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“Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” -Saint Augustine

Upon hearing, I stand rebuked.

I thought ya’ll would need to know this:

The rubberbands on my braces match my blog. Yup. That’s right–see that darker teal border around my header up there? Mhmm. That’s what my braces look like.

So, I got to thinking. If I thought that color made my blog look like toothpaste, does that mean my teeth look like toothpaste? And does that mean I don’t need to use toothpaste anymore? (eww..gross, I know.)

I don’t have to worry about people removing me from their blogroll: I’m not there to remove. :D

http://firstimportance.org/

I love this blog. I found it a few months ago, and since I added it to my feedreader, it’s definitely one of the highlights of opening up my google reader in the morning. I admit, the JE (Jonathan Edwards) week was a little heavy for early morning, but being reminded of the Gospel is so encouraging!

I am reminded that the Gospel isn’t just an event that affected me once and no longer has an impact on my life. Everyday, all the day, I need the Gospel. And I never outgrow that need. It affects and relates to so much of life…

Anyway, it’s added to my blogroll now. And I am tired, very tired, and am going to bed. I think. Don’t ask my why I blogged twice in a night, when normally it’s twice in a month.

Enjoyed these broadcasts this weekend as I insanely worked on a project. Quite refreshing and convicting on the subject of an important matter. I listened to all three. :-) Alistair Begg is so fun to listen to!

• Instructions to Woman
• Instructions to Men
• How Do You Find a Mate?

—

On another (less serious) note, you mind also enjoy a bit of Ellen and Katie:

Katie: I feel sorry for all the poor guys who have to put up with flocks of girls, just because they look halfway decent.

Ellen: That’s why all the nice girls marry ugly guys.

*grins* I found that amusing. I’m not sure about Ellen’s logic or conclusion though. :D

“It is well to be acquainted with all the doctrines and principles of Christianity. It is better to be acquainted with Christ Himself. It is well to be familiar with faith and grace and justification and sanctification. They are all matters “pertaining to the King.” But it is far better to be familiar with Jesus Himself, to see the King’s own face, and to behold His beauty. This is one secret of eminent holiness. He that would be conformed to Christ’s image, and become a Christ–like man, must be constantly studying Christ Himself.Now the Gospels were written to make us acquainted with Christ. The Holy Spirit has told us the story of His life and death, His sayings and His doings, four times over. Four different inspired hands have drawn the picture of the Savior His ways, His manners, His feelings, His wisdom, His grace, His patience, His love, His power are graciously unfolded to us by four different witnesses. Ought not the sheep to be familiar with the Shepherd? Ought not the patient to be familiar with the Physician? Ought not the bride to be familiar with the Bridegroom? Ought not the sinner to be familiar with the Savior? Beyond doubt it ought to be so. The Gospels were written to make men familiar with Christ, and therefore I wish men to study the Gospels.

As ever you would grow in grace, and have joy and peace in believing, beware of falling into this error. Cease to regard the Gospel as a mere collection of dry doctrines. Look at it rather as the revelation of a mighty living Being in whose sight you are daily to live. Cease to regard it as a mere set of abstract propositions and abstruse principles and rules. Look at it as the introduction to a glorious personal Friend. This is the kind of Gospel that the apostles preached. They did not go about the world telling men of love and mercy and pardon in the abstract. The leading subject of all their sermons was the loving heart of an actual living Christ. This is the kind of Gospel which is most calculated to promote sanctification and fitness for glory. Nothing, surely, is so likely to prepare us for that heaven where Christ’s personal presence will be all, and that glory where we shall meet Christ face to face, as to realize communion with Christ, as an actual living Person here on earth. There is all the difference in the world between an idea and a person.”

- JC Ryle, Holiness (Webster, NY: Evangelical Press, 2004), 191.

HT: Of First Importance

“I’m worried that we’re so afraid of legalism in the church today that we won’t lift a finger to pursue holiness in the fear of God.”

- random quote from a random blogger (that I don’t know) on a random blog (Okay, not random, Justin Taylor’s)

I met a new friend tonight: Lilias Trotter. She spoke words I didn’t really want to hear, but words to think on, none the less.

It is easy to find out whether our lives are focused, and if so, where the focus lies. Where do our thoughts settle when consciousness comes back in the morning? Where do they swing back when the pressure is off during the day? Does this test not give the clue? Then dare to have it out with God–and after all, that is the shortest way. Dare to lay bare your whole life and being before Him, and ask Him to show you whether or not all is focused on Christ and His glory. Dare to face the fact that unfocused, good and useful as it may seem, it will prove to have failed of its purpose. -Lilias Trotter

Lilias Trotter is one of those friends…well, the friends Alex Harris called, “dead friends.” She was born in 1853, excelled in painting and art, and spent much of her life in Algeria spreading the Gospel. Thank you, Mrs. Piper, for introducing her to me. I’ll be posting more about Lilias and more from the article that the above excerpt came from, time permitting.

Interesting: How to Organize a Personal Library, by Challies (hey, its about books and more books)

Cool: Smashing Free Typeface, by Smashing Magazine (and I like it)

Recommended Read: Living Face-to-Face, by Paul Manuel (fuel for scribbles on notebook paper)

I’m exhausted! And there’s an avalanche of school books waiting to be steadied (and studied)…grace!

“Now, I know that someday I am going to come to what some people will say is the end of this life. They will probably put me in a box and roll me right down here in front of the church, and some people will gather around, and a few people will cry. But I have told them not to do that because I don’t want them to cry. I want them to begin the service with the Doxology and end with the Hallelujah chorus, because I am not going to be there, and I am not going to be dead. I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying and have not yet joined me in the land of the living. And I will be alive forevermore, in greater health and vitality and joy than ever, ever, I or anyone has known before.”D. James Kennedy, Ph.D.

Even after hearing of his recent retirement, I was shocked to hear that Dr. Kennedy passed away this morning, September 5th, 2007.

http://www.djameskennedy.org/life.aspx