Some thoughts from Piper...

A great article I read today from John Piper on homosexuality (desiringgod.org)


"Jesus died so that heterosexual and homosexual sinners might be saved. Jesus created sexuality, and has a clear will for how it is to be experienced in holiness and joy.

His will is that a man might leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and that the two become one flesh (Mark 10:6-9). In this union, sexuality finds its God-appointed meaning, whether in personal-physical unification, symbolic representation, sensual jubilation, or fruitful procreation.

For those who have forsaken God’s path of sexual fulfillment, and walked into homosexual intercourse or heterosexual extramarital fornication or adultery, Jesus offers astonishing mercy.

Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11).

But last weekend this salvation from sinful sexual acts was not embraced. Instead there was massive celebration of sin.

One estimate said that 400,000 people celebrated gay pride in Minneapolis. That’s more than the population of the city. The number is probably inflated, but for the first time in history, it did include the governor of the state, Mark Dayton.

The Bible is not silent about such parades. Alongside its clearest explanation of the sin of homosexual intercourse (Romans 1:24-27) stands the indictment of the celebration of it. Though people know intuitively that homosexual acts (along with gossip, slander, insolence, haughtiness, boasting, faithlessness, heartlessness, ruthlessness) are sin, “they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:29-32). “I tell you even with tears, that many glory in their shame” (Philippians 3:18–19).

This is what our governor was doing on Sunday along with millions of others across the country—knowing these deeds are wrong, “yet approving those who practice them.”

Not only that, we are moving from celebration to institutionalization. On June 24 the New York legislature approved a Marriage Equality Act. This makes New York the sixth state where so-called homosexual marriages will be institutionalized: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, (and the District of Columbia).

My sense is that we do not realize what a calamity is happening around us. The new thing—new for America, and new for history—is not homosexuality. That brokenness has been here since we were all broken in the fall of man. (And there is a great distinction between the orientation and the act—just like there is a great difference between my orientation to pride and the act of boasting.)

What’s new is not even the celebration of homosexual sin. Homosexual behavior has been exploited, and reveled in, and celebrated in art, for millennia. What’s new is normalization and institutionalization. This is the new calamity.

My main reason for writing is not to mount a political counter-assault. I don’t think that is the calling of the church as such. My reason for writing is to help the church feel the sorrow of these days. And the magnitude of the assault on God and his image in man.

Christians, more clearly than others, can see the tidal wave of pain that is on the way. Sin carries in it its own misery: “Men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error” (Romans 1:27).

And on top of sin’s self-destructive power comes, eventually, the wrath of God: “sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5–6).

Christians know what is coming, not only because we see it in the Bible, but because we have tasted the sorrowful fruit of our own sins. We do not escape the truth that we reap what we sow. Our marriages, our children, our churches, our institutions—they are all troubled because of our sins.

The difference is: We weep over our sins. We don’t celebrate them. We turn to Jesus for forgiveness and help. We cry to Jesus, “who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

And in our best moments, we weep for the world. In the days of Ezekiel God put a mark of hope “on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in Jerusalem” (Ezekiel 9:4).

This is what I am writing for. Not political action, but love for the name of God and compassion for the city of destruction.

“My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.” (Psalm 119:136)"

A Puppy Story...

So, for those of you that don't know, we had to give Remi back to his former owner. He was growling and biting at Adam on walks and Adam just didn't feel safe with him. This was very upsetting for me. I love dogs and have wanted one for a long time but we never lived anywhere we were allowed to have one until now. So, Adam agreed, I could keep my eye out for another pup (or 2 if they were small, they could keep each other company).

That, my friends, is how Lucky and Lady came to join our family. Lucky is a dachshund/beagle mix and his Lady is a dachshund/husky mix. They have become part of our family. They are great with our kids and we love them. They spend their day at my feet and/or tormenting the cat. My kids love them and in Aidyn's words "they are my best doggies ever". :)

They look small in these pics but they are both between 30-35 lbs and are about 4 years old.

Finally

We are all moved in (except for that yummy piece of salmon I need to get out of the deep freeze). What a trial this was. The Lord showed us many things in this process and I do believe we have grown as a family in doing this.

I LOVE MY HOUSE :)
Someone asked me the other day if we missed living in community, my response was "not yet". I know I will. I do miss having 2 lovely ladies to hang out with just downstairs and just the joy and laughs that came from such close friendships being around each other all the time. Right now though? I am enjoying my 2 new pups. I am loving the morning family pajama parties we have on our living room couch. I love being able to decide what dinner is going to be an hour before we eat, just based on my mood. I am loving only being 4 min from all three of my brother's and their families and my parent's with their new pool. I am loving all the gas I am saving. I am loving the personality change I have seen in my very introverted husband who is so much more relaxed just being in his space. This has been a good move for us.

So, come visit me. Bring your peeps over for play dates. Come share a cup of coffee with me :)