Unconscionable

My wife found this article in the latest Newsweek while we were in Barnes & Noble last night. I thought it had to be a joke, but it is not. It is the most hillarious /embarassing piece of writing that I have read in a while. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry, but it turned out that I mostly laughed... a lot. If you have a few spare minutes at all, you must read this.

Merry Christmas

Peace on earth and goodwill toward men.

Advent Conspiracy

With less than a week to go until Christians of the western tradition all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus, I just wanted to remind everyone about the Advent Conspiracy.

From the AC website:

Christmas was meant to change the world. It still can. Worship more. Spend less. Give more. Love all. Zero in on what it really means to be a Christ follower during this holy season. What if you could inspire your church, your family and yourself to avoid being consumed by commercialism this Christmas? Spend some time learning about materialism and reflecting on it. Then, start conversations with others about it. What are the local and global needs around you, and what’s the meaning of Christmas all about?

13 Ways to Bless Missionaries

From Desiring God:

Pray specific Scripture for them and their ministry, and then email it to them.

Call or email their parents—Christmas might be just as lonely for the ones at home as the ones away.

Purchase phone minutes for an international calling card through an online service like OneSuite and email them the account number.

Donate frequent flier miles to them.

Purchase an iTunes gift card for them. Have it sent to you and email them the account number.

Commit to pray for them on a specific day of the week for a year.

Write a song or poem or story for them. Email them the text and a recording of you reading or singing it.

Get friends and family together to create a holiday video greeting for them using Google Video or YouTube. Include lots of people you know they miss.

Make a year-end gift through their missions board or agency.

Western Union—the fastest way to send money.

Call their local florist (not everyone is in the jungle these days) and have flowers delivered, or their local Pizza Hut and have pizza delivered.

Donate to a charity that means a lot to them.

Make a monthly commitment to support them financially.

Compound Interest

My good friend Matt posted a great quote concerning Compound Interest.

Publisher's Weekly Reviews Tim Keller's New Book

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller. Dutton, $24.95 (272p) ISBN 978-0-525-95049-3

In this apologia for Christian faith, Keller mines material from literary classics, philosophy, anthropology and a multitude of other disciplines to make an intellectually compelling case for God. Written for skeptics and the believers who love them, the book draws on the author's encounters as founding pastor of New York's booming Redeemer Presbyterian Church. One of Keller's most provocative arguments is that "all doubts, however skeptical and cynical they may seem, are really a set of alternate beliefs." Drawing on sources as diverse as 19th-century author Robert Louis Stevenson and contemporary New Testament theologian N.T. Wright, Keller attempts to deconstruct everyone he finds in his way, from the evolutionary psychologist Richard Dawkins to popular author Dan Brown. The first, shorter part of the book looks at popular arguments against God's existence, while the second builds on general arguments for God to culminate in a sharp focus on the redemptive work of God in Christ. Keller's condensed summaries of arguments for and against theism make the scope of the book overwhelming at times. Nonetheless, it should serve both as testimony to the author's encyclopedic learning and as a compelling overview of the current debate on faith for those who doubt and for those who want to reevaluate what they believe, and why. (Feb. 14)

Source: Here

This one is definitely on my wish list. Tim Keller has influenced my thinking quite a bit and I am anxious to see how his foray into the writing world turns out.

Third of Advent

Today we relight the first two candles of the Advent wreath. The candle of HOPE and the candle of PEACE.

Now we light the third candle of Advent.

This is the candle of JOY. As the coming of Jesus, our Savior, draws nearer, our joy builds with our anticipation of his birth.

From the Book of Isaiah we read the words of our Lord:
“But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.”— Isaiah 65:18

From the New Testament, the words of Paul to the people of the church at Galatia:
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.”— Galatians 5:22-25

Let us pray:We joyfully praise you, O Lord, for the fulfillment of your promise of a Savior and what that means in our lives. Thank you for the gift of salvation through the birth of your son, Jesus. Create us anew as we wait, and help us to see your glory as you fill our lives with your living Spirit. Amen.

Second Sunday of Advent

Today we relight the candle of HOPE. Now we light the candle for the second Sunday in Advent. This is the candle of PEACE. As we prepare for the coming of Jesus, we remember that Jesus is our hope and our peace.

From the prophet Isaiah:
“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”— Isaiah 9:6-7

From the Gospel of John:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”— John 14:27

Prayer for Second Sunday of Advent:
Gracious God, Grant that we may find peace as we prepare for our Lord’s birth. May divisions in ourselves and in our families be peacefully resolved. May there be peace in our cities and in the countries of our world. Help us to see the paths of peace in our lives, and then give to us courage to follow them. Lord, let us remember that you only are the giver of lasting peace and that you are always with us. Amen.

Advent: Prayers and Conspiracies

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent... Advent being the traditional time of preparation leading up to the celebration of the birth of Christ. Christians believe that the season of Advent serves a dual reminder of the original waiting that was done by Israel for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting that Christians today endure as they await the second coming of Jesus.

My wife and I have never celebrated Advent, though we have been Christians for many years now. We thought it would be a rich and spiritually rewarding thing to do this year. We would prefer to focus this time on Jesus, and less on consumerism and stress. We thought others might be interested in doing the same:

How to Celebrate Advent

Advent begins on Advent Sunday, usually somewhere around December 1. Historically, the primary color of Advent is Purple (in some traditions blue is used instead of purple). This is the color of penitence and fasting as well as the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. Other colors that are used are red (for joy, love, and celebration) and white (to represent purity, new birth or creation, and Jesus).

Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. There is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, first expressed by Israelite slaves in Egypt as they cried out from their bitter oppression. It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world under the curse of sin, and yet who have hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of oppressed slaves and brought deliverance!

It is that hope, however faint at times, and that God, however distant He sometimes seems, which brings to the world the anticipation of a King who will rule with truth and justice and righteousness over His people and in His creation. It is that hope that once anticipated, and now anticipates anew, the reign of an Anointed One, a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice and righteousness to the world.

The lighting of candles (representing Jesus being the light of the world) is a very important part of celebrating Advent. On the First Sunday of Advent, the purple candle of hope is lit, follwed by scripture reading and prayers, and then is subsequently put out. Likewise for the Second Sunday (candle of peace) and the Third Sunday (candle of love). The Forth Sunday is a red or pink candle representing joy is lit, followed again by scripture reading and prayers, and again is put out. On Christmas Eve, a white candle is lit representing the birth of Christ and, along with all the others, is left burning all night. The Christ Candle, as it is called, is usually placed in the center of the other candles to remind us that the Incarnation is the heart of the season.

For a general Advent Prayer see here.

For daily Advent Scripture readings see here.

This week's Advent prayer is:

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost,one God, now and for ever. Amen.

I'll post the prayer of the week each week as the Advent season moves along.

Also, the book Celtic Daily Prayer has some wonderful Advent resources.

The Conspiracy

Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption. It is really exciting and is something that all Christians, but especially those in the West, should chew on a bit this Christmas season. Check it out at http://www.adventconspiracy.org/.

A Thanksgiving Meditation by John Piper

Read it here: Ganging Up on Gratitude

Miscillanies

Want to study the Bible in Greek? Check out The Resurgence's new ReGreek site at www.regreek.com/

The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World is now available. Contributors are John Piper, David Wells, D.A. Carson, Tim Keller, Voddie Baucham, and Mark Driscoll.

What do you mean you won't consider adoption? If you are in Christ, you have been adopted! Think about it...or read this: From Adopted to Adopting.

Dirty China:The New York Sun reports that "The organizers of the 2008 Olympic Games in China have put the Bible on the list of items that athletes are banned from bringing with them to Beijing. . . ."

My buddy Sam Adams is still keeping it real in Rwanda.

Remember this name: Matt Larsen. You'll be hearing it again in the future. Some of his sermons to his college group are available on Podcast by searching for Merge.

Joe Thorn's Six Rules for Cultural Engagement

1. Be present.
It sounds easy enough, but being present in the world these days is made difficult because of the Christian sub-culture the church has created around itself. Being present means being a part of the community God has sent you to, not just the community he wants you to help create. Do you know the people, the local issues and struggles, the values, practices and interests of your neighbors? There will be no cultural engagement unless you are there, hanging out, interacting with the world outside of the church. Need a place to start? Introduce yourself to your neighbors and invite them over for dinner, read the local paper, participate in local events, let your voice be heard when appropriate, be a regular at local establishments.

2. Practice discernment.
You must be thoughtful in your engaging. Is [fill in the blank] something to reject outright (nothing good in it), something to receive as it points to truth or beauty, or is this an opportunity to point to the redemption we, and all things, have in Jesus? It is not always time to be the culture warrior, nor does Jesus call us to be spiritual pacifists. Sometimes we must fight, sometimes we share things in common, but we are always looking to heal.

3. Develop your theology.
You cannot be a culture engager if you are not a theologian. You will be unsuccessful in “redeeming culture” if you are unsuccessful as a student of theology. I am not suggesting that everyone needs to be a resurrected Turretin, Owen or Edwards, nor am I suggesting that God cannot overcome our theological inadequacies. But to speak to the culture of sin, the gospel and the character of God requires that we understand these things. Where to start? Read good books that focus on theology and its application to life and community. Dialog with others about this very task who share a growing passion for both the gathered church and the sent church.

4. Find courage.
Engaging the culture in this way demands great personal conviction. Like Jesus and the apostles, preaching the gospel in word and deed will both lead to you being favored as a helper, and hated as a meddler. It just depends on the issue. Everyone who labors in such work will encounter fear. Comfort and courage will only come from God who has promised that the we are blessed when persecuted, and the gates of hell will not prevail against his church.

5. Speak clearly.
To properly engage your culture, whether rejecting what is evil, or receiving what is good, you must speak the language of the culture. For most this should be easier than imagined. You probably understand the language of your community, but you may not speak it - particularly when it comes to explaining the gospel to people. It is not enough to say the murder of the innocent is an abomination, or that all men are dead in sin and need to be regenerated and justified. We must explain ourselves - even better, the gospel - in words they can understand. Many of us need to learn to rely less on talking points and canned presentations that are connecting less and less to the post-Christian culture, and begin developing an earnest, dialogical method of engaging with our words. There’s no easy how-to for this beyond simply doing it, failing, and trying again.

6. Love.
This is perhaps the most important rule of engaging culture, because most of the time you will not only be engaging ideas, but people; people made in God’s image, people who feel, people Christ calls us to love and serve. It is not appropriate to claim we love our neighbors without a real demonstration of that love. Whether we are rejecting, receiving or redeeming love for God and others must be what moves us to speak and act.

Source

Carole Hillard: 1936 - 2007

Carole Hillard died like she would have wanted to - in the middle of an adventure, said her son, the Rev. Todd Hillard. Carole Hillard, a former South Dakota lieutenant governor, legislator and Rapid City Council member, died early last Thursday morning in a Swiss hospital of complications following a broken neck suffered in a sail-boating accident. Carole had made the boating trip with friends on the Adriatic Sea after traveling to Turkmenistan, where she had put on a conference on federalism.

Her life taught us that one person can make a big difference in the world and that each of us has a responsibility to make the world a better place. She started from the grass roots ... with community service in Rapid City. Carole helped coordinate a protection network for battered women before there was a women's shelter in Rapid City. "That was where she got her start, picking up battered women in the middle of the night and making sure they got a safe place to stay," Todd said.

After stints on the Rapid City Council and in the Legislature, Carole was elected lieutenant governor during the second two terms of Gov. Bill Janklow from 1995-2003. She was the first and only woman to ever hold this position. In addition to presiding over the Senate, she traveled the state to appear on Janklow's behalf at events big and small.In the last decade, In these last years Carole served as an international consultant, traveling to more than 60 countries on behalf of the U.S. State Department as well as nongovernmental organizations. Among many other things, she helped supervise the January elections in the West Bank and traveled to Afghanistan in March to help create small business in Kabul.

In one of her last emails to family she wrote, "So the question is -- are we not safer living the daring life? Is it better to be bird than a turtle as we sojourn thru life?"

May the faithful departed rest in peace until the Resurrection.

Coming Home

Friends and Loved Ones,

Jenny and I, with sadness, are coming home. Her beloved Aunt Carole passed away from injuries she sustained while sailing on a boat with friends in the Adriatic Sea. Many of you may remember her from the wedding. She was quite a woman, and will be sorely missed.

The trip has been amazing, and we have learned much that we are excited to share with all of you. In the mean time, please be in prayer for us and for Jenny's family. Jenny is very sad, as is the rest of her family. We are leaving for India this afternoon, and then catching the first thing smoking for LA. We should hopefully be in LA by Sunday, and then you can reach us on our cells if you need to. Pray for our travel safety and for all those grieving the loss of this tremendous woman.

Love,
Jason for the Ballard's

River of Life

We are finally in Nepal and Jason and I could not be happier. We were giddy with excitement, not only because we have really been looking forward to this part of our trip, but also because of the craziness that it took to get here. Our driver dropped us off at the train station at 11:00pm in Agra India and we took the overnight train to a border town in India, but then we had to hire a jeep to take us the alleged 2-3 hour drive to the actual border. We were the first ones in the Jeep and then came 3 more, and then 2 more, and we had to wait a long time and it was then that we realized the goal was to fill the jeep to the maximum capacity, which was 2 people for every legal 1 seat. Needless to say, we were cramped and after 4 hours with dust and sweat and wind wreaking havoc on our bodies we decided we definitely needed to get a flight to Kathmandu. Exhausted, starving (we hadn't eaten all day) and feeling like India had beat us up, we were offered mercy and just randomly picked an excellent hotel to stay in Kathmandu!! You know you have had quite a journey when the Nepali Manager looked at me and said..."you look tired!!"

We are very very content now, Nepal is not nearly as demanding and more relaxed than India. We are really excited to get about more and see Shanta and just enjoy the country with which I fell in love. Even though we left India behind...India did not leave us behind.....both Jason and I are struggling through intense diarreaha!!

Jenny for the Ballards

Midnight Train from Agra

Namaste from Nepal,

That's right, we made it safe and sound to Kathmandu after a very epic overland border crossing into Nepal from India. We took the midnight train out of Agra on (what day was it?..) Friday for Gorakpur, India which is 30km south of the India/Nepal border. Let me just say this: second class sleeper cabins on a train in India are every bit as amazing as you would expect them to be. I didn't know whether to ask for Jenny's forgiveness, or giggle with joy. I don't think I can explain it with words. When the two India men next to us weren't snoring, we were actually able to sleep pretty well. It was everything that I'd hoped it would be.

After ariving in Gorakpur in late morning, we hired a jeep to take us as close to the border as possible. The jeep was the same size as all the jeeps in America, and there were 12 people inside, Jenny and I being the only crackers. It was a hillarious and difficult journey all at once. After four hours in the jeep, we finally made it to within 1km of the border, and hired a rickshaw to take us the rest of the way. At long last, we crossed the border at Sunuali. Our original plan was to overnight there at the border and take the bus to Kathmandu the next morning, but after scoping things out hotel wise and realizing how cheap domestic flights are in Nepal, we went ahead and caught a plane from Bhairawa to Kathmandu that very afternoon and were sitting comfortably in the Fuji Guest House in Kathmandu that very (Saturday) evening. After a shower, some Tiger Balm, and you know what, we were as happy as two puppies with two tails.

We are calling our overland journeys across India a success and a learning experience. We are very glad we did it that way. We feel we have a sense of India and its culture and customs because of our chosen means of travel. It was a once in a lifetime (and quite epic) trip. It is hard to believe we actually did it. That said, we would not recommend India to the faint of heart or those looking to relax for a while. We are very happy to be in Nepal where we can breath and enjoy ourselves. Our room is up on the top of the building by the rooftop garden with a view of the whole city of Kathmandu. It is a real blessing.

The next few days we are going to meet up with Shanta, explore Kathmandu, get an idea about what life is like here, and hopefully hook up with a Nepali church planter for whom we were just given the contact info. Our next stop in Nepal (probably next week) will be Pokhara. I've got a nice case of the runs from our last two days in India, but a big smile on my face. Hope all is well with you guys. Be sure to keep in touch.

Namaste,
Jason for the Ballards

BeautifulCrazyFascinatingIntimidatingIndia

India...where the roads are rivers of seething masses of chaotic humanity making use of every form of locomotion known to man for the last thousand years: camels, elephants, horses, donkeys, and carts pulled by all of these, rickshaws, autorickshaws, bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, strange cars, and trucks. It is a paradoxically wild and beautiful place, but it is not for the faint of heart. There are a more smells than my nose knows what to do with: perfume, trash, food cooking, fires burning, insense, exhaust, livestock, and the strange Indian body aroma. All mixed together in different ways, it makes for amost inumerable olfactory permutations. I will probably be seeing children begging for food or money for many nights to come in my dreams. Once you get over the initial culture shock, it really is a beautiful and fascinating place. The people are kind, and those that are not have usually become that way because of crushing poverty and desperation. The history is rich, and the weather has been kind. All in all, we are very fortunate to be here.

Jenny and I arrived in Delhi on Monday, and because of a lack of trains, were unable to proceed directly to Nepal. We hired an India man to drive us to Agra, with a two night stop in Jaipur on the way. We arrived in Agra today and will catch the train to the India/Nepal border tonight. From there we will take a bus to the border crossing, walk across (hopefully without event) and then either take a bus to Kathmandu or take a bus to Butwal and fly to Kathmandu. Which one will depend on cost.

The highlights in India have been the Red Fort, the Jaipur City Palace, Taj Mahal, a national park we visited, and Agra Fort. Surely there can be few things built by men that are as beautiful as Taj Mahal...all for the love of a woman! Yet, perhaps our favorite thing in India so far was the Ayurvedic treatments we recieved for two nights in a row in Jaipur. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian healing art involving massaging oils and herbs into your skin very vigorously. It ranks in my top five most physically pleasurable experiences of all time.

Please keep us in prayer. Nepal seems to be in reach, and we have much to consider there regarding our future.

Lux

What city offers the second highest quality of living to its residents, preceded only by Zurich, Switzerland? That's right, Geneva, Switzerland, which also happens to be where Jenny and I arrived today. So far, I can't dispute the number two rating, though, as a small aside I must say that it will probably be close to bizzare to go from here to New Delhi, India which I don't think they even bother to give a quality of life rating. It was sad to leave Montreux, but the train ride went smoothly, and we have a new city to explore.

We are staying at the City Hostel, which is good because I have never stayed at a hostel before and it seems like a small adventure, but very bad because for one night Jenny and I have to sleep apart. They are all booked up except in the dorm rooms. We would get a hotel somewhere else, but besides being on the top ten list of places to live, Geneva is also on another top ten list...top ten most expensive cities in the world. I think the average price of a hotel room here is something like three million dollars. Something like that.

After getting settled into our accomodations, we hoofed it over to the International Museum of the Refomation in old town. For a history and theology nerd like myself, a museum that helps one discover the reasons for the Reformation, follow the course of its development, evaluate its impact on civilization and imagine its future was something not to be missed. It was quite fascinating, and if you are in Geneva, you should certainly not miss it. After buying some John Calvin beer in the gift shop, we walked across the street to Saint-Pierre Cathedral where John Calvin pastored his church while in exile here during the reformation. They still have his chair of all things! It was moving, in a strage way, for me to be here where all these men that I have looked up to lived and worked (John Calvin, John Knox, Theodore Beza, and others), and where all these world changing events went down. Having first visited many of the Christian sights in Rome just a week ago such as the catacombs, St. John Lateran Cathedral, St. Peter's Basillica, etc., this has been not only a romantic honeymoon, but also a bit of a spiritual pilgrimage and learning experience for Jenny and I.

After leaving the church, we found some grub, and then feeling a bit like relaxing, we went and saw an English movie in a movie theater (Booyah!), for no less than $35. Unbelievable. It might have been a sin.

Now, we are back at the peaceful hostel (which almost sounds like an oxymoron), and getting ready to head to our seperate (sniff-sniff) beds and get some rest. We send our love to all who are keeping up with us here, and hope to hear from you soon.

Keller on Risks for Evangelicals

Tim Keller spoke on "What are the risks for evangelicals?" at the EMA Conference in London, England recently. Here are the highlights:

--Evangelicalism used to occupy the middle ground between fundamentalism and liberalism. It was orthodox, pro-scholarship, and facing the world. Recently, evangelicalism has become more hostile and condemning of culture. A younger generation has given up on evangelicalism as a middle ground and are looking for a new consensus. This group goes by a number of names, such as post-evangelicals or the emerging church.

--A new gospel is being preached about the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ overcoming the evil powers forces of injustice in the world. The pendulum has swung the other way.

--To respond, evangelicals must understand and practice biblical repentance as a result of believing the gospel. This will allow evangelicals to admit their sins, even if they disagree with 80% of the criticisms from the post-evangelicals, and even if the remaining 20% is expressed poorly. To the degree that we understand the gospel, we will be able to freely admit our shortcomings as an evangelical movement.

--Don't ever think that we can respond to legitimate criticisms of our practice by defending our doctrine. In defending our doctrines, we have not responded to the criticisms of our practices. Orthopraxy is part of orthodoxy.

--It is necessary to draw boundaries. What really matters is how we treat the people on the other side of those boundaries. People are watching. We're going to win the younger leaders if we are the most gracious, kind, and the least self-righteous in controversy. The truth will ultimately lose if we hold the right doctrines, but do so with nasty attitudes and a lack of love.

--We need to approach the controversies with a repentant heart corporately and say, "Despite all the bad things that are being said here, there's a core of truth here and we need to deal with it."

Source

Almost Heaven

It has been said, "If you want to find peace, go to Montreux." Well, here we are, and it is peaceful indeed. Montreux is a clean, slow-paced town on the shore of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, and it has been a great place for us to "find peace" for our bodies as we have both been feeling just a bit under the weather lately. Nothing major, just runny noses and a bit of lethargy.

Imagine a very large lake with blue water, teeming with fish, surrounded by vineyards, rolling green hills, and soaring, snow-capped mountains, and you have an idea of Lake Geneva. Then imagine sitting out on a deck, drinking red wine with your lover, and soaking all of that in, and you have an idea about our time here in Montreux. Add in long walks around that lake, exploring the castles built on its shores, and praying in the medieval churches, and that pretty much sums up our time here. Almost indescribeable.

We leave for the city of Geneva on Friday, and then fly out for India on Sunday. Pray for the return of our complete health, and also pray for Jenny`s aunt Carole who broke her neck in a fall in Croatia a few days ago. She is having spinal fusion surgery today, and could use all the prayers she can get.

In the Shadow of the Matterhorn

Guten Tag,

Jenny and I have made it to Switzerland safe and sound, but not without a few adventures along the way. We left Rome on Tuesday morning by train headed for St. Moritz, Switzerland, but because of a missed train in Milan and getting off one stop too early in the boondocks of northern Italy, we ended up staying in Tirano, Italy for the night...which ended up being more of a blessing than a curse. It was a beautiful little mountain village, as well as the best dinner, breakfast, and hotel that we had during our time in Italy.

The next morning we headed for Zermat, Switzerland by train again, and after another eight hour day on the rails, we made it here to Zermat yesterdaz evening around 7:30 in the evening. We are going to stay here in the shadow of the Matterhorn for a few days in a very quaint little eco-friendly hospitality house and do some hiking and exploring of the Matterhorn region.

Traveling by train in the most amazing form of locomotion that I have experiened in my short, but very good, life. It is especially nice when that train spends all of its time in the Swiss Alps. I think, for the rest of my life, I will take the train if I am able.

Jenny and I are very much enjoying the trip, and one another, and I feel as in love and alive as I ever have. She is a delight to me, and is an absolutely wonderful companion.

I am reading a wonderful book on the Reformation right now and it has brought a whole new diminsion to my time in Rome and here in Switzerland, which was the headquarters of much of the mainstream Reformation in Western Europe. Devotional and prayer time has been sweet for each of us. Pray that it would continue to be so. Pray also for continued safety, and that God would be our treasure above all things...even each other.

Auf Wiedersehen,
The Ballards

When in Rome...

It is hard to expain Rome really. It is such a a paradox. I suppose it could be sumarized by picturing the several thousand year old ruins of the Roman Forum or the Pantheon with brand new 2007 Smart Cars zooming around it. It is such a romantic city though. I can hardly help feeling like I am in a movie as I walk around the cobblestone alleyways with my lover.

Some of the highlights so far have been the Trevi Fountain, the basilica of St. John Lateran with its sculptures of the twelve apostles, and the ancient capital hill, and a small, out of the way church dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi. St Peters Basilica was amazing as well, and far superior artistically and architecturaly, yet I enjoyed St John Lateran much more. St Peters seemed to celebrate the glory of Popes more than the glory of Christ, though it was still very moving. I must admit, being surrounded by the most awesome Christian art and architecture in the world has made this feel a bit like a pilgrimage for J and I. No matter what we do, somewhere in my head the thoughts that St. Paul and St Peter were here, the early church had its beginnings here, and hundreds of Christians were martyred here always are in the back of my mind. It has been a very prayerful and deeply spirtual time for me, as well as being romantic and fun. Words cannot describe the feeling of walking arm and arm with my new bride for hours and hours around the ancient streets of Rome.

On the Cusp

Jenny and I are currently in Ventura, California for the wedding of our dear friends Scott and Natalie. We stopped to see the Grand Canyon on the way here, and all I can say is "breath taking." Things are going great, and we fly out for Rome on Monday morning. We are on the cusp of the greatest adventure of our lives...

Thought of the Day: It is a wonderful thing to be in Christ Jesus. There is no wrath remaining for those who are. Even if the worst should happen, it is for your good. All of the omnipotence in the universe is working for you good if you are in Christ Jesus.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. -- Romans 8:1

We know that for those who love God all things work together for good... -- Romans 8:23

The Myanmar Example

There is a wonderful example of active non-violent resistance and protest going on in Myanmar right now. Of course, our western media is too busy telling us about OJ Simpson and Brittany Spears to say much about it, but don't you miss it. It is one of the most amazing and hopeful things going on in the world currently.

Check it out here.

Books to Look Forward To

Some books that will be coming out soon that I am looking forward to:

The Supremacy of Christ in a Post-Modern World by Piper, Voddie Baucham, D. A. Carson, Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll, and David Wells

Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll

Pierced for Our Transgressions by Jeffery, Ovey, and Sach

The Future of Justification by John Piper...this is Piper's response to N.T. Wright, a man I also look up to tremendously. Wright and Piper are both tremendously Godly and wise men, and this book should be worth your time. I might suggest you read some of N.T. Wright first before reading this book.

Also, rumor has that Tim Keller just finished writing his first book since the '80s! His new book, which is still without title, focuses on "defeaters" that float around in many people's minds that keep them from seriously considering Christianity. I can't wait to see it in print form within a year.

Poverty and Terrorism

African Anglican Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu weighs in on terrorism and peacemaking:

"The global "war on terror" can't be won if people are living in "desperate" conditions. You can never win a war against terror as long as there are conditions in the world that make people desperate -- poverty, disease, ignorance, et cetera...I think people are beginning to realize that you can't have pockets of prosperity in one part of the world and huge deserts of poverty and deprivation and think that you can have a stable and secure world."

Sam Adams

A dear friend of mine (Sam Adams) is doing an internship in Rwanda with Food for the Hungry and will be sharing stories and thoughts on his blog Be Prepared to Lose a Hero. It should make for interesting reading.