, much of the book's content will seem familiar if you subscribe to Mohler's blog. But it is nice to have it all together in one place, and in a logical chapter-by-chapter flow. With incision and nuance, Mohler tackles tough topics like lust, pornography, homosexuality (and the homosexual political movement), lesbians raising sons, and more.
I noticed that Mark Dever has conducted a 73 minute interview with Dr. Don Carson on observing evangelicalism. Speaking of interviews, the November 30 broadcast of the White Horse Inn features an interview of Collin Hansen by Michael Horton. Hansen is the author of Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists, which I happily commend. (HT: JT, James Grant)
Albert Mohler is right to commend Mrs. Obama for prioritizing her children over professional globetrotting and the like.
September 01, 2008
The Google Ads - A Quick Word
Dear Readers,
With a brother-in-law and a cousin-in-law both being employees of Google, I've decided to give google ads a try. I've been assured that no elicit content will appear there (though ads for Obama may appear, given how much he's been discussed here in recent weeks). The sponsor section has not gotten any larger; I just bunched them up more. I welcome any input, specifically any concerns you may have. This is a brief experiment; I'll get rid of it if there is any decrease in user enjoyment.
Thanks,
Alex
August 20, 2008
Ligonier Music: God of Grace and Glory
Though wholly lacking in musical skill, I have a long-lasting appreciation for classical music. I took a music appreciation class in college where we learned about baroque, classical, romantic, and modern styles of music. I thought the first three were terrific. Later, in graduate school, I was a campus representative for the San Francisco Symphony, selling student subscriptions at U.C. Berkeley in exchange for great tickets to six-eight concerts a year. It was a pretty good gig; the SF Symphony (under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas) is widely regarded as one of the finest in the nation.
The musical quality of Ligonier Ministries' God of Grace and Glory is on par with any concert I heard by the San Francisco symphony. The sound is rich, full, and soothing. Each piece is arranged well and the combination of instruments is delicately balanced. I particularly enjoyed the fact that almost all the songs highlight the combination of the trumpet (one of my favorite instruments) and the organ. If you enjoy classical music, some of the seventeen tunes on this album will be familiar to you. For example, Rondeau from Sinfonies de Fanfares includes the lovely melody that Masterpiece Theater used years ago (and others have used for weddings or other celebrations). The work of Robert Schummann, George Phillipp Telemann, and J.S. Bach are also featured. Though the album includes a few pieces of explicitly sacred music (e.g., God of Grace and Glory by Paul Manz), all of the selections on the album can be played in worship contexts. I heartily recommend this album.
July 29, 2008
Math Performance: Gender Similarities or Differences?
Dr. Hyde (University of Wisconsin) and her colleagues have been studying gender differences in mathematics performance and ability. Last Friday, they published their most recent findings in Science magazine. Their study has generated a bit of a stir among the mainstream media, with headlines such as "Girls as Good as Boys at Math." But not all respondents are striking the same chord. For example, Heather MacDonald of the Manhattan Institute takes issue with Tamar Lewin's New York Times summary and with Janet Hyde's report itself.
What does it all mean? Well, while I won't seek to unduly control the academic & career choices of my daughter(s), I can say that dessert on her third birthday and thereafter will be granted to Karis (squirmy girl on my left) upon (a) successfully eating her dinner and (b) successfully adding (if not multiplying) any pair of whole numbers less than 10.
May 29, 2008
Young, Restless, Reformed - Collin Hansen
A well-researched and entertaining account of Reformed theology's increasing popularity among young Christians, Collin Hansen's new book, Young, Restless, Reformed, appeared in seed form as a Christianity Today cover story in 2006. With a degree in journalism, Hansen is now editor-at-large for Christianity Today while pursuing an M.Div. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL.
Hansen documents the impact of several vibrant ministries that, while having significant theological differences with one another, answer with one voice on the question, "Who does what in salvation?" These ministries all contend that humans contribute no more to their second birth than they do to their first. Just as the cry of a newborn infant is evidence of new life (rather than the cause of that life), so faith in Christ is a response to the new (spiritual) life (re-)created by God the Holy Spirit (e.g., Eph. 2:1-10). Regeneration precedes faith. We love God because He first loved us. We choose Christ because God first chose us. While Hansen spends a little time unpacking the "five points of Calvinism," his book is by no means polemical. Rather, through interviewing a host of rising leaders (and a fair share of regulars), he lets them explain the emotional appeal and the biblical/intellectual consistency of the doctrines of grace.
Chapter one is entitled, "Born Again Again". It introduces us to the theme of the book; namely, that there seems to be a confluence of factors drawing significant numbers of young Christians to embracing at the least the basics of Reformed theology. For example, Joshua Harris is quoted as saying: "I do wonder if some of the appeal [of Calvinism] and the trend isn't a reaction to the watered down vision of God that's been portrayed in the evangelical seeker-oriented churches." The chapter includes Hansen's coverage of the 2007 Passion Conference, and particularly John Piper's presence at that 18,000+ student event. Hansen also describes his own journey toward Reformed theology.
Chapter 2 focuses more fully on the impact of John Piper and Bethlehem Baptist Church. I appreciated this chapter because Piper was instrumental in my own embrace of Calvinism in my early twenties. Also, I spent three years at Bethlehem, and it was during that time that Hansen visited, so I know a lot of the people he was talking to.
Chapter 3 shifts east to Yale University and an investigation of Jonathan Edwards, a man whose popularity is also increasing, as exemplified by the establishment of the Jonathan Edwards Center. Their ambition is to make all of Edwards' writing available in digital form (about 100,000 pages).
Chapter 4 shifts south to the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS), where the conservative resurgence has been quite friendly to Calvinism. Hansen gives a good historical sketch of the SBC with respect to Calvinism and includes a few student and faculty interviews (For a more extensive treatment, see By His Grace and For His Glory
Chapter 5 and 6 focus on Sovereign Grace Ministries and their ministry to (primarily younger) singles, New Attitude. With 70 or so churches in the United States and almost 10 around the world, the movement led by C.J. Mahaney has been tremendously significant. Chapter 7 then shifts to the west coast and Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, and the Acts 29 church-planting network. What was so interesting is that until a few years ago, Driscoll and Mahaney didn't even know each other.
The book also includes some interesting tid-bits on the Reformed blogosphere --- Hansen even gives away the visitor statistics on Tim Challies' blog. You'll have to read the book to find out. All in all, a great read. One that won't tax you too much mentally, and yet will inform you of recent developments all over the country. If (like me) you've been impacted by this movement, prepare to be encouraged.
Related: A four-part series I wrote on the Calvinism vs. Arminianism issue: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.
May 20, 2008
Think Your Family is Unique?
(Click on the photo to learn more.)
April 15, 2008
Summer Availability of Townhouse in Riverside, CA
Please forgive the highly personal nature of this post. I accepted a summer teaching assignment at U.C. Berkeley, so Marni, the kids, and I will be heading back to my Alma mater. We're hoping to sublet our townhouse in Riverside, CA to trustworthy tenants: A family, mature students, missionaries, etc. All the info has been posted elsewhere, and there are also extra photos.
April 12, 2008
Biola President Emeritus Clyde Cook (1935-2008)
Dr. Clyde Cook, President of Biola University from 1982-2007, influenced countless lives for Jesus Christ during his almost 73 year pilgrimage. My wife and I had the privilege of speaking to him for about an hour last spring prior to his official retirement. We were impressed by his heart for Christian higher education and his balanced perspective on the value of both academic rigor and spiritual formation. May his tribe increase.
A Biola University statement reads:
Dr. Clyde Cook served as Biola University’s president for 25 years, from 1982 to 2007, with a unique background as an educator, administrator and fourth-generation missionary.Both his great-grandparents and grandparents were missionaries to China, and his mother followed in their footsteps. While traveling there by ship, she met her future husband, an officer on the ship, and a year later was married to this Christian sea captain from Scotland.
Born in Hong Kong, the fourth of six children, Clyde was faced with adversity at an early age when the Cook family was imprisoned in three different concentration camps during World War II. In 1942, by God’s grace they were reunited in South Africa.
After five years in South Africa, the Cooks came to the United States and settled in Laguna Beach, California, where Clyde was named California Interscholastic Federation basketball player of the year in 1953. He was offered athletic scholarships to thirteen different major universities.
Clyde received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Biola University (1957) and his Master of Divinity (1960) and Master of Theology (1962) from Talbot Theological Seminary. He earned his Doctor of Missiology (1974) at Fuller Theological Seminary.
After graduating from Biola, Clyde served as the school’s Athletic Director from 1957 to 1960. From 1963-1967 he and his wife, Anna Belle, were missionaries with O.C. Ministries (Overseas Crusades then) in Cebu City in the Philippines. During this time Clyde participated in pastors’ conferences, city-wide crusades, lay institute training, youth conferences and Bible school teaching. He traveled extensively, visiting more than 72 countries in athletic and drama evangelism and to represent Biola University. In 1971, he spent six months in the Philippines helping to set up theological extension education programs.
Returning to Biola in 1967 as an Assistant Professor of Missions, Clyde was then appointed Director of Intercultural Studies and Missions and helped to develop Biola’s nationally acclaimed program in cross-cultural education. Called to the presidency of O.C. Ministries in 1978, he ably guided the mission organization to an increased level of financial stability and multiplied foreign field effectiveness.
Clyde served on the Biola Board of Trustees from 1980 to 1982 when he was invited by a unanimous vote of the Board to assume the seventh presidency of Biola University on June 1, 1982 and became president emeritus on July 1, 2007.
Dr. Cook served for seven years on the Board of Directors of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and one year as its chair. He also served for six years on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and served as the president of that organization for two years. He served on the Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation task force as well as serving as a member of the steering committee for the Fellowship of Evangelical Seminary Presidents. He served for six years on the executive committee of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of California.
On Friday, April 11, 2008, Dr. Cook passed away at his home in Fullerton, California.
(HT: John Mark Reynolds)
February 11, 2008
Unborn Twins Save Mother From Cervical Cancer
A heart warming story:
Michelle Stepney, 35, said her twins Alice and Harriet, now age 13 months, were a lively pair in the womb. At the time, however, she had no idea that constant kicking she felt actually dislodged a tumor that had formed on her cervix and, according to doctors, saved her life.Read the whole thing.Shortly after becoming pregnant, Stepney of Cheam in South-West London was taken to the hospital after suffering what was believed to be a miscarriage. Soon doctors realized she was still pregnant, but had developed life-threatening cervical cancer. Stepney declined to have an abortion and doctors at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London agreed to give her reduced chemotherapy in the hope of stopping the cancer spreading during the pregnancy.
But it wasn't the chemo that ultimately saved Stepney.
"I couldn't believe it when the doctors told me that the babies had dislodged the tumor," she said. "I'd felt them kicking, but I didn't realize just how important their kicking would turn out to be. I owe my life to my girls, and that's why I could have never agreed with a termination."
(HT: Reformed Chicks Babbling via Joe Carter)
January 13, 2008
My Favorite 2007 Reading
Various members of the Desiring God staff each recently provided their top three books of 2007. I thought I'd attempt the same. Here are my top three:
1. White Guilt (by Shelby Steele)
2. Perspectives Old and New on Paul: The "Lutheran" Paul and His Critics by Stephen Westerholm
3. God's Harvard: A Christian College on a Mission to Save America
I'm grateful to blog reader Kimberly for alerting me to this new title. This book is a fascinating, insightful story of the mission of Patrick Henry College, which seeks to produce future Christian leaders who impact the cultural and political landscape for Christ. Given that Rosin is both Jewish and a self-described non-conservative, I was impressed at both the depth of her research and the graciousness with which she treated the subject. She is an outstanding, engaging writer. [Fair warning: She uses some profanity and on a couple occasions employs unnecessarily crude sexual references.]
Here are other titles I read this past year (not counting ones I've dabbled in -:), in case they give you ideas. (And if you are new to this blog, I've posted on most of these titles. You can use the search feature to find the posts.)
1. Semiconductor Devices (Muller and Kamins)
2. The Law and Its Fulfillment (Tom Schreiner)
3. Paul, Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ (Tom Schreiner) (very long - I read about half)
4. Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce (John Piper)
5. When the Darkness Will Not Lift (John Piper)
6. Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture (Graeme Goldsworthy)
7. The Faith of Condoleeza Rice (Leslie Montgomery)
8. Family Driven Faith (Voddie Baucham)
9. Girls Gone Mild (Wendy Shalit)
10. ReThink (Steve Wright)
11. Perspectives Old and New on Paul (Stephen Westerholm)
12. What is a Healthy Church? (Mark Dever)
13. The Truth of the Cross (R.C. Sproul)
14. Why I Am Not a Calvinst (Jerry Walls and Joe Dongell)
15. Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy (Editors Ronald W. Pierce and Rebecca M. Groothuis) (I read about half)
16. Evangelical Feminism & Biblical Truth (Wayne Grudem) (900 pages -- I read almost one third of it)
17. Total Truth: Liberating Christianity From Its Cultural Captivity (Nancy Pearcey)
18. Business for the Glory of God (Wayne Grudem)
December 30, 2007
Tapping into God's Mercy
I was blessed this morning by a good word from Life as a Vapor: Thirty-One Meditations for Your Faith
"In Luke 17:5, the apostles pleaded with the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' And the Lord said, 'If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you' (v. 6). In other words, the issue in your Christian life and ministry is not the strength or quantity of your faith, because that is not what uproots trees. God does. Therefore, the smallest faith that truly connects you with Christ will engage enough of His power for all you need. Moving trees is a small thing for Christ. The issue is not perfection for Christ, but connection to Christ. So take heart, the smallest seed of faith connects with all of Christ's mercy."I think it was in this spirit that a man once cried to Jesus, "I believe; help my unbelief!" We can do the same.
December 18, 2007
Not Like The Others - T4G Ad
October 28, 2007
Best Football Game Ending I Have Ever Seen
You just need to endure one short commercial to get to the clip.
(HT: Denny Burk)
October 15, 2007
Why CAL is Not Ranked #1 in the Nation
Too painful for words! What matters now is how they respond---particularly the young Riley.
October 06, 2007
How We Choose Jonathan Elijah's Name
For any who may be curious, here's a bit of background on the birth of Jonathan and how we chose his name:
Jonathan Elijah Chediak was born at 3:02am on Wednesday, September 26th. He was 7 lbs.14 oz. and 20 inches long. We praise God for a safe delivery and a healthy mom and baby.
The delivery was an exciting one. After weeks of false contractions and a day of very slow ones, Marni was sure they'd be gone again by morning. But after midnight on the 26th they started coming strong with less than a minute between each one. Marni finished packing, woke Alex, and they left at 1:30 for the hospital with Karis. Thankfully our friends were able to come get Karis at the hospital, otherwise Alex would have missed the birth entirely. There was no time for Marni to have the full course of antibiotics she needed, and no time for the epidural she desperately wanted. She was 5 cm dilated when they got to the hospital, and reached 10 within an hour. When it was time to push Marni protested "no! I want an epidural," but thankfully the midwife (and Alex) reminded her to just push instead. The pushing lasted about 15 minutes. Jonathan was very healthy and has been nursing well since he was born. And our prayers were answered as he seems to be functioning just fine even though his left kidney is in the wrong place (pelvis). Marni is pleased (AFTER the fact) to have delivered naturally.
Karis is receiving lots of love and attention with both mothers spending time visiting. So far she has mostly ignored her new baby brother, but has astutely observed that he has ears, a nose, etc.
Jonathan's name means "gift of God" in Hebrew (Karis' name means the same in Greek). He is named primarily after Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), a pastor-theologian who exuded a God-centered orientation and an effectiveness in calling people to delight in God with both their head and their heart. Many of his sermons and larger works continue to bless readers today. Buttressed by a God-entranced vision of life, the Edwards family tree has produced scores of preachers, university presidents and men and women of the highest character in many fields. And we also love Jonathan from the Old Testament, who was such a faithful friend to David and a valiant warrior.
Our son is also named after Elijah, a man of faith who was used of God to defeat the prophets of Baal, exhorting the Israelites to decisively and unwaveringly pursue Yahweh: "And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him" (1 Kings 18:21).
We pray that our son will be a man of similar faith and conviction, a lion-like lamb and a lamb-like lion, whose life will promote the cause of Christ in a myriad of ways.
Thank you for your prayers,
Alex, Marni, Karis, and Jonathan
September 29, 2007
More Jonathan Elijah Chediak
Check out more photos of Jonathan.
September 26, 2007
Jonathan Elijah Chediak - Born 09/26/07
7 lbs., 14.4 ounces. Twenty inches long. Mom and baby appear healthy. Thanks be to God.
See more recent photos of Jonathan.
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Recent Posts
- Blog Vacation
- Star Wars Subway Car
- April Fool's Day Shadow Trick
- Easter Week Questions For A Four-Year Old
- Pachelbel's Canon in D - On the (Electric) Guitar
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- Want to Be An Author?
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