Gradu... wha?!

So, I'm graduating tomorrow. From college. College. No grad school for me. I'm done. With school. Maybe forever. I am not attending classes anymore. I am no longer taking tests or writing papers. I may never do an MLA or APA-formatted works cited page ever again (and I'm oh-so grateful!). I'm done.

And that's weird. I've been in school for the last 19 years of my life. I don't completely know what living in the "real world" is like just yet. But the weirdest thing about graduating, I think, is that I don't feel like a big deal or anything. Maybe I should? Maybe I would if I got my doctorate? I don't know.

But it is a big deal, isn't it? I mean, I have been blessed with the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Statistics say that by simply holding this bachelor's degree I'm likely to double my life's earnings. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for providing this opportunity for me to be financially successful.

So much more important than gained knowledge and increased earning potential, however, was the spiritual growth that took place in me over the last seven semesters at Iowa State. Can you see how God has lavished his blessing upon me?! He has drawn me to Himself in such a masterful and beautiful way here in Ames, and all while I have been learning about His Creation (even in those Bio classes that teach godless evolution as fact, there is SO MUCH to be learned about our Creator!) and doubling my financial potential as a student. His blessing is extravagant and unearned. In fact, how much less do I deserve this blessing than His children who are hungry for their daily bread in Africa or for His sons and daughters in the Middle East who are running from their families to save their own lives?

I have never known such hardship or persecution, yet He has chosen to reveal Himself to me here, in the richest of places. Those of you who are reading this who still have some time in college left: eagerly search for God in everything you do. Even with classes that seem pointless and professors that make your blood boil, look for how God is bringing Himself glory through that class. And those of you who have completed college: understand what a gift you've been given (even if you're still paying off student loans!) to be able to live lavishly in an abundant land.

Finally, those of you who have not yet gone to college: don't make the mistake I did as a freshman. Don't look at college as an education that allows you to selfishly pursue money, status, or obsessions. Check your heart. On the other hand, realize the magnitude of the opportunity that is before you. Don't let apathy, laziness, or complacency rule your heart, but in everything you do, do it with all your might for the glory of our King.

College is where you solidify who you are and where you're trained to lived out your faith (or trained not to) for the rest of your life. Allow God to reign in your heart, not selfish ambition. Thankfully, God pursued me and dragged me through my selfishness (though it's still my tendency) and into His arms. He has used the Salt Company, Cornerstone, and now Grand Avenue to provide teaching and fellowship to spur my growth. He even chose this time of my life to provide me with a wonderful wife. ("He who finds a wife finds what is good, and receives favor from the Lord" -- Proverbs 18:22.)

The ways in which God has blessed me and revealed Himself to me during these years is indescribably more valuable than any course I could have taken or any degree I could have received.

And I couldn't be more excited to never do MLA citations again.

GABY Update: Christmas Party!

Last Sunday, we had a Christmas party for our youth group meeting. We had plenty of cider, cookies, and salsa con queso with nacho chips to go around (Feliz Navidad!). Our first game involved unwrapping a present, the roll of a dice, and some violence. Here's a picture of Evan punching his way through a box:

And Greg, realizing there is yet another package inside:

Fun game! In order to get a shot at opening the present you had to roll doubles as Sam walked around the circle with two dice and a platter to roll them on. After rolling doubles, it became your turn to try to open the present. The first catch was that you had to put on a Santa had and a big, thick pair of gloves before you started on the box. The second catch was that the box started huge and easy to open, but inside the first box were ten more boxes-- each successively smaller and more difficult to open. Because it's not easy to unwrap with bulky gloves on several new tactics were employed, including biting, punching, and body-slamming.

After that we had a white elephant gift exchange. I lucked out and got a sweet flying disc thing. I gave a yellow, light-up, smiley-face sphere lamp do-hickey. Yes, it was sweet. Some of the more memorable gifts were: a 10-year-old toothbrush holder and used toothbrush, a frozen t-bone steak, and a plastic bag filled with water and six live shrimp (bought for $0.06 each at Wal-Mart).

Finally, some of the girls decorated a ginger bread house. It actually turned out pretty good. See for yourself:

Praise God with me because we had 18 high school students show up for the party, including two new visitors.
Now that's a gift to get excited about!

Ephesians 5:25-27

As a husband, I feel like you're supposed to have chapter five of Ephesians pretty well figured out. It's the "marriage chapter", you know? In fact, it was the central passage for the message at my wedding, seven months ago.

But, I think I missed one of the biggest points Paul makes to husbands.

The chapter starts off by imploring us to imitate God: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Paul fleshes this out by differentiating between darkness and Light, foolish and Wise, secrecy and Truthfulness.

Then he continues by explaining that reverence for Christ is submission to one another. That's the starting point for his mini-sermon on marriage in verses 22-33. It is out of reverence for Christ (not because of any inferiority or lesser value) that wives are to submit to their husbands as they do to Christ. Likewise, it is out of reverence for Christ that husbands are to give themselves up for their wives and love them like their own body, as Christ loved and gave Himself up for the church.

But there was something I have always been confused about in Paul's nine-verse counsel to husbands. Verses 25-27: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."

I read this and wondered, "How in the world am I supposed to present Sam to God as radiant, holy, and blameless?" I just took it to mean that I have a huge role in encouraging her, rebuking her, and training her so that God can use me to refine her into a better picture of His Image. Ok. This is true, but it isn't much different from the command given to all believers in 2 Timothy 4:2.

As I was reading this passage again last weekend, I realized that is is not my primary role to sanctify Sam (to make her holy and blameless) because that is Christ's alone to do. Sure, He can use me to encourage and rebuke her and lead her, but He alone is the one who can present her to God as pure and radiant.

So, then, what is this passage saying? It's pretty simple. My role in marriage is intended to be a replica (what a poor job I do) of Christ's role in the church. Christ presented the church to Himself as blameless. In the same way, I am to present Sam to myself as blameless. I have never done anything good enough for Christ to see me as pure, but He sees me as pure. It doesn't matter what Sam does or doesn't do, I am to present her to myself as without stain or blemish, but holy and blameless. I think husbands imitating Christ in this way makes marriages so much stronger, deeper, and loving and a more accurate picture of Christ's relationship to us-- which is what marriage is designed to be.

Once again, that is not to say I don't have the role of leading her spiritually, rebuking her sin, and encouraging her in triumphs. Christ also lead, encouraged, and rebuked His disciples.

But He always saw them as pure and radiant-- not because of how they lived, but because His blood made them so.

Beaches in China

I received an email from my mom earlier today. It made me extremely grateful for the beautiful beach environment Sam and I enjoyed on our honeymoon in Mexico. As a reminder, here's a photo we took of the beach scene in Acapulco (click here for a recap of our honeymoon):

Now, here's what a honeymoon on the beach could have looked like if we'd gone to China instead:

Not a square inch is left unused on this beach:

Notice the lifeguards in their stands (an impossible job?) and the smog:

...I like the guy who stored his inner tube on top of his umbrella.

Yep, I think our beach in Mexico was a little more comfortable than if we'd gone to China:

All that said, I love China. Some of my favorite memories are from that country, but the beaches don't look like a great place for a honeymoon.

Enchiladas for Thanksgiving Dinner?

Much to our delight, Sam and I took our honeymoon during our Thanksgiving break last week! We spent 11 days and 10 nights amongst the palm trees and crashing ocean waves in the hot (95 degrees) and tropical climate of Acapulco, Mexico. It was great because not only did we get to spend a week and a half enjoying each other, but we got to experience a new culture together. We spent a lot of our time swimming in the ocean, walking on the beach, bartering for souvenirs in the markets, watching movies in our hotel suite, and eating at little Mexican restaurants near our hotel. Our suite was beautiful and had three (yes THREE) balconies right on the ocean.

We also had some great Bible studies together. I think I learned the most, actually, from Jude. Verse 10 says about godless men, "Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them." God has allowed all men to understand at minute portion of His Nature simply by instinct, because we are made in His Image. However, being made in His Image is not enough to win our hearts from the slavery to sin that we have chosen. In fact, it is these instincts can be the the very things that destroy a someone who has not been freed from their sin. An example that came to mind was the homosexual "revolution" that is occurring in our culture today. I've heard people say things like "how can a good and loving God deny the happiness of two people who love each other?" Their instinct of love is right! They are right that God is a good and loving God and that love between two people is good. But it is this instinct, when not checked by Godly wisdom and Biblical Truth, that leads them astray.

Anyways, back to the honeymoon. Here are some pictures:

Our bedroom, right on the Pacific!

A picture from our balcony at night.

The Mexican culture LOVES hot dogs. This whole counter is selling hot dogs, and this is only the left half of the counter!

Can you find the six guys climbing/standing on the cliff?

We watched as these nuts-o performers dived from the top of the cliff into the canal 135 feet below!

P.S. They're diving into only 11 feet of water.

We went scuba diving, jet-skiing, and para-sailing!  It was awesome.

My wife and me at sunset, after scuba diving.

I think Sam likes her new name...

Storytime!

James & James have the best storytimes! They made this video for Salt last night and, for those of you familiar with Cornerstone, included some pretty great caricatures of the pastors. James & James are having a variety show and bakesale at Cornerstone on December 11th at 7:00pm to raise money for the Leatha Orphanage (completely supported by TSC and Mark and Leatha Arant) in Malawi, Africa.