Last night I found myself pulling for a team I've always pulled against: Ohio State. Why you ask (or I'll ask on your behalf)?

A number of players including their All-American linebacker and freshmen quarterback had little scripture references on their "eye black" (those black sticky things they put under their eyes to reduce glare, and to look cool). Now that is not unique. Florida Gator QB Tim Teebow has "Phil" on one and "4:13" on the other. In case you're not familiar with this verse, it is the sports-ubiquitous "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" verse. I think this is a good verse to put, especially if "all things" include "being content" with a loss (as it refers to Paul being content , in essence, whether he "wins" or "loses").

But the scripture references these players were donning seemed to be less about the game itself. The QB was wearing Phil 3:14. Either he got confused and mixed up the scripture reference OR he was "....pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Wow. I thought that to be a pretty cool reference since it didn't have anything to do with the outcome of the game (unless his translation was "goal-line" instead of "goal!").

The verse that linebacker James Larunitis (whose father and uncles were professional wrestlers-seriously, remember the "Ultimate Warrior?") had was Gal 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Nothing against Tim Teebow (seriously the dude is an incredible athlete, Christian, missionary, etc.., the Tony Dungy of college quarterbacks) but these are the verses I personally would rather see because they seem to place more emphasis on Christ and less on the actual game. That and I still can't get the taste of Evander Holyfield's use of Phil 4:13 on his boxing robe out of my mouth from the late 90's.

Nevertheless, I am thankful for all such athletes who wear their faith (literally during the games) and who will have a chance to minister on a larger platform in the NFL. Click here to see some other NCAA football players who share faith in Christ.

We just got back from a week long cruise to some Caribbean locales. At times it was quite fun and relaxing, and at other times it was quite exhausting trying to sleep in the same room as a congested 7 month old! So at times it felt relaxing, and at other times like a youth retreat. But all-in-all, we had a blast and are quite thankful for a generous family providing us with a wonderful experience.

Outside of dancing in the New Year (well as much as one could with a sleepy 7 month-old, till about 10:30 pm), two experiences really stood out.

1.) Belize City. This was my 5th time coming to Belize, with the previous 4 coming from mission trips. We took a horse and carriage ride through the city. The driver was intent on us seeing the rough parts, probably so we would feel bad for him and tip him more-he also told us that New Years Day was his birthday and that he needed money to go to the horse races.
But the city was not pretty. At all. We rode through Belizean ghetto and were welcomed by the sarcastic sounds of "Welcome to beautiful Belize..."

I found it quite ironic that many people were exiting the ship in hopes of seeing a lovely landscape. Instead many found slums and extreme poverty. For me it was strangely refreshing, coming back to the reality of the ugly effects of sin and concomitant need for Jesus in a region surrounded by such beauty in islands only 10-15 miles away. I still love Belize even though it isn't beautiful by any stretch of the word. But they do speak English!

2.) Roatan. While this island of Honduras has its share of poverty and drugs, it is very Christianized and very beautiful and mountainous. One lady we met on the beach-who happened to be reading The Shack because a pastor gave it to her due to the loss of a daughter, took quite seriously the call to minister to orphans. She left Canada to live and work with HIV infected children. Because she was a resident, she was able to adopt several kids. You can see the picture of Connar on the beach playing with some whom we presumed were HIV positive, although I hope I'm wrong. He brought a lot of joy to these kids and these kids brought a lot of joy to him. I hope that Amy and I can continue to put him in situations where he can minister in some way to literal and figurative widows and orphans. That way, it will just be a normal part of his daily Christian life.

Is that a word? Trepidatiously? No? But I think it a good word.

I proceed at the beginning of any new year with trepidation. I make no commitments, publicly. I am too aware of my own inability to keep broad and ambitious resolutions, and so I don't make them. To do so sets me up for failure.

However contradictory it may sound, I at the same time find the start of a new year a good, though artificial, time to rethink my habits and consider new ones.

Such has been my thinking regarding the whole 'read Calvin' blitz and buzz. My desire here is nothing new. I read (and outlined) the Institutes in 1989, twenty years ago. I've commended portions to many and the whole to some, and have harbored a desire to read it again.

So, tentatively I'm going to give this a shot. But don't be surprised, as I will not be, a week from now to see the whole idea crashed and burning in a smoldering pile.

If on the other hand I do persevere, you, faithful readers (Calvin's language), will be subjected to quote after quote. In the introduction to the McNeill/Battles edition – the one we should all use – we read some helpful thoughts about Calvin's work, this one regarding the nature of this work itself:

"One who takes up Calvin's masterpiece with the preconception that its author's mind is a kind of efficeent factory turning out and assembling the parts of a neatly jointed structure of dogmatic logic will quickly find the assumption challenged and shattered. The discerning reader soon realizes that not the author's intellect alone but his whole spiritual and emotional being is enlisted in his work. Calvin might well have used the phrase later finely composed by Sir Philip Sidney, 'Look in thy heart, and write.' He well exemplifies the ancient adage, 'The heart makes the theologian.' He was not, we may say, a theologian by profession, but a deeply religious man who possessed a genius for orderly thinking and obeyed the impulse to write out the implications of his faith." (li)

This has been my observation. This is a work of devotional piety. If you read it well, your heart, not just your mind, will be touched.

Early Saturday morning, after a late Friday night, and battling a cold to boot, our eight year old son came out with this: "I feel like an empty bag of sausages."

If there is a more creative simile out there, let me hear it. I have no idea what this one means, but in the context, it certainly conveyed his meaning.

I can't say that I've ever really stuck with a New Year's resolution. I seldom make them, and couldn't tell you the last time I made one and even what it was. Now I know that you're not supposed to make resolutions that you don't have control over like "catch more fish."

I think such resolutions could probably introduce some added discipline in my/our lives. And if attempted in light of, and motivated throughout by God's grace, could be extremely beneficial. Maybe one or two resolutions will hit me on the cruise this week. Please feel free to comment with your best or worse New Year's resolutions.

Anyhow, here's a list of resolutions by Jonathon Edwards. I only listed twenty of his. but there are plenty more that you can check out here.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God' s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. July 30.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so, at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.

Some of you have jumped on the Calvin reading bandwagon. Good for you! I'm excited about that. Maybe we can post comments here now and then about what we read (yes, with some trepidation regarding time, I'm considering it).

If you REALLY want to maximize the value of this time, you may want to consider supplementing your reading with Dr. David Calhoun's Calvin class from Covenant Seminary. Though I was never able to take this class when I was in seminary, it was one about which I heard marvelous things. The great thing is that the entire class can be downloaded as .mp3 files here. The study guide will give you an idea of when to plug in a lecture that corresponds with your reading.

If you can work it into your disciplines, it would be worth it.

If you are not inclined to read through Calvin in a year, or if you would like a challenge in addition to that, I have posted a few variations on some bible reading schedules. By clicking, you can download a schedule that will help you

- read through the Bible in a year

- read through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice in a year

- read through the Bible in two years

My philosophy on this is that such schedules can often become more a burden than a joy. And yet at times, we need the external discipline to keep our nose to the grindstone.

I set up the schedules so that there is no reading scheduled for Sundays. I encourage people to use the Sundays to catch up with reading they missed during the week. I also arranged them so that one reads through a whole book before moving to another. You do not read multiple books of the bible at the same time.

If you think these might be helpful, feel free to download one or all of them.

Oh... you still have time to start. My schedules don't begin until the first Monday of the year.

I have some great research assistants who push interesting articles too me through the week. Often, I don't have time to read what I'm sent. But this week has produced some very interesting – and entertaining – fare.

Does everyone go to heaven, regardless of religion? Apparently, most people in America think so, as do most Christians.

Speaking of going to heaven, here is one guy who believes that he is not headed there. He is atheist by profession. And yet, he makes the best case for the necessity and impact of conversion that many of us have ever heard. As he reflects on his time living in Malawi he says this:

"In the city we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world - a directness in their dealings with others - that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall."

And finally, if you've ever had the kind of 'fun' I've had in dealing with a phone company, you will appreciate this. One of my best friends was once one of those guys you would get on the phone if you called Verizon. He was the exception to the rule.

(If you are required to register with the NYTimes to read the articles, do so. Registration is free.)

I trust you all will have a Happy New Year! We will be celebrating at Busch Gardens to live music and then a synchronized fireworks display which, a couple years ago, ended with "Joy to the World" accompanied with fireworks. No knowing if the designer of the display meant anything by it, but it gave me chills!

One of the many things I love about celebrating Advent is that you are celebrating for an entire month. Ideally by celebrating Advent, you're longing not for the day of Christmas to come, but for the Christ of Christmas to come-and reflect on how much He's already done and is doing in the world. As a result, when the day of Christmas comes and goes, you neither feel let down (if the day was bad) or saddened (if it as too short). Ours was just right.

But I still have two problems.

1.) Taking down the Christmas tree. We're going on vacation for a week and plan on taking down the Christmas tree after we get back. And then the lights after that. What activity is more anti-climactic than removing Xmas decorations?

2.) What to do with the music? I've been listening to Xmas music for a month. But as soon as Xmas day comes, I feel weird listening to the same carols. Shouldn't there be "day-after-Christmas" type music?

Maybe I should keep celebrating Advent and do the few devotions Amy and I missed until our decorations are completely down. Maybe then the Xmas music wouldn't be too un-Christmassy in early January? Or maybe I could go Greek Orthodox, celebrate Epiphany, and dive into the waters in Tarpon Springs in hopes of retrieving a cross. But that's a bit too similar to vying for the garter at a wedding. And I'm not Greek.

The pictures from our Christmas morning are back from the developers. Here are some sample shots of those who gathered in our living room for that delightful morning.

Deserved or not, to some the word 'Calvinist' conveys the imagery of stubborn, graceless, coldly logical Christians who expect everyone but themselves and a select few others to be in hell. That's a shame, because by that characterization, many, including John Calvin, would make rather poor Calvinists!

John Calvin was a man of deep scholarship and deeper piety. He understood joy and he understood suffering. He had a deep passion for the glory of God and a deep compassion for the plight of men. He was one who knew what it meant to be a Christian, what it meant to live as a Christian, and had that rare giftedness which enabled him to convey with clarity what he knew.

Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion has been enshrined in two lists:

1) as one the Great Books of western civilization and

2) as one of the books which, therefore, almost no one reads.

That is a great loss. I read the institutes a number of years ago, and found the experience deeply, deeply rewarding. Calvin's insights into the Christian life still resonate with me, and I have returned to him often and recommended passages to others.

A friend has put me on to an organization which is encouraging others to join with them in reading through Calvin in 2009. You can get the details here. Even if you do not commit to read through this in a year, if you request one, the folks at this site will send you a reading schedule which has broken down Calvin's massive book into bitesized portions. That would be worth having, even if you read the book at a slower pace.

Now, what about violins?

When a child begins to learn a musical instrument, many parents make what is to me a grave mistake. They provide their child with an inferior (i.e. 'cheap') instrument. While this makes good economic sense, the child, unskilled to begin with, will meet early frustration because he just won't be able to make the instrument sound good. I think that a good instrument, more costly at the outset, will pay rich rewards as it will be that much easier to learn, easier to play, and more likely to keep the child's interest.

If you decide to read Calvin, you have the same options before you. You can lay hands on an inexpensive translation (Beveridge) and think that you have stumbled upon a bargain. But the translation is old, tedious, and dry, and you will bog down quickly. Your reading will not sing.

I would suggest that instead you take on this noble task with a worthy instrument. Spend the money and buy the Ford Lewis Battles translation. It is modern, well annotated, and well bound. It stands a much greater chance of keeping your interest.

I know very, very little about Kate DiCamillo other than what I have read in her book The Tale of Despereaux referenced here, and a few things that I've picked up along the way (that she used to work at Half-Price Books is of particular interest to my daughter-in-law who works at Half-Price Books). I know as well that she lives someplace cold and is single. That's about it.

That's her picture here. She has curly hair. But I don't know her spiritual commitments.

Now, the passage I quoted earlier could be read to be a clear reference to the Christian's understanding of Christ's substitutionary atonement. Did she mean it? or am I right in seeing it there?

Irrelevant questions, those, ultimately.

I'd love to hear that this wonderful writer is a Christian. But at the level of her storytelling, it really does not matter. God has woven his character and his story into the fabric of the universe in a way that it is hard to avoid. And he sometimes graces unbelievers with such rich gifts of insight and expression that they cannot help but see it.

As she in this case simply notes that a mere 'goodbye' cannot hold a candle to a 'let me die for you', she need not be a Christian to observe this. She speaks truthfully and in her truthfulness, God gives us a gift.

My point should be obvious. If we read only those things written by those claiming to be Christians, we will miss some of the most wonderful insights that God himself has for his people.

This principle applies to music and other forms of art as well.

You agree?