Abigail's Axioms: 5/30/09

A fortnightly foray into Abigail’s world

1. ‘Nuff Said.

2. Bright and colorful caterpillars are a girl’s best friend (Thanks Eilers).

3. The quiet early morning hours (around 5:30am) are the perfect time to talk to yourself. No one else seems to want to pay any attention.

4. Sucking on all of your fingers is far superior to just sucking your thumb.

5. Tummy time is the real deal.


6. The world is a much bigger place when you hold up your own head.

Check back next week to get an update on my weight and see some pictures of my baptism.

Stanley Cup Final

Rematch.

Meet the Aernies: 5/27/09

Meet the Aernies is a recurring segment in which we will answer questions provided by our small, yet faithful, contingent of readers.

1. What superhero would you be?

We were not surprised at all to see this question. Although, we aren’t sure why this type of question is always so prominent in these scenarios. Do they ask this type of question (i.e superhero, super power) in other countries or cultures?

Anyway, to the point. Jeff would choose to be Superman. Kryptonite seems like a really small downside in light of all the upsides. However, the question that plagues his mind is what Clark Kent does with his glasses? Does he leave them in the phone booth? Glasses are simply too expensive to be leaving them around in public.

Allison, on the other hand, would choose to be Batman. Jeff nearly suggested Batgirl would be a better choice, but thought better of it. Instead, he commented that Batman does not actually have any super powers, only “super” gadgets. To which Allison responded, “it’s the gadgets I like.” Touché.

2. If the three of you were stranded on a remote desert island what one item would you want to have with you?

This is a difficult question in light of the fact that we don’t have a lot of background for the scenario. How did we get on this island? Are there other people on the island (Lost pun intended)? So, we’ll answer the question in two ways. First, an object that we think would be good for survival. And second, something we would like to have with us.

Abigail:
Survival: Mom’s milk producing appendages.
Desire: Mom’s milk producing appendages.

Allison:
Survival: A hatchet. You know, because of the “awesome” Gary Paulsen novel we read in elementary school.
Desire: A bible. Frankly, a human cannot live on bread (or coconut milk) alone.

Jeff:
Survival: A metal can of Crisco shortening. Shocking and odd, he knows. However, the shortening is flammable. The can itself can be used to gather water. And the plastic lid can reflect light, which is valuable for signaling ships and aircraft. Yes, Jeff has participated in the “Rank these items for their usefulness on a stranded island” test.
Desire: A Frisbee. Since Allison answered first, Jeff figured since we already had a bible, we would need something to keep our minds off of the despair of being stranded. You know, something like a Wilson volleyball, but actually useful on an island.

Remember, no questions = no segment. So keep those questions coming.

For Your Calendar

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Abigail will be baptized next Sunday (5/31/09). We are thankful for the Lord’s provision for his followers and their children, and we ask you to join us in praying that Abigail would indeed come to know the Lord. We will do our best to post some photos after the fact.

Additionally, we thought some of you may be interested about what we believe about baptism, so the rest of this longer than usual post is dedicated to that.

Article 33 of the Belgic Confession (1561) summarizes what we believe about both Christian sacraments (i.e. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper):

We believe that our good God, mindful of our crudeness and weakness, has ordained sacraments for us to seal his promises in us, to pledge his good will and grace toward us, and also to nourish and sustain our faith.

He has added these to the Word of the gospel to represent better to our external senses both what he enables us to understand by his Word and what he does inwardly in our hearts, confirming in us the salvation he imparts to us.

For they are visible signs and seals of something internal and invisible, by means of which God works in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. So they are not empty and hollow signs to fool and deceive us, for their truth is Jesus Christ, without whom they would be nothing.

More specifically, article 34 of the same Confession describes our beliefs about the sacrament of baptism in more detail:

We believe and confess that Jesus Christ, in whom the law is fulfilled, has by his shed blood put an end to every other shedding of blood, which anyone might do or wish to do in order to atone or satisfy for sins.

Having abolished circumcision, which was done with blood, he established in its place the sacrament of baptism. By it we are received into God’s church and set apart from all other people and alien religions, that we may be dedicated entirely to him, bearing his mark and sign. It also witnesses to us that he will be our God forever, since he is our gracious Father.

Therefore he has commanded that all those who belong to him be baptized with pure water in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

In this way he signifies to us that just as water washes away the dirt of the body when it is poured on us and also is seen on the body of the baptized when it is sprinkled on him, so too the blood of Christ does the same thing internally, in the soul, by the Holy Spirit. It washes and cleanses it from its sins and transforms us from being the children of wrath into the children of God.

This does not happen by the physical water but by the sprinkling of the precious blood of the Son of God, who is our Red Sea, through which we must pass to escape the tyranny of Pharaoh, who is the devil, and to enter the spiritual land of Canaan.

So ministers, as far as their work is concerned, give us the sacrament and what is visible, but our Lord gives what the sacrament signifies– namely the invisible gifts and graces; washing, purifying, and cleansing our souls of all filth and unrighteousness; renewing our hearts and filling them with all comfort; giving us true assurance of his fatherly goodness; clothing us with the “new man” and stripping off the “old,” with all its works….

And truly, Christ has shed his blood no less for washing the little children of believers than he did for adults.

Therefore they ought to receive the sign and sacrament of what Christ has done for them, just as the Lord commanded in the law that by offering a lamb for them the sacrament of the suffering and death of Christ would be granted them shortly after their birth. This was the sacrament of Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, baptism does for our children what circumcision did for the Jewish people. That is why Paul calls baptism the “circumcision of Christ” (Colossians 2:11).

In sum, we believe that baptism is a sign and seal of God’s work in us, and that this work is also offered to the children of those who belong to the covenant community. In the words of the baptismal service used at the church we attend here in Aberdeen:

The sacrament assures us of things which we claim by faith for our children: Of our being made one with Christ; of the washing away of sin and the start of a new life in Christ; of the gift of the Holy Spirit; of adoption into God’s family; and resurrection to eternal life. By this sacrament we acknowledge God’s grace, which draws us and our children into Christ’s visible Church, and we solemnly engage them to be the Lord’s.

The last line (i.e. “we solemnly engage them to the be the Lord’s") is particularly important. It recognizes the fact that we do not think the sacrament of baptism in any way effects the salvation of the child (or the adult for that matter). In other words, baptism does not cause regeneration. It is, rather, a physical sign of God’s salvific work in Christ through the Holy Spirit. So, please join us in praying for Abigail and engaging her in the reality of her depravity and her need to submit herself to God’s sovereign will.

Photo Fun

We thought it would be interesting to see what captions you all could come up with for this admittedly awesome picture of Abigail.


Have Fun.

Transformed Tidbits: 5/22/09

News from the last fortnight . . .

1. Our new schedules have some definite “whirlwind” tendencies. Hopefully we’ll have it all sorted out by the end of the month.

2. The sun is on schedule to set at 9:38 pm this evening. Considering it rose 4:32 am, we’d say we’re starting to make up for the lack of daylight during the winter months.

3. As we mentioned in the last edition of Tidbits, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland will be dealing with a culturally controversial issue this weekend. Please be in prayer for that situation.

4. Fish Lasagna = Interesting.

5. If the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks make it to the Stanley Cup Final, Jeff will officially be aggravated. One year too late.

Blessings.

Meet the Aernies: Rescheduled

As many of you know the three of us have started some new schedules over the past two weeks. Somewhere in the midst of the change our "Meet the Aernies" preparation time was misplaced. We'll do our best to find it sometime this weekend, so you can look for the next installment a week from today.

To whet your appetite a bit, we'll pass along some of the questions that we've received via e-mail in case you wanted some inspiration for your own questions.

1. Who would you choose to meet, if you could meet any person in the world, famous or not, dead or alive? Any member of the Trinity does not count as an acceptable response. Another way of asking this question is, who are your heros?

2. If you were all stranded on a remote desert island, what one item would you each want to have with you?

3. Given the means and opportunity to live in any state of the United States, in which state would you choose to live?

4. What type of church worship music do you all most enjoy?

5. In the church you attend in Scotland what type of music do they use for their services?

6. If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?

Remember, no questions=no segment (or no writing=no segment, either way).

Abigail's Axioms: 5/16/09

A fortnightly foray into Abigail’s world

1. Rolling over takes concentration and hard work.


2. I love Mommy (like Daddy).


3. Penguins are a great animal to look at because of their black and white feathers. Daddy tells me they are also the mascot of a great hockey team.

4. Daddy is funny when he says “ba-ba-boo-yao” – it makes me smile.

5. Rattles make a fun noise when I shake them. See my recent activities below.

Fan Support

It's a great day for hockey.

We figured the Penguins could use some additional fan support for Game 7 against the Capitals tonight. So we called in the big guns.


(Thanks to the Coleman family for the adult attire and to Andrea Loomis for the infant gear.)

Transformed Tidbits: 5/8/09

News from the last fortnight . . .

1. Allison has now secured a permanent position here in Scotland. This was an extended process, and we are thankful for the Lord’s provision in this area.

2. We went two for two on getting food poisoning this week. We misidentified the source after Jeff’s weekend battle, leading to an unfortunate Wednesday for Allison.

3. Abigail turned three months old this week. Time is already flying.

4. Congratulations to our friends at TEDS who are coming to the end of their degree programs. Serve well.

5. You can be in prayer for the Church of Scotland as it deals with the divisive issue of homosexual ministers in forthcoming weeks.

Blessings.

Meet the Aernies: 5/6/09

Meet the Aernies is a recurring segment in which we will answer questions provided by our small, yet faithful, contingent of readers.

1. Are you dog or cat people? Or neither?

Although clearly not supported by Scripture, we are confident that cats were created after, and as a direct result of, the fall. We know people who love cats. We love people who love cats. We just don’t love (or like) cats.

We have mixed views on dogs. Dogs are great for walking. Dogs are great for playing catch. Dog kisses are not great. Removing dog defecation is not great. Smelling dogs is not great.

Therefore, we will choose the “neither” option. For the record we also don’t like gerbils, hamsters, goldfish, parakeets, rabbits, or any of the other numerous varieties of domesticated pets. Yes, we are clearly cruel, unloving people.

2. If you were an FBI agent and had to be part of a secret assignment to catch a bad guy, what would you choose as your cover and why?

Allison would be an architect. This really doesn’t have anything to do with crime or the FBI. She just wants to use the alias Art Vandelay, and well, we’re pretty sure that’s what Art does. Or, he could be an “importer-exporter.” Allison’s game either way.

Jeff would undoubtedly be a surfer. Moreover, he would go by the name Johnny Utah. This is clearly the best way to catch bad guys. If Keanu Reeves can do it, surely Jeff can.

Remember, no questions = no segment. So keep those questions coming.

Abigail's Axioms: 5/2/09

A fortnightly foray into Abigail’s world

1. Staring at pictures of my family makes me very happy. I can’t wait to meet all of them someday. Speaking of pictures, below are some recent ones of me.



2. I love Daddy.


3. Sleeping in with Daddy makes Mommy jealous.


4. Crafts are fun except for the slimy paint that is involved.


5. Putting on my jacket is an instrument of torture.