I enjoyed a great day working through (most of) the minor prophets yesterday. Almost no reading at all on the computer screen since my hard copy of the ESVLSB arrived.

In terms of construction it's a pretty well built Bible. It's a hard back which I don't use many of, but it opens flat immediately no matter where you are. The binding is a little tough to figure out - I can't tell if it's glued or sewn. From the end's it looks glued, but the pages (folios) are folded as if sewn. the paper itself is very thin and is not white but parchment colored, which has a staggeringly nice effect on reading. the font is a touch small for my eyes but clean and sharp. All and all since it was designed as a readers' bible it is easy to read.

So with my brand new hard back I sat down outside to read in side the kids' playhouse while my two youngest played in their playhouse and sandbox. Eventually my oldest daughter found her way outside with a book and sat down next to me to read, and pretty soon my second oldest was sitting on the other side of me reading. My wife also - came out to sit near me and we enjoyed the day together.

The shade was lovely the gentle breeze was just the right temperature and my entire family was sitting playing or reading next to me, it was pure bliss.
Thanks God.

Don Brock posted a great review of why you should pray for your pastor. Hit the link for the full article or see the summary below.
Synergy: Pray For Your Pastor

Pray For Your Pastor
Pastors need prayer more than criticism. Pastors need prayer more than advice. Pastors need prayer more than finances.

If you are not praying for your pastor, consider stopping the talk to others, and talk to God about the following needs of your pastor:

#1 - Their Connection With God
...
#2 - Their Family
...
#3 - Their Relationship With The Staff
...
#4 - Their Spiritual Warfare
...
#5 - Their Rest

I'd shout "Amen" over each one of these areas but repeating the post like this is probably the same thing.

Last week during the Sunday School hour, most of us had an opportunity to hear a very impassioned and very biblical message on the Centrality of the home from Voddie Baucham. In many ways it was a direct application of what we have been learning already regarding the centrality of the home in determining the eligibility of both Elders and Deacons. Note for just a moment that I did not just say deaconesses - there is a reason for that exclusion.

Do yourself a favor and open either your own Bible or a pew Bible (page ###) to 1 Timothy 3:10-12. This portion comes in a specific context concerning the proper selection of both deacons and deaconesses. For the sake of Context, I would like to read together with you the first 13 verses of the chapter. {Read 1 Timothy 3:1-13}

If we continue to take our text in the order it is written the resolution of verse 10 will come before the end in verse 12. The resolution is recorded in the tenth verse and it is simply this: Test the deacons and then let them serve if they past the test. But then Paul quickly follows with two more statements which serve to emphasize two key issues.

The first issue in verse 11 we already investigated and came to the conclusion that Paul must be describing a blanket description of the requirements for women servants in the church whom I will call deaconesses. These are not merely general women in the congregation nor are they specifically the wives of the deacons. Deaconesses must be dignified, not malicious gossips, they must be temperate and faithful in all things. These four broad statements help to identify a woman who is fit to serve the church.

I asked you to observe that I did not mention the deaconesses when I said that the home is central in determining the eligibility of both elders and deacons to serve in the church. That is because the second major issue which Paul brings to us after the resolution is that of the Deacon's home life. In this context with the eleventh verse concerning deaconesses immediately preceding it we need to specifically focus in on the men who fulfill the post of servant ministry. In order for any man to be qualified to be a servant of the church of the Living God in an official capacity his home life must be exemplary.

That is why those who may fill the official servanthood roles of deacon or deaconess must be tested.

What happens at home stays at home! Well, not exactly. One of the key issues during President Clinton's term in office was the divide created during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. A great deal of ink was spilt arguing both for and against the point that the quality of a person's private life weighed significantly upon their capacity for effective public service. From the perspective of scripture it becomes clear, however, that the home life is far from unrelated to the public life it is at essence a microcosm which exposes the real person.

I want to rephrase that another way because, much like a surgeon's scalpel serves to provide an opening so that he may repair what is broken inside - I want to peel back for you the layers so that you can see the areas of your own life which is most in need of surrendering to God. Do not take this as an opportunity to think to yourselves, "Ah this is a sermon that (so and so) needs to hear!" Rather this is a personal message for you.

It is relatively easy to "put on the plastic Jesus" when you get out of the car on Sunday morning and pretend that everything is alright. But your performance in front of other people really isn't all that impressive to God. Because your performance really isn't an insight into your heart. But something happens when you live in close proximity to other people; we tend to let our guard down and in many ways expose who we really are to those in our own households when the doors are closed and the curtains are drawn.

When that happens who are you?

My oldest daughter just created a Christian teen site called PinkLemons. One of her first posts is a great little devotional on using God to help you work through an overbearing thought-load. I won't ruin it for you, but I will encourage you to take a look.

What effect should the Bible have on family life?  The family
is the foundation of society and for this reason it is heavily attacked

We’ve just spent 10 weeks together working through how the different
members of the family should function towards one another. The family

Try to put the following child parent conversation in Biblical context:
A man was overheard talking on his cell phone: “I know it's something

Parents to Children

"Just wait till your father gets home!" That phrase begets an absolute
solidifying fear. No child who has ever heard those words in context

The Rosenthals had an outstandingly happy and successful marriage, and
Mr. Rosenthal was once asked to what he attributed this remarkable
situation.