Favorite Tweets for September

Follow me on Twitter: @EspinosaJoey
  1. "I can only be right with God if I accept the atonement of Jesus as an absolute gift. Am I humble enough to accept it?" Oswald Chambers
  2. Dinner at IHOP! 
  3. Our family brought Popsicles to the football players and coaches after their practice. For $10, we can be .
  4. "There is never going to come a day when I stand before God and he says, 'I wish you would have kept more for yourself.'"
  5. Breakfast at Flavor with Elijah. Homecooking, and with a name like "Flavor" how could you go wrong?
  6. Every time Sender says he wants a bacon & egg cheeseBURGER from Hardee's, I feel nauseated.
  7. And in today's news for , Joanna and kids rode the golf cart to the library, & the Hardee's drive-thru.
  8. Joanna just headed out to register to vote, and to sign up to be a poll worker in .  
  9. After I listened to this wk's sermon by , the family had a great breakfast table discussion about being "in the world."  
  10. Snack at Club today was cucumber & carrots. One little girl said, "Yuck. That's white people food."

Do you have a favorite?
on 9/30/2011 0 comments
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7 Differences Between Galilee and Judea

My kids have been studying ancient Rome in school. This has led to some discussions about the nation of Israel around the time of Jesus. Additionally, my reading through the New Testament brought up some questions about the context of many events.

So I am glad I came across this resource, 7 Differences Between Galilee and Judea in the Time of Jesus. In a commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, R.T. France notes that we must remember that "the Jews" cannot be lumped in a single category, any more than Irish and English can be lumped as "British," or how a Texan and New Yorker would share "American" customs.

After understanding seven key differences between Jews from Galilee and those from Judea, one will have a greater appreciation for the prejudice Jesus the Nazarene (from Galilee) faced when He encountered the religious Jews from Judea, who considered themselves spiritually superior.
on 9/29/2011 1 comments
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Follow the Rabbit Trail: Planes, Baptizing, Following

Image courtesy of Kenneth Russell via Picasa
With bedtime conversations with kids, you just never know where the rabbit trail may lead.

The Conversation
A few weeks ago, Sender and I were laying in his bed talking about flying in a plane. He is the only one in our family that has never done so, but I was telling him that one day he will.

Suddenly, he said, "What if we fly in a plane, and we crash, and I die, and I haven't been baptized?" Wow. Flying, crashing, dying, baptizing. What a loaded sentence! (The crashing and dying probably has to do with our recent discussions about 9-11.)

He was a little concerned and even distressed, and I asked why it bothered him that he wasn't baptized. "Because then I won't go to heaven." I explained that he doesn't have to be baptized in order to go to heaven. And this led to a talk about who has been baptized in our family -- Mommy, me, and Hannah.

Then, I asked him, "What do you have to do to go to heaven?" and he answered, "Believe in Jesus." That's right. We were on the right track. But then he added this:

"Satan doesn't believe in Jesus."

Oh, interesting point. But I explained that Satan and his bad angels (demons) actually do believe in Jesus, in a sense. The Bible (James 2:19) is clear that they believe that Jesus is God. The difference is that they don't follow and obey God.

So, as I explained to Sender, maybe we should say that we need to believe in and follow Jesus.


The Conclusion
What a great conversation. We went from talking about planes to crashing to baptizing to salvation to believing to Satan to following. I got to help make theology practical for him.

You can't script moments like this. But I don't take advantage of the precious time I have with my kids like this as much as I should.


Related Links:

on 9/28/2011 3 comments
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Favorite Blog Post Winner

Thanks for everyone who voted (and shared posts, and commented) in this giveaway.

The favorite post was determined to be: Biblical Parenting vs Gospel Parenting 

    And the winner of the $40 of merchandise from Amazon.com is: Barbara! Congrats!! (Send me an email or FB message to discuss how to claim your prize.)
    on 9/26/2011 0 comments
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    Our Dancing Sender

    Sender, who will be 5 at the end of the year, is always up for entertaining others. Sometimes, a dance just breaks out after breakfast.




    And sometimes the dance includes "The Worm" and the melody from "Pharaoh, Pharaoh."




    If Sender took dancing lessons -- and if he lived in Moldova -- this video shows what he would look like (Thanks, Ashley).


    Related Links:
    on 9/26/2011 7 comments
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    Hannah's Birthday

    Accessorized: Braces & Clip-On Earrings
    Our "little girl" is 10 today. She was actually due on September 16th, but came 9 days late. I lost a bet on that, having to buy someone lunch. See? She was costing me right off the bat.

    That she was late seems to fit her personality. I bet she was busy talking, or day-dreaming. At least, that's why she is so pokey now.

    Tasks? Who's got time and focus for them, when there is so much to dream about and create!

    That's what we love about her. She loves to make things beautiful, like outfits with as many different bright colors as possible.

    Over the next few years, she will be entering into a new phase. She will go through changes and challenges -- physically, socially, emotionally, and even spiritually. And our role is to be there ahead of her (proactive leadership) and with her (encouraging her in Christ).

    Last weekend, Hannah and Joanna went away for a 1-night girls-only trip to Charleston. Besides just having fun, they also talked about some of these upcoming changes.

    A great resource that my wife used is called The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls. Created by American Girl (which already has a huge fan in Hannah), this book facilitated discussion between my wife and daughter. Health topics are covered without reference to sexuality. It's a great resource for parents of young (preteen) girls.


    Related Links:
    on 9/25/2011 8 comments
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    Saturday Round-Up (September 24)

    It was a good week. Maybe that's because I only had to work 4 days. Maybe that's because my in-laws are in town (free meals!). And maybe it's because it's my daughter's birthday weekend (see tomorrow's post). And there were a slew of good articles (and 2 videos) I came across. Here they are, this time in order of how much I liked them. I think you'll like one or more, too.

    The Difference Between Parenting and Making Disciples. Since I've read this, I've been thinking about my kids not in the context of "parenting," but in the perspective of "making disciples." The same holds true for how we can equip other parents to make disciples of their kids.

    Bikers and Innocent Couples. I showed this video to my kids, to illustrate the principle of "don't judge a book by its cover." This has become more real to them, since (by their skin tone) in the vast minority in Allendale.



    Did You Marry the Wrong Person? Yes, and you should thank God for that.

    Power Corrupts, Especially When It Lacks Status.  "The experience of having power without status, whether as a member of the military or a college student participating in an experiment, may be a catalyst for producing demeaning behaviors that can destroy relationships and impede goodwill."

    How Devoted Moms Buffer Kids in Poverty.  A good mom can make all the difference.

    I Used to Think (Rap). "I was a wealthy man if I had one or two bucks."

    on 9/24/2011 0 comments
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