Desiring God National Conference 2014

Jovi and I were excited because this would be the first time that we'd attend a conference like this with just the two of us. From Friday to Sunday, there was a lot of love for God's Word and especially for Romans 8, which, in John Piper's opinion, speaks of the greatest joy in the greatest chapter from the greatest book (i.e. the Bible) in the world.

From the Friday night session

Praise with Shane & Bethany Barnard

I hope they record an album together soon.

Saturday was 3 sessions of this. A lot of multi-coloured circling, connecting lines, and squigglies.

Take your pick...

In the Exhibit Hall were a bunch of really old Bibles that were just there, out in the open, to be touched. I touched this one.

On Sunday, between the closing of the conference and our flight back to NY, we had a lot of time. So we went to the Mall of America! (What else was there to do in Minneapolis, MN?) And inside the mall was Nickelodeon Universe, a pretty legit amusement park! I was very impressed. Only in America....wow!

Christianity's Uniqueness

Found this article from Challies's blog, Christianity's Uniqueness -  "In reply to the critics who claim Christianity was just a copy-cat religion among the ancient religions, it’s helpful to take a look at how an ancient adherent of these pagan religions viewed Christianity."

I'm still going through my History of Christianity class, but I've already gained an appreciation for these types of articles that look back (way back) into the Church's history. Actually that blog post gives an excerpt from David Bentley Hart's book Atheist Delusions, and I understood it completely! But what's super interesting is how he makes a parallel between some of the ancient pagan criticisms of the faith and a modern objection to the faith.

In what way can I best serve my neighbour?

In what way can I best serve my neighbour? I rarely, if ever, think about my work/career/vocation/calling in this way.

A second way of thinking about whether you should consider a particular vocation is in terms of your affinity, ability, and opportunity. Do you have an affinity for this vocation? How much does it interest you? Do you have the abilities to perform the functions required? And do you have the opportunity to follow that path where you are now? Or would it mean relocating? Or is it a matter of timing? Of course the levels of these 3 can change during your life. You may have to take time to develop your abilities. Specific job opportunities come and go. And you may find an affinity for something new you never felt before.

In bringing these two ways of thinking about vocation together, I believe that God can use your personal affinities, abilities, and opportunities to show you how to best serve your neighbour.

But sometimes, what God shows you isn’t what you had planned all along. Rather than joy and excitement, this can bring fear, uncertainty, and maybe even anger (towards God, yourself, or others). This is not what I had envisioned for my life! What about all the years I invested in my education, work experience,...?! What will my parents think?

I can only pray for grace today and seek comfort and wisdom in the Holy Spirit. Figuring out my calling or whatever future vocation is frustrating, but above all, I hope my life in Christ, today and always, honours God and extends love to my neighbours.