More from the reunion: Just how many children did Archie and Nellie (Call) Brott have and what are there names? My Aunt Bonnie, with assistance from my Uncle Archie, gives it a shot:

It has been a long time since I posted anything around here and, not that you’re worried or anything, I’m doing fine. What’s been going on, you ask? Well:

Merv, Mike and Tony

FAMILY REUNION: It was a great thrill to travel to Spirit Lake, Iowa, to see many of my family on Brott side. To be clear, this was a reunion of my dad’s family, which meant there were people I had a) met when I was a child growing up in Minnesota and barely remember or b) never met at all and didn’t know I was related to them. And the frosting on the cake was my two brothers were there and so was my mom so I was able to introduce them to my kids. As another bonus, several of my nieces and nephews were there, too, so my kids got to meet some of their cousins — and there are a lot of them in my family.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: Most years, it seems, we end up going to South Dakota over the Fourth of July because my in-laws live along a lake and so it makes it an enjoyable time in several ways. This year, right after the family reunion in Iowa, we took my son and daughter to S.D. so he could attend camp at Byron Bible Camp and my daughter could help in the kitchen there. As is our practice, this turned into an extended vacation for the kids and us from each other. After camp, the kids stayed at my in-laws, who live about a quarter of a mile away from the camp. It’s a great arrangement because it allows the kids some special time with their grandparents and it allows us a chance to do things without them (although we miss them dearly!).

So, when the Fourth of July rolled around, we were able to join them in S.D. and have a pleasant time. Also, my wife’s brother and his family were there so it was another good time for family reunion. And, of course, we all enjoyed shooting and watching the fireworks.

GARAGE SALE: Today, we are sitting out in the front yard watching people look at our treasures, hoping they will buy some. I am thankful for shade, a cool glass of lemonade (thanks, Andrew!) and wireless access. I am also aware that I have way more than I need and ask God’s forgiveness for forgetting from time to time that he is all I need.

And now, for a little break, here is the late, great Nickel Creek (not disbanded, but on hiatus) with their cool video rendition of “When In Rome.”

After much urging from my family, I bought a new lawnmower last week at the local Sears store. Like I told my wife, I’m very comfortable buying electronics, but buying tools and machinery leaves me more uncomfortable. I looked at several stores before we settled on the 625 series Craftsman mower.

My current mower, a Snapper, I bought 13 years ago for $75 from one of my neighbors. He used to go to estate sales and buy lawnmowers and then fix them up. So I don’t know how old this mower really is, but I got a great deal on it and it has run for years. Still, my family hates it because it is loud and is not the easiest to push around the yard. I’m the only one who mows our yard, so I don’t care. But now that the kids are old enough, we decided it was time to get a more family-friendly mower. And now the time has come.

Because I want to use my new mower the right way, I’ve been reading through the owner’s manual. You know, how to use it correctly, maintain it and generally avoid cutting off a needed toe or finger. As I’ve read it, I realize that it is sort of like a bible of lawn mowing. There are things to do and things not to do on the path to happy mowing. Here are some of them that I’ve read:

• If you feel uneasy on a slope, do not mow it
• Clear the area of objects such as rocks, toys, wire, bones, sticks, etc. which could be picked up and thrown by the blade. Bones? Maybe cutting the grass isn’t the problem.
  
• Be sure the area is clear of other people before mowing. Stop the machine if anyone enters the area. That’s not a great incentive to get that lawn mowed: “I saw someone while I was mowing so I stopped.”
• Never direct discharged material toward anyone. It’s a lawnmower, not a gun.
• Never assume that children will remain where you last saw them. So true. That is, unless it’s summer, they’re teenagers and they are watching television.
• Never run a machine inside a closed area. It’s easy. The lawnmower is for the grass, the vacuum cleaner is for the carpet. Lawnmower outside. Vacuum inside.
• And finally: Mower blades are sharp and can cut. And you thought this machine was for BENDING the grass.

John Piper has an upcoming book on marriage that is based on a sermon series he did last year at Bethlehem Baptist Church. Based on what I’ve heard of those messages, it should be excellent. In one of his messages, Piper talks of the wonder of marriage:

Marriage is more wonderful than anyone on earth knows. And the reasons it is wonderful can only be learned from God’s special revelation and can only be cherished by the work of the Holy Spirit to enable us to behold and embrace the wonder. The reason we need the Spirit’s help is that the wonder of marriage is woven into the wonder of the gospel of the cross of Christ, and the message of the cross is foolishness to the natural man, and so the meaning of marriage is foolishness to the natural man (1 Corinthians 2:14).

And because of that thinking, we are confused about what is intended by marriage. He explains in the following excerpt from that message:

John Piper, on his online program Ask Pastor John, answers the question, “Does Suffering Always Make Sense?“

Does Suffering Always Make Sense?

]]> http://rockstanding.com/2008/06/18/does-suffering-always-make-sense/feed/ TB The Reason for God http://rockstanding.com/2008/06/17/wayne-grudems-sytematic-theology-online/ http://rockstanding.com/2008/06/17/wayne-grudems-sytematic-theology-online/#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:30:24 +0000 TB http://brott4.wordpress.com/?p=217

UPDATE: The person who posted this online did so illegally. Like others who linked, I was unaware of this. My apologies. Rather, go here to see this awesome book.

What this book is about:

The Christian church has a long tradition of systematic theology, that is, studying theology and doctrine organized around fairly standard categories such as the Word of God, redemption, and Jesus Christ. This introduction to systematic theology has several distinctive features:
- A strong emphasis on the scriptural basis for each doctrine and teaching
- Clear writing, with technical terms kept to a minimum
- A contemporary approach, treating subjects of special interest to the church today
- A friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect
- Frequent application to life - Resources for worship with each chapter
- Bibliographies with each chapter that cross-reference subjects to a wide range of other systematic theologies.

Desiring God is now offering what it terms the “essential Piper trilogy” of Desiring God, The Pleasures of God and Future Grace for $22.50. What are these books about? Glad you asked.

DESIRING GOD: MEDITATIONS OF A CHRISTIAN HEDONIST

The message of Desiring God is that God is most glorified in us when we
are  most satisfied in him. In this book, Piper calls this worldview
“Christian Hedonism” and explains why pursuing maximum joy is essential
to glorifying God. He discusses the implications of this for
conversion, worship, love, Scripture, prayer, money, marriage,
missions, and suffering.

THE PLEASURES OF GOD: MEDITATIONS ON GOD’S DELIGHT IN BEING GOD

One way to see the glory of God is to meditate upon the object of his
delight. In this reissued version with a new cover design, John Piper
unfo  lds for us a vision of God through the lens of his happiness. What
most delights the happiest Being in the universe? God’s gladness in
being God. If God’s excellencies can be admired in his pleasures, and
if we tend to become like what we admire and enjoy, then focusing on
these pleasures can help us to be gradually conformed to his likeness.
In other words, we will be most satisfied in God when we know why God
is most satisfied in God. This version includes the same content as the
revised and expanded edition published in 2000.

FUTURE GRACE: THE PURIFYING POWER OF LIVING BY FAITH IN FUTURE GRACE

What is future grace? It is all that God promises to be for us from
this second on. Saving faith means being confident and satisfied in
this ever- arriving future grace. This is why saving faith is also
sanctifying faith. The power of sin’s promise is broken by the power of
a superior satisfaction; namely, faith in future grace. Gratitude for
past grace was never meant to empower future obedience. Tomorrow’s
crisis demands tomorrow’s grace. And faith that future grace will be
there is the victory that overcomes the world. Future Grace contains 31
chapters - one for each day of the month - including practical chapters
on how faith in future grace defeats anxiety, pride, shame, lust,
despondency and more.

Tags: JohnPiper, Desiring God, The Pleasures of God, Future Grace, Christian Hedonism

RealClearPolitics has a rundown on what the Electoral College map looks like at this point in the election season.

AMAZING GRACE AT AMAZON: Amazon.com has put the 2007 theatrical release of “Amazing Grace” on sale. It was a great movie and a definitely worth checking out.

WHY STUDY CHURCH HISTORY? Tim Challies, author of The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment and one of the most disciplined bloggers out there, has come up with seven reasons why you should study church history.

WHAT BIBLICAL MANLINESS LOOKS LIKE: Phil Johnson over at Pyromaniacs lays it on the line when it comes to being a man:

Biblical manliness is about authentic character. It’s not about bravado, and it’s not about boyishness. Going out into the woods with a bunch of other men, putting on war paint, making animal noises, telling scary stories around a campfire, and then working up a good cry might be good, visceral fun and all, but that has nothing to do with the biblical idea of manliness.

Read the rest here.

WORSHIPING SUMMER: John Piper offers some good counsel about how not to let the pleasures of summer turn you from worshiping God instead:

Don’t let summer make your soul shrivel. God made summer as a foretaste of heaven, not a substitute. If the mailman brings you a love letter from your fiancé, don’t fall in love with the mailman. That’s what summer is: God’s messenger with a sun-soaked, tree-green, flower-blooming, lake-glistening letter of love to show us what he is planning for us in the age to come—“things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man, God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Don’t fall in love with the video preview, and find yourself unable to love the coming reality.