Last Friday was Tricia's 30th birthday! We went out to eat with her sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law and we also saw a movie that she was wanting to see. On Saturday her mom stopped by and on Sunday we had lunch with the Powell side of the family. Throw in all the cards, e-mails, and Facebook messages, and there was a lot of good celebrating going on! (FYI: You can read more about her birthday -- and plenty of other topics -- on Tricia's blog.)

Ethan went in for his 9-month check-up last week, and he's weighing in at 28" and nearly 22 lbs! (I knew his car seat was getting heavier!) Neither Tricia nor I was at 22 lbs until we were a year old, so who knows how big the little guy will end up being!

As you can tell from the photos, Ethan is also into doors right now. He likes swinging them back and forth, although he doesn't always know how to get his head out of the way! The bottom picture is him with one of my socks on his head -- he's already helping out with the laundry! Next is cutting the grass...

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What makes a man a preacher? What place does preaching have? What constitutes a good sermon? These are among the many questions that Lloyd-Jones addresses in this book – originally a series of lectures. He is helpfully blunt and forceful in his assertions, and I agree with far more of his claims than not. Preaching is a challenging task and the stakes are high. Lloyd-Jones has provided an insightful resource into the heart of this important work. A-

Five quotes from Preaching and Preachers:

In many ways it is the departure of the Church from preaching that is responsible in a large measure for the state of modern society. The Church has been trying to preach morality and ethics without the Gospel as its basis; it has been preaching morality without godliness; and it simply does not work. It never has done, and it never will. And the result is that the Church, having abandoned her real task, has left humanity more or less to its own devices. [35]

There is something radically wrong with dull and boring preachers. How can a man be dull when he is handling such themes? I would say that a ‘dull preacher’ is a contradiction in terms; if he is dull he is not a preacher. He may stand in the pulpit and talk, but he is certainly not a preacher. With the grand theme and message of the Bible dullness is impossible. This is the most interesting, the most thrilling, the most absorbing subject in the universe; and the idea that this can be presented in a dull manner makes me seriously doubt whether the men who are guilty of this dullness have ever really understood the doctrine they claim to believe, and which they advocate. We often betray ourselves by our manner. [87]

This idea that because people are members of the church and attend regularly that they must be Christian is one of the most fatal assumptions, and I suggest that it mainly accounts for the state of the Church today. [149]

The preacher’s first, and the most important task is to prepare himself, not his sermon. [166]

There is certainly no lack of words; but is there much evidence of power in our preaching? [312] 

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From an airfield in Italy, American forces used B-24 bombers during World War II air raids into Nazi territory. Based largely on the account of George McGovern (later a presidential candidate), this reads more like his memoir – a microscopic view of one crew involved in a large-scale theater of action. Ambrose isn’t quite on top of his game in this book, but it still serves as a needed reminder of the armed forces’ courage and sacrifice. C+

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It's been a while, so here's a quick update:

Sickness. Tricia and I have taken turns dealing with some kind of flu/cold/sinus infection junk for a few weeks. We are personally responsible for keeping Puffs in business this quarter, and they should see a sharp spike in sales in the southwest region of Louisville. Fortunately for us (and our noses), we seem to finally be getting over it, and I'm glad to see it go.

Did anyone else notice that big Ice Storm we had? Thought so. We did not lose power (this time) although about 3 tons of water leaked through the roof in our sun room, which was fun. If we had just sealed it off and let the water come in, we could have turned it into a giant fish tank. Man, I wish I'd thought of that sooner! Here are some photos from the storm:

Speaking of weather, I was watching the weather on WAVE-3 the other day, and John Belski showed a picture of a t-shirt that someone designed about all the crazy weather events from the past year. The picture on the side is the back of the shirt, and the sad thing is that it's all true. (The creator of the shirt is donating proceeds to charity, so if you like it enough to buy one you can check it out here.)

And now, for news on Ethan (the real reason anyone reads this blog!): as of January 19 (the day he turned 8-months old), the little guy is crawling! And let me tell you, he is definitely on the move! He's such a curious baby, always more interested in seeing how things work than in playing with them. He's also become quite handy at cleaning off every lower shelf in the house. Here are some of his most recent photos:

There's a new book review below, and I am still working on the new reviews page. I'm having trouble getting a new program to run, but I'm working on it and I hope that it will be done soon. (Yes, I'm sure that everyone is on the edge of their seats as I type this...)

And, don't lie. You saw the trailer for Fast and Furious during the Super Bowl, and now that Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are both back, the ticket is as good as bought, right? Right?

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Tracing the story of redemption through the Old Testament, Clowney explores the ways in which Christ was foreshadowed and revealed. Because God’s purpose and plan have been eternally set, the Old Testament points to Christ just as much (albeit differently) than the New Testament. Clowney avoids over-reaching to find Christ in any or every passage, but skillfully shows where the Messiah is to be found in the Bible’s first 39 books. A solid work, easily recommended. B

Five quotes from The Unfolding Mystery:

The Bible has a story line. It traces an unfolding drama. The story follows the history of Israel, but it does not begin there, nor does it contain what you would expect in a national history. The narrative does not pay tribute to Israel. Rather, it regularly condemns Israel and justifies God’s severest judgments. The story is God’s story. It describes His work to rescue rebels from their folly, guilt, and ruin. And in His rescue operation, God always takes the initiative. [11]

Faith wins when it knows that all is lost, and clings to God alone. [73]

The jealous love of marital devotion is given by God Himself as a pattern of the love of His covenant. Marital faithfulness would, of course, strengthen family life in Israel when God’s commandment was obeyed. Yet that command always pointed beyond itself to the faithful love of God for His people, and His call for their jealous devotion in return. [104]

The salvation that is ours in Christ is not just a restoration to innocence, with the debt of sin cancelled. Far less is it a second chance to earn our own salvation by having our slate wiped clean. What we receive in Christ is His righteousness; we are adopted into the perfect sonship of the second Adam and the true Israel. [105]

God showed Israel their own helplessness in order that they might find Him to be their help in every distress. [117]

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