theLucarellisSPEAK

Transfer

2009-03-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

The Lucarellis are making a transfer.

Nope, we're not physically moving yet, though you can keep an eye out for a discipleship pastor job for me, but we are moving our blog over to wordpress. The Lucarelli Ramblings will have all of our personal stuff--pictures, videos, updates on Bella, while Jeremy Lucarelli will have all of Jeremy's stuff--writing, speaking schedule, and thelogical what not.

Come and join us!

Wedding Weekend

2009-03-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

What a bunch of former Hicks!

Beautiful Blues from Bella-boo! She did so great... all of the little ones made it through the weekend (Spring Forward and all) without a hitch!

Except for blurry Bella and Jeremy's cup, this is a great photo of the family (minus Max).

Rehearsal Dinner snap.

Tea Party--stimulate responsibility!

2009-03-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

Anyone hear the chants of, "No taxation without information," or "Give me Liberty or give me debt," in their neck of the woods? Chances are, others are chanting. No longer will I be apart of the silent majority!

I'm not a math person, but someone described the growing 1 trillion dollar stimulus package like this:

Okay,

While I was in Lawrence, KS this past weekend I saw this report playing in the background of my hotel room (the guy I was rooming with was watching while I was working on another paper).

As a result of the nationalized banks, paying for other people's mortgages, and the looming infiltration of socialism to every strata of our society, I'm joining a Tea Party. Yes, I know what some of you will say... "We're supposed to pray for our government." Oh, let me reassure you, we've been praying! We've been realizing that unless the king or the government officials turns his heart toward the Lord, then judgment falls upon the nation, not just Israel... but every nation (Ezekiel 14). We've also realized that Righteousness exalts a nation, pride comes before destruction, and that you can't build a house on greed and expect it to stand. So, we pray for the President... to repent and relent.

I'm not saying that it is wrong to help those that are in need! I believe the church has missed the mark when it comes to defending the helpless, widow, orphan, and alien. Even more personal, we've been evaluating our role in fulfilling this kingdom initiative within our community. However, this is not a call for government to take over. This, too, is another reason why our family is joining the Tea Party... maybe even organizing one here in Chattanooga. I work. I pay taxes. My tax money is going to things that do not promote life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Congress and the President are signing millions of dollars away without even reading the bill! Media is screaming that GOP members refuse to be bi-partisan on this issue... GOOD! It is about time some people stand up for the fundamentals of the party. In the meantime, my tax money is now rewarding and, thereby, enabling those who have made wrong choices. Why work? Why go to school? Why pay the mortgage, electric bill, or the credit card when other tax payers can pay the bill?

You might be mad too... as stocks continue to plummet, jobs are lost, and benefits dry up... while representatives and "Change We Can Believe In" continues to spend an unprecedented amount of our money. The only thing the stimulus packages have stimulated is the public outcry of Americans. Hopefully, it will stimulate the need for personal responsibility, revival, and a resurgence of the Judeo-Christian work ethic in this country.

Check it:

Find more videos like this on Smart Girl Politics

Veracitygroupllc.com

2009-02-23T16:22:00.000-08:00

Veracity Group update:

Our online counterpart, www.veracitygroupllc.com, is now live. Be sure to check out the VG history, current studies, and register so that you can view the samples! In one day, we've already had internationals sign up for the samples in addition to a couple hundred people in the States!

Also, VG has made some significant connections with other ministries via Twitter. If you're on twitter, check us out at www.twitter.com/veracitygroup

Facebook? Yep, VG is represented there as well. Type in Veracity Group in the FB search engine to find us... better yet, just go to the veracitygroupllc.com page and we'll put a link up to both feeds for ya!

Keep praying for us. The Lord is doing some pretty amazing things. Though the circumstances look horrific with the economic crisis and the stumbling of truth in the streets, the Lord is raising up a generation of Jeremiah's!

Memorizing Scripture From Your iPod

2009-02-22T03:38:00.000-08:00

Someone posted this on Twitter (@joshuaesc)--I did not write the following post, but wanted to share! The original post can be found at The Weight of Glory

Posted by: B.C. McWhite | February 12, 2009

I Love memorizing Scripture.

But I don’t do it much. I love memorizing Scripture because it enriches my prayers with Scripture, it helps me counsel people well, it saturates and sanctifies my mind with God’s words, and in general helps me to set my mind on things above (Col. 3:2) and to think about what is pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Phil. 4:8).

I don’t do it nearly as much as I’d like, however, because I can’t find the time. My devotional times, when my snooze button goes untouched, already generally run to 60-90 minutes, so I have a hard time finding a way to fit memorization in—especially because I find it to be (for me personally) among the most time-consuming of the spiritual disciplines.

Fortunately for me, ESV Online Bible site absolutely rawks.

I always knew that you could listen to streaming audio of individually selected passages of Scripture from the ESV online—provided you’re willing to sit within the length of your headphone cord from your computer and listen to them. A few times I’ve tried to do this while washing the dishes, setting my laptop next to the sink. But I’ve splashed soap and water a bit too close to my (church-owned) keyboard enough times that I stopped doing that. One time I actually forgot that I was connected to my laptop rather than my iPod, took a step away from the sink while my headphones were in, and only saved my laptop from being completely submerged in soapy water mixed with spaghetti sauce by virtue of my catlike moves and reflexes.

But this morning—a revelation—I found a way to download individually selected passages from the ESV as MP3 files, so that I can load them onto my iPod, hit “repeat,” and listen to passages I want to memorize about a dozen times between my garage and my office. I’m using it to keep fresh on passages I’ve already memorized and don’t want to lose, and I’m going to use it to memorize the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3-7:27) while I’m on the ellipsis machine at the gym.

There are a few steps to it, thought, so here's how it goes ( I promise, it's not as complicated as it sounds):

1. Open another browser tab so that you can refer back to these instructions as you do what I tell you to do.

2. Go to the ESV Online site.

3. In the top right corner, click on the “Options” tab.

4. Under “Audio Options,” click in one of the buttons for MP3 (I use David Cochran Heath because he has the most “normal” sounding voice).

5. At the bottom left of the page, click the “Save” button (that should open a page that says, “Your preferences have been saved” at the top).

6. Type the passage you want (e.g. Ephesians 4:29 or Matthew 6:25-34) into the search bar and click “search.”

7. When the passage comes up, you should see a link that says “Listen” next to the passage reference. Control-click (silly PC users right-click) on the “Listen” tab. A menu box should come up. Click on “Save Link As…”

8. When the box pops up, you will have to add an extension name on the end of the title if it doesn’t have one. So, for example, if the title of your selection is “49004029″ then you need to add .mp3 on the end, so that it reads “49004029.mp3″. Save the file to your Desktop.

9. Find the file on your desktop and open it with iTunes or Windows Media Player, or whatever you use. You can then load it onto your iPod, MP3 player, or burn it onto a CD for your car.

Yes, folks, it’s just that simple.

And here’s the most amazing part: It’s free! If it were almost any other organization there would be a subscription fee or a download fee or a 1-month access fee, etc., etc. Thank you to the good people at Crossway and the English Standard Version!

Let me know if you have any problems. Otherwise, redeem your commute! Memorize Scripture!

Penn Says: Gideon's Bible

2009-02-19T07:30:00.001-08:00

A friend of ours sent this to us the other day. Pretty humbling and convicting scenario by Comedian Penn, from the show Penn and Teller.

Bella's 2nd Birthday Party

2009-02-16T05:55:00.000-08:00

Our little suga is 2!

Here are some of the highlights from her Circus Party on Feb. 14th.

Becky and I are so blessed--healthy little one, great family, and great friends. Children are a gift from the Lord!

PS-We've made the transition to the digital age around here. If you click "HD" on the video and then click the HD icon that comes up... you'll see a pretty sweet video in HD. We figured we'd do our part so that those dumb commercials would stop.

Bella's 2nd Birthday Party from jeremy lucarelli on Vimeo.

THE TIME IS NOW

2009-02-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah was told that his own people, those whom he tried to winsomely warn and call to repentance, were going to fight against him (1:17-19). His own community sought his life because of the fire in Jeremiah's bones to speak the word of the Lord (11:21; 4:19).

In the midst of greed, deception, false alliances, stubborn hearts, closed ears, stiff necks, and blatant, deliberate idolatry...

Jeremiah spoke the words that God put in his mouth

Jeremiah wept for the treachery of his people.

Jeremiah sounded the alarm and raised the standard at the temple gates and in the public square.

Jeremiah was a youth, but the Lord was with Him to deliver.

The true, living, eternal King continues to sound the alarm today.

"All the Single Ladies!"

2009-02-06T05:33:00.001-08:00

My mom came over last night to watch Bella while Jeremy and I went to our small group. Mom walked in the door while we were all dancing to "Single Ladies." Oh how glad I am that I'm not in that category any longer!

Emptiness

2009-02-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

"...That they went far from Me And walked after emptiness and became empty (Jeremiah 2:5)?"

The message of Jeremiah is not popular, but the situations and descriptions are both prevalent and relevant. I've been camped out in Jeremiah 2 for the past couple of weeks, letting the Holy Spirit soak my mind with the text. I used it this morning when I addressed Silverdale Baptist Academy's High School Chapel.

I used several examples of running after emptiness and becoming empty (both in Israel's history and today). Next week I'll be hitting 2:13 when I address them again, but I wondered if you'd help me out with the following question:

What are some good examples of running after emptiness and becoming empty?

Comment below.

I think it will help me with the broken wells illustration next week.k k

Interesting God of the nations

2009-01-27T14:45:00.001-08:00

Today I was confronted with the truth that God often uses interesting times to do some pretty interesting things.

As I'm studying through Jeremiah with Precept, I'm also taking intensive classes in Atlanta this week. Today, during our chapel time together, an explosive speaker was used by the Holy Spirit to capture my attention.

More than what he said, it was the introduction given by Dr. Cashin, an expert on missions and Muslim studies, that got my southern mind flowing.

Over a hundred years ago, during the great missionary outreaches throughout Europe and the United States the continent of Africa was referred to as "The Dark Continent." God used the social ills of imperialism to evangelize a continent. While there were many things that were wrong, the gospel went to those who had never heard it before. Dr. Livingston has always been one of my heroes. Yet, fast-forward a hundred years later, the churches of Europe are dead and Europe is now referred to as the "Dark Continent." According to Dr. Cashin and other church history gurus, the Muslim faith has infiltrated Europe, boasting and gloating when they overtake a former Christian church. Many American Christians have written off Europe as hopeless while many Africans have said the same about America.

The speaker left a lucrative career as an engineer with the call to "awake the sleeping giant of the African American church in regards to missions." He, you see, is African American. He told many stories of how the color of his skin opened doors for him throughout the rest of the European world. Because of the recent election of President Obama, Europeans (who were vehement towards the US under Bush) were actually listening to the African Americans. They wanted to talk to him and the other missionaries. They engaged in conversation with him. He returned by sharing the gospel of grace with them, seeing commitments and discipleship opportunities flourish.

My stance on the issues that will face this new administration are clear (you can read about them in the politics section). Regardless, Americans (especially African Americans) have the listening ear of many around the world. Today, I began to pray for the workers because of the ripe harvest with a renewed sense of God's plan for the nations. I began to pray specifically for the Lord to raise up godly African Americans who know and live sound doctrine, follow the call, and effectively communicate the Word to the nations.

Life

2009-01-22T18:22:00.000-08:00

Becky has been educating me on some of the gross misconceptions and flagrant deceptions gripping the hearts and minds of most women today concerning the "right to choose" movement. She has been trained as a counselor for AAA Women's Services (you should check out their history) and working with women at the Oak Project,
I am so impressed at her desire to not only speak out about a topic, but allowing the Lord to use her in the lives of others through counseling and discipleship. Having experienced the birth of 'bella, while mourning with countless friends over either the loss of a child or their present inability to get pregnant... the sting of abortion continues to worsen, especially when considering the increase in numbers as time goes by.

As I watched the inauguration pomp, had several conversations with individuals who compare President Obama to Abraham Lincoln (I even saw an WI newspaper with Obama's picture super imposed underneath the Lincoln Memorial), consider the countless number of Americans who are currently bemoaning the economic crisis I am reminded of President Obama's words during the Saddleback Forum.

My mind goes straight to what I am studying in Jeremiah.

Apparently I'm not the only one. I read the following this evening on Challies Dot Com:

Why Are We Striving To Make Abortion Unthinkable?

This is a guest post from John Ensor.

*****

Today I join hundreds of thousands in Washington, D.C., in the annual March for Life to publicly lament the death of 50 million preborn children and to pray for the day when abortion becomes unthinkable.

In doing so, I acknowledge the resistance, even offense, taken by many by asserting that abortion is the moral issue of our day. I am familiar with the claim that asserts equal concern for poverty, global warming, aids prevention, war, and more. All of these appear to me worth researching and debating, as iron sharpens iron, as to the various causes and possible solutions.

But abortion is not on par. I remember how and when I came to this conclusion. It was the week of February 12, 1990, as marked on the Newsweek magazine I was reading. Kim Flodin, in an article on why she did not counter-march for abortion rights, wrote, “I was pregnant, I carried two unborn children and I chose, for completely selfish reasons, to deny them life so that I could better my own” (My Turn).

There it was: a momentary lapse into honest concrete language about abortion from an advocate. No ancient Baal worshiper could have described the reasons for their child sacrifice better. I was stunned that it had to be stated so plainly for me to grasp the preeminent evil of it. It is not one issue among equal concerns. Abortion is our postmodern version of child sacrifice for the Me Generation. As such, it is an incomprehensible and unthinkable evil.

Unthinkable is the best word to describe it because that is the way God describes it. “The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah saying, … “They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination” (Jeremiah 32:35; cf. 7:31, 19:5).

Among the many ways we offend God, the greatest offense are the shedding of innocent blood and idolatry. These two come together in child sacrifice. At the outset, God taught Israel to be shocked and repulsed by its practice among other cultures. “You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods” (Deuteronomy 12:31). The word even here rings remarkably close in meaning to unthinkable or something that “did not enter into my mind.”

Some years ago, a woman named Suzanne came to me while I was setting up a pregnancy-help clinic in Boston. She said, “If I have the abortion, I will have more money to spend on my other two children.” I asked, “What do you think your children would say if they knew you were doing this so that they could have cable TV and other stuff?” She said, “Well, I’ll ask them.” Then and there I knew the baby would live. Abortion is unthinkable to children—incomprehensible, horrific, something that would never enter their minds to do. Sure enough, the children were aghast at the thought. “We want the baby,” they reassured her. Some months later, after the baby arrived, I heard her share her story. She said she was embarrassed to think back on her earlier state of mind. She had joined the circle of those who think abortion unthinkable.

Sanctity of Human Life Week is like Good Friday—a sobering time to stare unflinchingly past the ho-hum of abortion as a common practice; to grieve, lament, and morn; then to take up our cross and humbly obey God’s call to “prosper” the cause of the fatherless and “defend the rights of the needy” (Jeremiah 5:28). In this context, that means becoming cross-bearers for child-bearers.

*****

John Ensor is the Vice President of Heartbeat International and author of Answering the Call: Saving Innocent Lives, One Woman At a Time .

2009-01-19T16:46:00.001-08:00

Negative temperatures weren't as bad as I thought, though I had forgotten about the effect of breathing in all those icy knives!

Here are some highlights:

-the topic was tough, but the Lord allowed many to be confronted with what a true diciple is. I was able to have several conversations where the Lord had been orchestrating circumstances to allow the seeds of truth to take root. I was dog tired, but God tangibly reminded me of His grace.

-ski day was great! Becky and I are ready for an A-Basin trip! I tried my hand at the terrain park, but judging from my soreness, I probably shouldn't have, though much air was had!

-ice fishing... People really do it, not just Grumpy Old Men.

-black eye and blood from a full contact game of laundry ball. I'll explain later.

-seeing people get it!

I'm on the plane as I write this. I'll probably get stuck in Cinci overnight, which will kill my trek to ATL tonight so that I can be in class at 7.

The adventure continues.

Snow Day while Daddy is away

2009-01-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

While Jeremy is in Wisconsin freezing his tail off (-7 when he got off the plane today), little Miss Bella and I had a happy snow day here in Chattanooga! Here are some of the pictures:

Titus 2 ?

2009-01-13T20:52:00.001-08:00

Quick observation, your thoughts wanted:

Why don't older men (pastors included) model Titus 2 older man to younger men relationships?

As a younger man... I want to know.

Randy

2009-01-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

Do you remember The Christmas Story?

My Dad always called me either "Buddy" or "Ralphie," which I suppose was in honor to this classic movie. My thoughts were turned to Ralphie's brother, Randy, this morning when I heard from Walt, the Youth Pastor of East White Oak Bible Church Senior High, that another snow storm was blowing through. I'm preparing to speak at their ski retreat this weekend in Winsconsin.

You see, yesterday was a cold day in Chattanooga... it dipped down into the 20's with some pretty intense winds. If you travel up to Covenant or the Overlook, the cross winds on Lookout Mountain can be a little brutal, but it isn't as bad as other places in the US right now. Walt informed me, via facebook, this morning that it was going to dip down to -20... let that sink in for a second. This weekend, at the retreat, it is going to be about 10 degrees. Therefore, I am planning on dressing up like Randy, at all times. Whether I'm skiing or hanging out in the lodge, or taking a shower I will look like this classic picture, unable to put my arms down.

Here are some things you can pray about:

1. At first I felt like we were going to go through I John, but the Lord has directed my attention to the topic of discipleship. We're going to walk through some of the principles addressed in Being A Disciple and Counting the Cost and Dietrich Bonhoffer's Cost of Discipleship. Pray that hearts will be fertile to hear what the word of God says on this weighty, unpopular topic. Weighty because of the implications, unpopular because of the clear line in the sand that is drawn!

2. Pray for Walt! He did a similar retreat last weekend with the Middle School.... nough said.

3. Pray for travel, both mine and the youth groups.

4. Pray for the worship, both the word and in song. I hear a EWOB has a pretty sweet worship band, so I'm excited to worship with them!

5. Pray that the Holy Spirit clearly communicates His Word through every aspect of the weekend. Pray that hearts are changed--disciples made, motivated, and willing to live and die for Christ.

5. Finally, and close to my heart... pray for my family as I'm gone.

Appropriate thoughts for the close of 2008

2008-12-31T12:55:00.000-08:00

You may know this guy, but if you don't... you should. Stephen Hinkle has blessed thousands with His transparent, word-centered worship. His music challenges, but also reflects the heart of one that desires to be in the presence of the Lord. Stephen and I have been close friends for years. We had the opportunity to live in Chicago together, serve alongside each other with Precept, and have been blessed to see each other grow in grace. Stephen recently released a new cd, available on Itunes. As you bring 2008 to a close and contemplate where the Lord is taking you in your journey with Him... consider this song:

Israel War Zone

2008-12-31T03:43:00.000-08:00

I'm up early this morning. (written pre-coffee)

I've been reading up on the crisis in Israel, assured by the Old Testament prophecies as I pray for true peace. The resilliance of this people throughout the centuries should astound the world; however, many disregard the rich history, doomed to make the same mistakes again. Just yesterday I was considering Precept's Israel Tour for mine and Becky's 5 year anniversary. I find it difficult, at times, to pray for people or places where I've never experienced the culture, people, and flair. The Lord brought my mind to the prophecies in Ezekiel concerning the day when the new covenant will be realized in the nation (read 36-39). In addtion, I've started studying Jeremiah in preparation for a class I'll be leading in a couple of weeks, all illumining what is happening right now, driving my thoughts towards this nation.

Jeol Rosenberg offers these prayer points on his blog:

The Joshua Fund is doing everything we can to stand with these and other friends and to let them know that they are not alone. We are mobilizing evangelical Christians all over the world to pray for peace on the Israel-Gaza border and to show unconditional love and unwavering support.

We are asking you and others to continue praying for wisdom and courage for Israel’s leaders as they seek to decimate the Hamas terrorist infrastructure and reacquire the deterrence factor lost during the 2006 war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Please pray for the half million Israelis living within rocket and missile range of Gaza. They and their children have no idea what today and tomorrow hold. Pray for the Lord to comfort and calm their hearts.

Please pray for the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza, many of whom find themselves trapped in the crossfire of a war that Hamas started but that they as individuals and families don’t want.

Please pray for the wounded on both sides, and the families who have lost loved ones.

Please also lift up the believers in Jesus in Israel and Gaza who are seeking the Lord’s strength to help them love their neighbors and their enemies in real and practical ways in the name of Jesus.

Pray that the believers can be lights in the darkness, bringing good news and hope to those who feel hopeless and alone.

Finally, please pray that the Lord would be gracious to provide our Joshua Fund leadership team

Audience Particpation: TrueFaced

2008-12-27T18:18:00.000-08:00

It is a rarity that one enjoys the required reading! The back sleeve read,
"The day of self-righteous, religious performing for cheap applause is coming to an end."

Eye catching, but soul searching as well.

I'm reading this book for an assignment. After reading, I'm supposed to ask 2 questions (where you come in):
What mask are you prone to wearing?
Why?
(You can either comment on here, or send me a message on facebook. I need 50 responses by January 15)

Basic premise of the book, the two roads that diverged in a wood... one is trying to please God and the other is trusting God. Both sound great. One is active, the other seems a bit passive. One well traveled and worn, while the other is rarely experienced. The one less traveled makes all the difference. One results in striving that never feels it has done enough to please God and others. The other results in a trust that experiences his full pleasure.

TrueFaced is one of those books that takes the simple things that you've known forever, thought about repeatedly, but rarely lived in the light of in the day to day. This book takes the true-gospel and communicates the message of grace without minimizing the call of the cross. The age old discussion of works based salvation and sanctification vs. grace finds a relevant voice, echoing saints through the centuries. Yet, if grace is real, if one really trusts the grace, strength, and hope that Christ offers... then why do we wear masks?

"As you have received the Lord, Jesus Christ so walk in Him."

We've been relocated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the Son, but for some reason we feel that we have to "pull up our boot straps, be sold out, or try harder" and then God will be pleased. Just as we've received Christ by grace through faith, so we are to continue to walk in Him by grace through faith... or, from faith to faith.

...better to give...

2008-12-24T11:24:00.000-08:00

Our family was blessed this year. We were able to conspire with several other families (The Johnsons, The Gandys, and others) to deliver Christmas to a family of four this morning. Someone brought a tree and mounds of presents were piled around it. More appropriate, however, was the affirmation that the Father is the Great Gift Giver, Jesus the Gift, and the body of Christ the extension of this gift through the Holy Spirit. Blessings to everyone as we consider the promise of a gift that came in the darkest night... the fulfilment of that promise in the most unimaginable means... and the purpose of the promise--redemption and grace. Grace to y'all this Christmas!

Christmas Greetings

2008-12-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

Click on the page to read the letter. Merry Christmas!

"Happy Happy Christ!"

2008-12-19T07:26:00.001-08:00

We talked to Ma Ma again today on Skype, so we thought we'd take a few shots in front of the tree. Near the door we have an olive carving of Mary and Jesus. While putting our shoes on, Bella starts waving and saying, "Hi Christ! Bye Christ!" Of course, we were in a rush to get to wherever it was we were going, so it took a few times for us to clue in. Then, I realized that she was talking to the baby Jesus! On Monday, she and Becky made a Red Velvet Cake for Jesus. We were celebrating Christmas with Bible study at The Oak Project. Bella, who can't quite get out "Merry Christmas," kept saying "Happy Happy Christ!"

End of Semester Dance

2008-12-12T16:37:00.000-08:00

We're celebrating the end of the semester over here... Jeremy has nailed Greek 3, with only one more language semester left thank God!

I just finished editing his eternal paper on "The Unity, Diversity, and Progress of Redemption." When I say eternal...
We're also pumped around the house because the Veracity Group has finally finished writing our study on Exodus, which will be available from Precept the first of the year. 5 studies are rolling out Jan. 1--Joshua, Judges, Abraham, Joseph and now Exodus! To check 'em out, go to Precept's estore

Through out every year of college Jeremy would celebrate the end of the semester with a little dance. Over the years, the family has started to join is as well. So, we've been dancing a lot around here, especially the little one! Those of you with photobooth... some video responses may be in order!

The Misery of Job; The Mercy of God

2008-12-08T17:11:00.000-08:00

Thoughts from this past weekend:

"Welcome to the Evil Conference...I'm Evil Ritchie"
God is in control... good, bad, and ugly.
I'm messed up!
Big TEAM, little me
It feels like Friday, but Sunday is coming.
Smelly Feet.
White rap
clap-clap-clap-clap-clap
do not be overcome by evil,
overcome evil with good
...pain is God's megaphone
God is a God of the nations--Ireland, Canada, and South Africa.
"We had a lot of craic and Bible study!"
"The devil wants to suck the grease right off of you!"
Evil and suffering get p-wned.

Great weekend. I pray it is the start of something huge, as students meditate on God's sovereignty in the midst of their pain, suffering... as they consider heaven... their citizenship... and Christ's call to carry the gospel through pain. I pray that the desire and hunger for God's Word will increase and never be satiated.

I came home to huge deadlines. I was supposed to take a Greek 3 final today, after hearing some guys from my old discipleship group give their senior talk (shout out Wilky!). I was reminded, once again, about the story of Job as I listened to my friend Wilky talk about spiritual adultery and being satisfied in Christ alone--pretty amazing considering where God is taking him these days. I came home and gathered all of the books I need for another paper... and saw a familiar face--"The misery of Job and the mercy of God" by John Piper. This book of several poems on the life of Job astounds me. The pictures and photos are amazing, but the implications and weaving of the story of Job are vibrant and hard hitting. An excerpt is included below, followed by the link for the full version.

To see what Job would do, and how
He might deal with his God. At last
He rose, and took a knife, and passed
It like a razor over all
His silver head, and tore his shawl
And robe, and fell face down upon
The ground and lay there till the dawn.
The servants knelt by him in fright,
And heard him whisper through the night:
"I came with nothing from the womb,
I go with nothing to the tomb.
God gave me children freely, then
He took them to himself again.
At last I taste the bitter rod,
My wise and ever blessed God."

Light candle one, and count the cost;
And ponder everything we've lost.
And let us bow before the throne
Of God, who gives and takes his own,
And promises, whatever toll
He takes, to satisfy our soul.
Come learn the lesson of the rod:
The treasure that we have in God.
He is not poor nor much enticed
Who loses everything but Christ.

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Poems/ByDate/1386_Job_Part_1/
Jeremy Lucarelli

Transform:The Night Before Evil

2008-12-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

God has orchestrated these days.

Tomorrow, 300 students from across the country will begin their journey to Chattanooga for Precept's Transform Conference: The problem of EVIL.

Countless hours have been spent pouring over the material and the minute details (not by me, but by the Transform Staff). There are a lot of questions with this topic... deep, soul searching questions that shake the foundations of belief and practice. Is the Sovereign God the Author of Evil? Theologians have stumbled over this question for centuries. Augustine attempted an answer, as did Edwards and countless others in-between, but none compares with God's word.

Many of the students traveling to Precept are experiencing the pains of EVIL in their homes. Abuse, divorce, drug addiction, homosexuality, cutting... Evil is among us. Please pray for these students as they encounter the God who is El Elyon--The God Most High. As they consider Job (specifically chapters 1 and 2) and how God allows EVIL... how we are not to be overcome by EVIL(Rom 12)... and how the cross of Christ, the greatest ordained EVIL, brought about the greatest good.

Please pray for Ritchie Johnson as he prepares to communicate God's Word on a tough subject. Tough because of misconceptions in the culture... even more tough because of the hearts in the audience that are broken because of how they have been scarred by EVIL. Pray that Hosea's affirmation may be sung at the end of the weekend:

"Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us."

Also, please pray for the small group leaders that will be facilitating the discussions on Job and various other passages on suffering and tenacity. Pray that the staff and volunteers will be aware of the hurts, but not be afraid to allow students to mourn over sin in order to experience the healing of the cross. Also, pray that the Lord will orchestrate the behind the scenes details (sounds, lighting, media, food service, room conversations, travel...) Pray for Brooke Ritterbush as all of her plans and details get set into motion... Pray for divine energy for all of the adults/college students working the event.

Pray that eyes will be opened and that the Lord will equip this generation to allow God to use their battle wounds for His glory.

*I can't go into the craziness that has surrounded this weekend/topic among those whom I know... but it has been one of those messages where you not only hear and read it, but you experience it and see it in the lives of others.

Jeremy LUCArelli

"ABC"

2008-11-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

We've really been working on the alphabet around here ('bella English and dad Greek). Here are some of the results:

Bella and the fishies

2008-11-17T16:45:00.000-08:00

After talking with Ma Ma and Pa Pa on the webcam, Bella and I decided to play with Photobooth a little longer. While Mom was downtown with an inner-city Bible study, Dad and Bella ate dinner and spent about an hour laughing at ourselves on camera. She recently spent a day at the Tennessee Aquarium with Uncle J; I'll have to get those pictures up soon, but until then... here is some pretty sweet footage before bed time.

Back to the start again

2008-11-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

Many inside jokes will forever be veiled in regards to the Lucarelli's recent evening with Chris Martin and friends in Atlanta! The few that are mentioned here are just the beginning:

1. The Scientist--
Back when Becky and I were "taking some time off" before we got married... I gave her one of those "Don't read too far into the lyrical contents of this cd, but in case you do I mean every word on it" mix cds. On it was the Cold Play song "The Scientist" among other assorted amazing songs. At a time when I wanted Becky and I to be able to go "...Back to the start again..." I thought I would communicate that in lyrical fashion. Thanks Chris Martin, it worked.

Nobody said it was easy,
It's such a shame for us to part.
Nobody said it was easy,
No one ever said it would be this hard.

Oh take me back to the start.

2. TicketMaster--
The tickets to this the 2nd of the ATL shows were highly coveted. I was sitting in the sound booth in the back of the auditorium at Precept, Kay was teaching and I was wondering how I was going to purchase tickets for Becky and I before they all sold old. Luckily, David and Brooke Ritterbush (who were also thinking the same thing and in the sound booth) started looking for good tickets when they went on sale. We both purchased tickets. Only thing, though David logged out... my 3 tickets for the concert (which were pretty pricey) went on David's card! Whoops.

3. Murphy's Law--
Everything that could have gone wrong the few days before the concert actually did go wrong. OK, not everything... but it was pretty close. Becky and I were sick. Bella had just gotten over croup. I had a million things to do. It wasn't the greatest time for J. to come work wise... but we endured.... even more than I'll go into... we endured. Bella hung out with "Aunt Biz and David" while Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle J. headed downtown. After figuring out what to do about the tickets, we sat and waited for the show. It seemed like we had been running all day long in a thousand different directions. When the bass was pumping, the lights shining, and the songs playing... everything melted away. What a great concert! It is a toss up between Dave and Cold Play... but I think Cold Play beat out Dave because of the recent loss of my fiddling friend.

Yet, still...
Becky made friends with the people next to us--a 3rd grade teacher whose last concert was Depeche Mode when she was on her first date with her now husband!

For those of you who don't own the Viva cd, you should obtain! For those that haven't experienced the old school (only a couple of years old) Cold Play, you should look into it.

Coming up on the 5th anniversary when Becky listened to the oh-so-not-subtle suggestions of my mix cd, I'm glad she listened to "The Scientist" and that we could listen to it together.

Better than Chocolate

2008-11-09T13:05:00.000-08:00

While Becky was dealing with a sick little one, I was off to Harrisburg/Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania this weekend. A group of Precept Trainers were invited to teach at West Shore Evangelical Free Church, an amazing facility with excited individuals! I taught through the book of Titus, teaching people how to study inductively. My class was energetic, excited and eager to learn the inductive method. They walked away from the weekend with the desire to continue being grounded and established in the word of God.

I also spent the weekend near the famed Chocolate Capital of the Word--Hershey, Pennsylvania. Our family would take a trip up to Hershey every year for the annual Antique Car Show. It has been awhile since all the cousins and grandkids were all together, but the place brought back a lot of memories. The smell of chocolate was in the air, though I never offically got to go in the town to see how much it had changed. There were chocolate kisses all throughout the weekend.

I was also spending the time away from home getting caught up on all of my school work. Most of my suitcase was filled with books. Each night I would leave my roomate, go to the lodge or the hot tub and read my book. One night, I was reading and had my Iphone playing my class lectures while I had my feet in the hot tub. I fell asleep, only to be awoken by the horrific sight of an extremely large, hairy man and his extremely large, hairy wife... at least I hope they were married. It was that akward, where am I... inbetween sleep and dream world. Thank God it was reality and not some sick dream!

The next night, though still scared from the previous encounter, I decided to brave the hot tub again. I had taught all day and was fighting off some sickness. Same situation--reading and listening to a lecture--when two ladies came in. They were laughing and cackling; pretty hard to ignore, though I had the lecture up all the way. They swam and I tried to ignore them for both their sake and mine. The next day, on the last day of the workshop, I had finished early... so I was sitting with another trainer, relaxed with my shoes off. As people were walking by, I noticed a familiar face. Without the mumu type bathing suit it was hard to determine, but I finally realized that the ladies from the night before were participants in another class. They walked by... I could tell they noticed me. One whispered to the other, but they were already passed. So, the one that missed me acted like she dropped something on the ground... eye contact! I laughed and so did she. Just goes to show, you never know who you're going to run into while you're in your bathing suit!

Croup

2008-11-05T14:49:00.001-08:00

Pray for the little one!
We had a horrible night last night; Jeremy and I were awake all night long. Bella sounded like she had iron and steel in her throat. We just got back from the Dr. and she has croup. They gave her a shot right then and there--poor suga. She just wants to be held all of the time, crying with a pitiful smoker's voice whenever one of us lays her down.

Jeremy is trying to get caught up on some school work before he leaves for Mechanicsburg, PA tomorrow, which means I am going to be flying solo this weekend. I'm really disappointed because I wanted to go to a benefit at an urban ministry called The Oak Project on Thursday and continue my training at AAA Women's Services on Saturday. Your prayers are appreciated.

One issue voter

2008-11-05T13:19:00.000-08:00

10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.

11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death;

hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

12 If you say, "Behold, we did not know this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?

History

2008-11-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

I spent tonight trying to avoid the inevitable, knowing in my gut what was coming down the pike. As in the days before Josiah, the word of God has been lost in the house of God. As a result, the people perish for lack of knowledge. The signs of the times have been everywhere, but now they have climbed uphill to the "city gates."

I tried to avert my attention from the TV by running, only to have the treadmill turned toward election coverage.

I came home and tried reading one of the many required readings, only to have my attention turned towards "moral ethics" in my Biblical Ethics material. Issues like health care, abortion, states rights, church and state didn't avert my attention.

I tried going to bed... several times, but 'bella is keeping us up tonight with a wheezing cough. So, while I am listening to Becky sing to quiet 'bella's nerves in the other room, I sit and contemplate, pray, and question both how we got here and where we are going. (The song playing right now is "I have a shelter in the storm" by Sovereign Grace Music)

Some thoughts for the disenchanted and the gloating:

God removes kings; God sets up kings (Psalm 75:7, Daniel 2:21, Romans 13:1)
Yet, God (while still sovereign) gave Israel what they wanted (though he knew they were going to ask for a king beforehand). You most likely know the story--corruption in the courts, perversion in temple, fickle people, gross idolatry and immorality throughout every strata of Israel. "Ichabod--the glory of the Lord has departed." Saul looked good and started well... but was ruled by the people and his pride.

A further look into Israel's history--the civil war, the exiles and captivity--show that God is the one who removes kings, but God also give the people what they want in hopes that they will return. The prophets foretold of this fate, but the people ignored. The prophets proclaimed truth, but the people gathered around them false prophets that spoke well-being and prosperity despite sin.

The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will (Prov 21:1) All of the Northern Kings did evil in the sight of the Lord. Yet, there were a few kings in Judah... those that remembered the ways of the Lord, those that grieved over the broken covenant, who stopped the sacrificing of children... these were the ones whom the Lord blessed with both peace and prosperity. The Lord upheld His covenant with David in spite of the nation's idolatry and syncretism.

God does all that He pleases (Psalm 115:3, 135:6, Daniel 4:35)

We've entered a historic chapter in our nation's history. Yes, the people have overwhelmingly spoken. Unfortunately, "blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" and "righteousness exalts a nation" reverberate to the core tonight. We will see the antithesis of these two statements. We will come to depend upon the sovereignty of God even more in these next 2 years while the Democrats and the Liberal left have it all--the triumvirate of power in the Oval Office, Senate and House; a majority of governors’ mansions, a majority of state legislatures, the entertainment media, the elite news media, the unions, the educational establishment, most of the philanthropic community, and increasing power over the courts.

The two years of election coverage have ended.

The rhetoric has become reality. We will soon find out what change really means.

Voting for Righteousness

2008-11-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

Voting for Righteousness K. Arthur

". . .I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." 1 Timothy 2:1-2

How important is it that a Christian takes advantage of the privilege given him or her to vote? Or, as children of God, are we not to concern ourselves with "politics"? Wouldn't you think that if God urges us to pray for those in authority and if we have the opportunity and privilege of electing our leaders that He would expect us to exercise our governmental rights? Wouldn't it be our God-given responsibility as God-fearing people to uphold the biblical tenets upon which this nation was founded?

These are very turbulent days-and personally, I believe we are where we are because the Church has been apathetic about the Word of God and righteousness. Although we are meant to impact our society as salt and light first and foremost in our lives, have we instead infected our nation by giving it a distorted image of what it means to be a child of a holy God?

Righteousness exalts a nation; sin is a reproach to any people. We are a nation under great reproach and consequently we are living in turbulent times. If we don't cast our vote for righteousness in our own lives first and then in our nation, I fear what will happen to us.
Let me take you back in history for just a moment to another turbulent time so that we might see what part God plays in politics.

It was an unbearably hot day in the summer of 1787; just eleven years after America had declared her independence. Delegates from our thirteen states had gathered to create a historic document to unite them under one government. Sweat soaked their clothes so badly...they had to change their shirts twice a day! And their tempers, as torrid as the day, were flaring.
Men who were formerly side-by-side in their battle against England were now at war against each other! These states were anything but "united," and they weren't ready to be under any authority but their own.i

A personal letter from James Warren to a friend in England described America's condition at the time: "'Money is the only object attended to, and the only acquisition that commands respect. Patriotism is ridiculed; integrity and ability are of little consequence. . . .We are now in a state of anarchy and confusion bordering on civil war.'"ii (Does this sound troublingly familiar?)
At this historic meeting, Benjamin Franklin decided to give the document they were creating one last shot. He addressed George Washington and the assembly:

"'How has it happened, sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understanding? In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. . . And have we now forgotten this powerful friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?'"

There was dead silence in the room...but he was not finished, and now he turned again to Washington. "'I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: "that God governs in the affairs of man." And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?'"iii

In a day of "political correctness" when so many Christians are apathetic about taking a stand for righteousness, you and I need to be reminded of how God governs the affairs of men...how He cares about the state of our nation and longs for us to turn and return to Him, acknowledging His sovereignty.

We desperately need His merciful assistance in America today as never before. Yet we have to remember that God does not work apart from man, but through man. Before God took His people into captivity under Babylon (present-day Iraq) because of their sin, He sought for a man to stand in the gap and He found none (Ezekiel 22:30-but read the whole chapter)!

The turmoil in our country over moral issues and political rivalry commands our involvement. There must be a searching of our hearts, a genuine mourning for our sin. We must be fervent in prayer and strong and courageous in our stand. We must be willing to stand up as Benjamin Franklin did and dare to call America to turn back to Him! And one of the ways we will do that is through the people we vote for.

We must vote, and we must vote for those who have the greater fear of God and desire to uphold His absolutes. No candidate is perfect; nor do they do everything we want them to do. But we must align ourselves with the ones who have the greatest fear of God and His Word. It is not a matter of allegiance to a party; rather it is allegiance to God. God rebuked Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, with these words when he aligned himself with ungodly Ahab, king of Israel, to whom he was aligned by marriage, "'Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord and so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord?'" (2 Chronicles 19:2)

We can make a difference! The polls are our God-ordained opportunity to make a difference. And if godless leaders are voted in, in spite of our votes and prayers, then we will know we did what we could, and God will see and honor our obedience.

May the Lord bless you. May He continue to bless and preserve our great nation!
__________________________________________________________________
i Peter Marshall and David Manuel, From Sea to Shining Sea (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1986), pp. 17.
ii Peter Marshall and David Manuel, From Sea to Shining Sea (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1986), p. 17, citing Page Smith, The Shaping of America, New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1980, pp. 38, 24.
iii Marshall and Manuel, From Sea to Shining Sea, p 18.

Bumble Bee

2008-11-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

Jeremy kept telling everyone, "Happy Reformation Day!" Life is a little bit different now that we have a little one... no crazy costume parties, but we had a lot of fun anyway. Both Jeremy and I made some chili... he added a little bit too much spice, but it was really good. We suited up the little one in a cute little bee out fit. For those of you who haven't seen Bella in awhile, she has an animal book with every type of species imaginable. One of her favorite pages is the bug page, where she smacks the fly and mosquito (She also likes the donkey too). So, last night she went as a bee.

We headed over to our church for the big party. They had a lot of those jumping things. Bella went in with some of her friends... and cried when she had to get out. She didn't know how to take everyone being dressed up. She kept looking at people with her pensive, "What in the world?" face. Bella was done after it got dark, so we left a little bit early.

Here are some pictures of our little bumble bee:

Bella loves her "aaaa", puppy and books

2008-10-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

Bella is singing her song "mmm-aaa went the lil green frog" hence her name for him - "aaa"
She LOVES her froggy - who is now another "must" in the bed with "Lamby", "Rosco", and "puppy".

Bella loves her rocker from MaMa and her sweet puppy her "aunt" Cindy gave her from London
Bella loves to sit in the big rocker with her books. This one, Pop and Grammy gave. The Blanky was Jeremy's from long ago, and the sweet "our little princess" tile was a gift from the Parkers, Thanks, guys!

The Shack

2008-10-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

Setting the record straight.
Over the past several months I have been asked about my opinions on the book The Shack. In the first few chapters, where Young sets up the story, I was intrigued with the topic--an allegory on God confronting our pain. As I continued, I wrote a lot of notes, theological notes, out in the margins. There were some good things said, but after further consideration of the book's message, theology, implications of this theology, and the response the author has given regarding criticism of his work, I must say that this is one book where you need to throw the baby out with the bath water, as it is a book that exemplifies Galatians 1:6-8:

"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel of heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!"

You don't have to read my review, which was written back in February of this year (and was supposed to be limited to 100-150 words!). However, just in case... I thought I would put it below for those that keep asking. Keep in mind that it was written for a forum of theology students).

For those of you whom I have had conversations with concerning this book, it shows the importance of truth--Ephesians 4:14-15.

You may also find the response on this blog helpful.

Critical Analysis
The Shack | Jeremy W. Lucarelli | February 2008

One of the most difficult things to understand about being a Christ-follower is how God uses our pain. Many quilts and little cards remind believers that “God works things together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose,” but it is often a struggle to recognize this love in the midst of the deepest pain. Young’s work of fiction, The Shack, speaks to this age old question--the problem of evil—and is one of the most popular and most-embraced books of this past year. Before listing my comments, however, it is noteworthy to point out that this book is theological fiction and, therefore, it is difficult to determine what the author means by what he says.

Young is depicting how real, genuine faith is vastly different from the going-through-the-motions, lifeless religion. There is an emphasis on the faith of Mack, the main character, transforming the way in which he lives his life. After encountering God, allowing Him to do some pretty tough surgery on the pain, Mack’s life is changed. Young indirectly deals with the problems of the health, wealth and prosperity gospel by showing how God allows pain and suffering in the lives of believers.

Eugene Peterson states that this book is the “Pilgrims Progress” of our generation. Yet, there are many dangerous implications in the book. Evil, according to Young, is the result of the choices humans make. This includes both social and environmental evils, but Young never concludes that the problem is sin. In one of the many questions asked in the book, Mack wonders why God allows bad things to happen in the world. God gets angry at the accusation that these actions are because of Him or allowed by Him. Though angry at the accusation, the God character refuses to stop them from happening because in doing so he would violate the free will of his children (apparently everyone in creation is alluded to as God’s children, as opposed to those who have accepted salvation). The God character says, "When you love someone you never, ever, try to get them to do something against their will because that is unloving. Our power of free volition is the greatest thing we have and worth all the evils of the world." Anyone with children knows that this is contrary to everything God says about discipline and love. My daughter will not be allowed to touch the stove because I love her. If I allowed her to, the love I have for her would be questioned. Yet, beyond the human-ness of my illustration, the problem here is Young's impotence of God's sovereignty and providence (Job 1, Genesis 37-50, the lives of David and Saul, Romans 5, James 1:2-4, and the entire book of Isaiah).

As one can see, extreme caution is necessary when reading this book. As with all works of fiction and allegories, the propensity is always there to take the analogy or man’s words too far. The message of the book is encouraging--pursue the presence of God fully in the midst of pain. There are many dangerous implications that are built upon the bad foundation mentioned above. For example, the God of the Shack makes God into a weak father who wrings his hands wondering what choices His children will make. The book also makes God out to be primarily a responder, as opposed to the initiator that Scripture portrays. God is not so much the sovereign sustainer of the universe as he is the one who needs sustaining. Instead of being the sovereign God who masterfully weaves and orchestrates every aspect of life, God is belittled to the one who cleans up the messes as they come. A friend of mine stated that it makes God the lifeguard, sitting in the chair twirling the whistle and waiting for something wrong to happen.

The hamartiology (Doctrine of Sin) implied in The Shack is damaging as well. The main character asks God what he expects of Him. God says... nothing. He states that there is no law, there is no guilt. Guilt is always bad and never leads to a right relationship with God. this, also, is dangerous. Morality becomes subjective because the only sin is being away from God. Young negates the promise of the New Covenant in Ezekiel and Jeremiah--the law of God is written on the new covenant heart and the Spirit causes the individual to walk in the law. The only test for “walking manner in a manner worthy of the calling” is our emotional experience, so one could be living in habitual sin but be convinced that his relationship with God is okay. God, in the Shack, never calls the main character to take up his cross and follow Him and consider the cost of discipleship.

Another dangerous implication of The Shack is the view of Scripture. When Mack’s first day with God ends, he goes into his room and finds a Gideon’s Bible sitting on the table by the bed. He started to read it, but fell asleep after a few minutes. This was one of the only times the Bible is mentioned at all in the book. It puts Mack to sleep. The book follows the trend that considers dreams, visions and emotional experiences more solid and real than the very word of God that God has established and brought as high as His name. Young’s God character never points to His word as the authority. “In seminary [Mac] had been taught that God had completely stopped any overt communication with moderns, preferring to have them only listen to and follow sacred Scripture, properly interpreted, of course. God’s voice had been reduced to paper, and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellects... Nobody wanted to put God in a box, just in a book. Especially an expensive one bound in leather with gilt edges, or was that built edges?” This view of the Word of God is both dangerous and whole-heartedly against the example of sound doctrine influencing the deeds of the believer.

In addition to belittling the written word and the Spirit applying the word, many biblical ideas are belittled and questioned by Young’s God character in this book. One of them is the Romans 13 principle of all authority being established by God. Young’s God character states that man was the one that made hierarchal authority structures, not Him. Clearly against the biblical model of church leadership and God being the one who ordains the kings and princes.

There are many more theological problems expressed in The Shack, which are too great to go into detail in this forum. However, in addition to the above they include:

forgiveness - the entire book centers around Mack’s inability to forgive God, which shows that the book is somewhat man-centered, reversing man's great need to be forgiven and at peace with God through Christ.

salvation-very little of the book deals with salvation. It could be argued that Young is purposefully leaving this out for the sake of universalistic doctrine. The Jesus character says that he is not interested in making people into Christians and denies that all roads lead to him, but rather that he will find them on whatever road they are on. One could make the arguement that the main character's transformation was his salvation experience (where effectual calling met surrender) but this is not emphasized by the author.

politics, religion and law-the Jesus character states “These three are man-created trinity of errors that ravage the earth and deceives those I care about.”
Free will-though mentioned above, Young never addresses the consequence of those who choose to reject God. Plus, what about what Jesus said concerning the law--"I did not come to abolish the Law, but came to fulfill it." Or, what Paul says about the law in Romans 7 and Galatians 3? It wasn't the law that was bad, it was the weakness of man's flesh. The law was given by a good God in an effort to show the need for a Savior. After salvation, the Holy Spirit is given and the law is written on hearts of flesh, so that the true believer can carry out the law through the Spirit.

Submission-Young comments on the submission of the Trinity members to each other, but also comments on the God-head submitting to humans. Many have said that this book has taught them about the relationship of the Trinity, which is extremely sad.

Possible paganism-there is a scene in the book where the main character meets with Sophia, which suggests either a paganistic view of relating to god or Gnosticism.

The Shack was a poignant read, and the God of the Shack (Papa) has many things in common with God Almighty, but he is infinitely smaller and falls quite short of the glory and grandeur and love that is the God of the Bible. I appreciate the purpose of the Shack--administering compassion, but find some of the information falling short of the whole of biblical truth. Young expounds on the characteristic of compassion, but separates God’s love from His holiness, righteousness and justice. Therefore, the God of the Shack is not the God of the Word.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to figure out some of the shortcomings of the emergent church, as long as they read it with a critical eye. Otherwise, buyer beware--the twisting of truth located within is deception. Instead of trying not to put God in a box, as many have said in response to this book, people need to recognize what God says about Himself.

Calling on the guys...

2008-10-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry ladies, this one is for the guys.

A lot has changed since the time that we were considering what it means to be a man.
Many of us embarked on that journey alone. You can probably see the lack of male leadership within society today, but you are most likely more acquainted with the prevalent attack upon masculinity within both our society and our churches. Wherever you are in the battle, you know from waging your own war that boys are being attacked from every angle today. For most teenage guys (I hate the term teenage or adolescent) they are caught off guard and are naive because they do not have someone like Solomon warning them. Instead, everywhere they turn they see images that the world tells them are masculine, they see the broken lives of their own father's pursuite of those things, and they hear the siren's call that leads to death at a very young age. As you may also know, the Creator of masculinity has a lot to say on the topic of being a man and how one is to keep his way blameless. So, there in lies the dilemma--how to strategically teach and train this generation of boys on how to be a biblical men. In the time of their lives when boys are transitioning to physical men, they need to identify and feel a call to true-biblical manhood from their peers, teachers, coaches and most importantly, their dads.

For the past several years I have been developing an inductive curriculum for ages 11-20ish guys in my discipleship group. Through partnering with the dads, the Lord has developed a healthy environment for both the guys and their dads to discover what God says about being a man who radically influences his culture by living out the truth of God’s word. Through discipleship and mentorship, boys2MEN gives the opportunity for dads or father figures/mentors in their lives to initiate and equip their sons for the war of biblical manhood that exists today. To bottom line it for you, they are learning what God says about being a man for themselves.

This is where you come in...
I have tested/piloted the study several times with guys and their dads. All of the guys though are currently in the trenches. As you think back to your growth as a man, what do you wish that someone had shared with you concerning this topic?

Your insight is greatly valued.

to seek and save those who are lost

2008-10-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Conviction central as I tie up the loose ends for a project in my Hermeneutics class. This week I've been delving into Luke 15:1-7, working with parables. The last part of the exegetical process is called synthesis. Basically, it is like getting your car fixed. First, the mechanic has to tear it apart, but then he has to put it back together. Here is a snip of the 12 page synthesis:

There is joy and rejoicing over the repentance of one who was lost.

The bad news: Christians are to have the same attitude towards the lost as the shepherd. If Christians only base their evangelism and discipleship efforts on those who appear to already be clean, they do not have the same heart as the Shepherd. The cross is level ground, allowing all to come.

The good news: The shepherd is the one seeking after the lost. He, too, is the one carrying the the lost back. Yet, the true significance of this passage is that there is rejoicing involved, both by the shepherd and in all of heaven, there is acceptance and joy. (In my Greek studies I am translating Philippians, which is kicking me hard too!)

Principlization: There is rejoicing when a sinner is moved towards repentance.

Identification: Within American culture there is an idea that a person has to already be cleaned up before they can come to Christ. According to Barna, Christians are viewed as those who are self-righteous, judgmental and living inside the Christian bubble of their churches. Though they most likely would not comment in public about it, most people who have grown up in the church feel an air of superiority towards those who have had to deal with the hard knocks of life. Instead of this, Christians should adopt the mission of Christ—to seek and save those who are lost. Rather than viewing their present status in Christ within a hierarchy, believers should recognize it is only by the grace of God that they have been found by the Shepherd. This recognition motivates the believer to be an extension of God’s grace to whomever and wherever the Holy Spirit leads them to communicate the gospel.

Implementation: Believers are given the opportunity to reach out of the confines of the church building where the Lord has called them. Believers should be more concerned with the eternal destiny of those around them than the possible stain on their reputation. Whether it is getting involved in a crisis pregnancy center, working with drug addicts, or simply having conversations with neighbors over dinner each believer is given an opportunity to fulfill the mission of Christ as they depend upon the Holy Spirit’s guidance for sovereign circumstance and the salty, grace for the moment words.

Personal Response: Going through this passage and the context of the book of Luke is humbling and convicting. It is humbling in recognizing that there are none who are righteous, even though the Pharisees and scribes thought they were righteous. The only salvation is through the shepherd, the kindness of God leading us to repentance.

There are certain standards today, not congruent with the message of Christ, which are in direct opposition to this passage and the mission of Jesus. Daily I have the choice to be motivated by my reputation within ministry circles or to be motivated by the mission of Christ. In the inbetween stage of life, where I don’t have a job and am waiting for the Lord’s shepherding direction, this passage serves as a enabling reminder.

In addition to the various reasons why the passage is humbling, the passage is convicting as well. My wife gets this part of Christ, while I struggle to reach out to those around me who are in sin. Throughout the day, I rub shoulders with countless lost people when I get coffee, workout, or while studying in the park. Yet, are they drawn to me as the sinners were drawn to Christ? What was it in Him that drew these people to him? My wife and I have had some sanctifying conversations concerning this topic over the past few months as she is reaching out to our neighbors and several individuals who are outcasts. The Lord has changed me through watching her be an extension of Christ’s compassion.

Soberingly laughable "crisis"

2008-10-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

Sadly, yesterday I was almost belly laughing, rolling on the floor like a mad man when I heard this quote from Joe Biden. On the same day that he told us that Colin Powell should have ended all questions about Barack Obama's national security, Joe "gaffe" Biden comes along to tell Americans precisely why we should be scared of Obama as commander-in-chief:

“Mark my words,” the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. “It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

“I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate,” Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. “And he’s gonna need help. And the kind of help he’s gonna need is, he’s gonna need you - not financially to help him - we’re gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it’s not gonna be apparent initially, it’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right.”

After my morning cup of joe this morning to get the juices flowing, I realized that this situation is no laughing matter.

(note, at the end of the candid conversation, Biden said something along the lines of "I guess I shouldn't have said that since the press is in the room")

The Idol of Relevance

2008-10-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

It is most difficult to balance the precipice of non-conformity and cultural relevance as one seeks to live and speak the gospel message to any generation, though especially the one we currently find ourselves in. On one dangerous slope there is the abandonment of truth for the sake of numbers and mass appeal. One unguarded step tumbles towards a free fall in the canyon of ears tickled, which is closely located to the cavern of a wasted life. Yet, on the other slope is the sacred, hallow halls of the monasticm, where the truth of Christ's messages is rarely digested. As someone concerned with this balance on your terrain, consider Os Guiness.

The Idol of Relevance
by C.J. Mahaney 10/3/2008 9:47:00 AM Since we’re talking about Os Guinness, I pulled my stack of well-worn copies of his books off my shelves. And one of the most dog-eared, check-mark-littered, and highlighted copies is the book Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance (Baker, 2003).

The book is a piercing critique of the church’s uncritical pursuit of relevance for the sake of relevance. His argument: “Never have Christians pursued relevance more strenuously; never have Christians been more irrelevant” (p. 12). Guinness explains it like this:

By our uncritical pursuit of relevance we have actually courted irrelevance; by our breathless chase after relevance without a matching commitment to faithfulness, we have become not only unfaithful but irrelevant; by our determined efforts to redefine ourselves in ways that are more compelling to the modern world than are faithful to Christ, we have lost not only our identity but our authority and our relevance. Our crying need is to be faithful as well as relevant. (p. 11)

This is because, as Guinness writes, faithfulness to eternal truth is the means to genuine cultural relevance. In every generation, our goal is centered on the proclamation and advance of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the local church. Only because of the gospel’s continued relevance is it rightfully called the “good news.”

The gospel is good news. In fact it is “the best news ever” because it addresses our human condition appropriately, pertinently, and effectively as nothing else has, does, or can—and in generation after generation, culture after culture, and life after life. Little wonder that the Christian faith is the world’s first truly universal religion and in many parts of the world the fastest growing faith, and that the Christian church is the most diverse society on planet earth, with followers on all continents, in all climates, and under all the conditions of life and development. Of course, Christians can make the gospel irrelevant by shrinking and distorting it in one way or another. But in itself the good news of Jesus is utterly relevant or it is not the good news it claims to be. (p. 13)

Escaping the Cultural Captivity

The strength of Guinness’s book is not only the insightful criticism, but the constructive vision he presents to the reader. Chapter six, “Escaping Cultural Captivity” (pp. 95–112), was especially helpful. Guinness writes,

Without God, our human knowledge is puny and perverse, limited on the one hand by finitude and distorted on the other by sin. That said, and that said humbly, three things can help us cultivate the independent spirit and thinking that are characteristic of God’s untimely people. In ascending order, they are developing an awareness of the unfashionable, cultivating an appreciation for the historical, and paying constant attention to the eternal. Each is crucial for effective resistance thinking. (p. 96)

Guinness then develops each of these points:

1. Awareness of the Unfashionable: Because the cross runs across the grain of human thinking, the faithful choice is often not the culturally popular choice. Guinness introduces the countercultural actions of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Nazi Germany. While the Führer demanded complete allegiance, Bonhoeffer was stressing the cost of discipleship and allegiance to Christ alone. In all generations, the church needs to cultivate an awareness of the unfashionable to avoid being captured by the popular or “relevant.”

2. Appreciation for the Historical: Americans, Guinness writes, seem to know everything about what’s happened over the past 24 hours, but little about the past 600 or 60 years. “Essential for untimeliness is appreciation for the historical, for no human perspective gives us a better counterperspective on our own day” (p. 100).

Guinness continues,

Mere lip service to the importance of history will not do. We each have to build in a steady diet of the riches of the past into our reading and thinking. Only the wisdom of the past can free us from the bondage of our fixation with the present and the future. C. S. Lewis counseled, “It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.” (p. 104)

On the next page, he quotes Lewis again: “The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of history blowing through our minds, and this can be done only by reading old books” (p. 105).

3. Attention to the Eternal: “Essential for untimeliness is attention to the eternal, for only the eternal is eternally relevant” (p. 105). The way to remain relevant is to stay on the path of eternal truth. Guinness asks us to consider, if we are seeking to be relevant, why? To what end are we seeking relevance? “Nothing is finally relevant except in relation to the true and the eternal….Only the repeated touch of the timeless will keep us truly timely” (pp. 106, 112).

Yet again, it’s worth quoting him directly:

How then do we lift ourselves above the level of the finite and the mundane to gain an eternal perspective on what is true and relevant? The biblical answer is blunt in its candor. By ourselves we can’t. We can’t break out of Plato’s cave of the human, with all its smoke and flickering shadows on the wall. We can’t raise ourselves above the level of the timebound and the earthbound by such feeble bootstraps as reason. But where we are limited by our own unaided efforts, we have help. We have been rescued.…God has broken into our silence. He has spoken and has come down himself. And in his written and living Word we are given truth from outside our situation, truth that throws light on our little lives and our little world. (p. 107)

Conclusion

I highly recommend Prophetic Untimeliness, especially for pastors. We would do well to heed Guinness’s call to faithfulness: “It is time to challenge the idol of relevance, to work out what it means to be faithful as well as relevant, and so to become truly relevant without ever ending up as trendy, trivial, and unfaithful” (p. 15).

The tongue...set on fire by hell itself

2008-10-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

All of us have countless examples of the relevancy of James 3. The word of God speaks on the topic of the tongue throughout it's pages. Life and death is in the power of the tongue...

James was the first book I taught within a Christian school setting. Freshly out of college, ready to right the wrongs of mis-understood Christianity, I packed my bags and headed to the Windy City. I will never forget that group of senior Bible students at Gray's Lake Christian Academy. The Lord won't let me forget the contents of James. The message continues to haunt my mind and my will, as the Great Counselor continues to sow the seeds of repentance where James' message is concerned. This ground has been tilled again and again. Last year I taught James to a group of Juniors at Silverdale Baptist Academy. This past summer I walked through the book with several students from around the world. Several Sundays ago, our church began to walk through the book. We hit chapter one right when the stock market went crazy, considering it all joy no doubt.

While getting caught up on some blogs, I came across this. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a silent movie is worth an infinite number. Consider the message. Pick up James and study it inductively. Go to Proverbs and determine what God says about the tongue. It is a message I, a hot-headed Italian, am continuing to learn.

Nationalized Banking and the Messiah

2008-10-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Our country continues to lean dangerously closer to the cliffs of socialism. The past two days on Wall Street and in the halls of Washington ring with a deceptive call towards the agenda that, while promising a quick fix, will prove to be a major power play in the next four years. To think that tax payer's money could intentionally go towards private investors share holdings is absurd.

In other news, the layers of Obama's agenda continue to be peeled back by a remnant of Americans, while others continue to kiss the feet of their messiah. Recently, even Louis Farrakhan prophetically commented that the Nation of Islam's messiah is here.

If only this were the sole radical endorsement for the anti-messiah campaign. Even Hamas leaders, who are vehemently opposed towards Israel, support Obama:

continued...

2008-10-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

I just received this email:
Mr. Lucarelli...This is facebook... but all fun aside, I take great offense to the comment "common sense replaced righteousness and moral character in your view." Such a broad, solid statement for someone who has read a few paragraphs where I outline neither righteousness nor moral character. You have no idea about my views of either of those things. Your assumption that there are only two possible sets of values, pitted against one another, is a false dichotomy. However, it does add to the flavor of my sister's facebook wall. For that I thank you, because Jayme will have fun reading when she logs on tonight. -Andrea

My response:
It is unfortunate that you were offended.

With my citizenship in tact, however, I merely noticed the apparent contrast between what I said, "vote righteousness" and your subsequent comment, "...vote common sense, have Jeremy Lucarelli's citizenship revoked."

Acorn, Ayers... Why doesn't anybody care?

2008-10-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share a recent, random conversation over facebook. The names have not been changed to protect the identity of those involved. I will add, though, that there is a balance between recognizing what Daniel says: "It is He {God} who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings (Daniel 2)" and our democratic, civil responsibility as Christians. Here is the conversation, beginning with a someone I know saying that they are changing their political views:

Jayme just contributed $20 to the Obama Campaign :) GO CHANGE! 4:14pm - 11 comments

Jeremy Lucarelli at 4:16pm October 9
You've drank the kool-aid too?

Jayme Cloninger at 4:16pm October 9
No, I really do have a change of heart (no pun intended)!!

Jayme Cloninger at 4:20pm October 9
After the downfall of the market, I think it is time for another group to give government a try.

Jared Michael Burtner at 4:52pm October 9
so, you want to give socialism a try?

Ryan Galloway at 5:01pm October 9
With the Dow at 8000, I'd give anything other than Bush's economic policies a try :)

Jeremy Lucarelli at 7:06pm October 9
Talk to Dem. Barney Frank, Dodd, and Cox! Take a look into all rhetoric no action Obama's association with Acorn and how they pressured banks to make subprime loans. If you're gonna drink the Kool-aid, at least know what your getting into--pure socialism.

Andrea Cloninger at 8:50am October 10
Haha Jeremy Lucarelli ---> http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/keatingvideo --- Obama isn't the only one with ties to this mess --- purely ridiculous.

Jeremy Lucarelli at 10:33am October 10
Over, done, dealt with... he made restitution for something that happened over 20 years ago. Obama however continues to lie about his associations saying that Ayers was "someone in the neighborhood" though he served for 7 years on a board with him, kicked off his campaign in his living room, and received massive contributions for his campaign. Obama was a lawyer for Acorn, getting his ears wet with their fraud tactics. Now, look what happens--http://www.palestra.net/videos/play/16859

Jeremy Lucarelli at 10:37am October 10
Vote character and righteousness, not rhetoric--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H64yKJhB528

Andrea Cloninger at 10:53am October 10
I love how can forgive one side so easily... and the other? Well, you spoke. Ayers? Ayers blew up things when Obama was 9... ummm, yeah, k, thanks. Vote common sense, and revoke Jeremy Lucarelli's citizenship.

Jeremy Lucarelli at 11:43am October 10
Do you live in Ohio or North Carolina where voter fraud is rampant? If so, you should run for Sec. of State!

All sarcasm aside, this is what America is about--democracy. Free speech, responsibility, free elections, open debate, and fact checking. The issue is not how old he was or on the flip side, how long ago the Keating thing took place, but the current attitude towards it. You have one example that happened 20 years ago verses countless current examples—Ayers, Wright, Rezco, Acorn, Flager, Chavez, and Castro.

It is sad, however, to note that common sense has replaced righteousness and moral character in your view. The economy is a big deal--socialism vs. capitalism. Terrorism is also a big deal--one who aligns himself with terrorist vs. one who fights. Infanticide is a big deal too--one candidate who openly supported it in the IL corridors of law and a ticket who not only diametrically opposes it, but practically lives it. Talk about a great example of social justice!

2008-10-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

I've been hitting the books hard this week. God's Providence, even in the way the content of my four classes has lined up, is overwhelming. Last weekend I had the privilege of being in Topeka, Kansas teaching others how to discover truth for themselves. The 2 day event was humbling and encouraging. In many of the pastors, elders, and lay people in attendance the light bulb went off... they caught the vision of inductive study... they were pumped. It was confirmed, again, by the Lord that I am called to equip others to know truth for themselves.

Fast forward a couple of crazy October days...
The credit crisis is close to home.
A friend of ours had a baby today.
Several other friends discovered that they were pregnant.
Sarah Palin rocked the debate.
Yet, one issue continues to loom: equal rights for the unborn.
While procrastinating from my Greek homework (which I am still doing in writing this) I went to one of the blogs I frequent--The Rebelution. Those that know me well are aware of my love for CO. More than the scenery, the idea of living the gospel and speaking sound doctrine in a pretty liberal place is appealing to me! One girl, motivated by her conviction that rights begin at conception is taking CO by storm. The following video is what I found on the Rebulution site: (For Facebook folks click here)

Colorado for Equal Rights Personhood Amendment from Personhood USA on Vimeo.

Bill Maher: "The plain fact is religion must die for man to live."

2008-10-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

The following is an article from the Wall Street Journal (Online) by MOLLIE ZIEGLER HEMINGWAY entitled "Look Who's Irrational Now ." A friend pointed out the similarities between Romans 1 and "A fool says in his heart that there is no God."
You can view the original article here.

"You can't be a rational person six days of the week and put on a suit and make rational decisions and go to work and, on one day of the week, go to a building and think you're drinking the blood of a 2,000-year-old space god," comedian and atheist Bill Maher said earlier this year on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien."

On the "Saturday Night Live" season debut last week, homeschooling families were portrayed as fundamentalists with bad haircuts who fear biology. Actor Matt Damon recently disparaged Sarah Palin by referring to a transparently fake email that claimed she believed that dinosaurs were Satan's lizards. And according to prominent atheists like Richard Dawkins, traditional religious belief is "dangerously irrational." From Hollywood to the academy, nonbelievers are convinced that a decline in traditional religious belief would lead to a smarter, more scientifically literate and even more civilized populace.

The reality is that the New Atheist campaign, by discouraging religion, won't create a new group of intelligent, skeptical, enlightened beings. Far from it: It might actually encourage new levels of mass superstition. And that's not a conclusion to take on faith -- it's what the empirical data tell us.

"What Americans Really Believe," a comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows that traditional Christian religion greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of astrology. It also shows that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to superstition, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in pseudoscience than evangelical Christians.

The Gallup Organization, under contract to Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion, asked American adults a series of questions to gauge credulity. Do dreams foretell the future? Did ancient advanced civilizations such as Atlantis exist? Can places be haunted? Is it possible to communicate with the dead? Will creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster someday be discovered by science?

The answers were added up to create an index of belief in occult and the paranormal. While 31% of people who never worship expressed strong belief in these things, only 8% of people who attend a house of worship more than once a week did.

Even among Christians, there were disparities. While 36% of those belonging to the United Church of Christ, Sen. Barack Obama's former denomination, expressed strong beliefs in the paranormal, only 14% of those belonging to the Assemblies of God, Sarah Palin's former denomination, did. In fact, the more traditional and evangelical the respondent, the less likely he was to believe in, for instance, the possibility of communicating with people who are dead.
This is not a new finding. In his 1983 book "The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener," skeptic and science writer Martin Gardner cited the decline of traditional religious belief among the better educated as one of the causes for an increase in pseudoscience, cults and superstition. He referenced a 1980 study published in the magazine Skeptical Inquirer that showed irreligious college students to be by far the most likely to embrace paranormal beliefs, while born-again Christian college students were the least likely.

Surprisingly, while increased church attendance and membership in a conservative denomination has a powerful negative effect on paranormal beliefs, higher education doesn't. Two years ago two professors published another study in Skeptical Inquirer showing that, while less than one-quarter of college freshmen surveyed expressed a general belief in such superstitions as ghosts, psychic healing, haunted houses, demonic possession, clairvoyance and witches, the figure jumped to 31% of college seniors and 34% of graduate students.
We can't even count on self-described atheists to be strict rationalists. According to the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life's monumental "U.S. Religious Landscape Survey" that was issued in June, 21% of self-proclaimed atheists believe in either a personal God or an impersonal force. Ten percent of atheists pray at least weekly and 12% believe in heaven.

On Oct. 3, Mr. Maher debuts "Religulous," his documentary that attacks religious belief. He talks to Hasidic scholars, Jews for Jesus, Muslims, polygamists, Satanists, creationists, and even Rael -- prophet of the Raelians -- before telling viewers: "The plain fact is religion must die for man to live."

But it turns out that the late-night comic is no icon of rationality himself. In fact, he is a fervent advocate of pseudoscience. The night before his performance on Conan O'Brien, Mr. Maher told David Letterman -- a quintuple bypass survivor -- to stop taking the pills that his doctor had prescribed for him. He proudly stated that he didn't accept Western medicine. On his HBO show in 2005, Mr. Maher said: "I don't believe in vaccination. . . . Another theory that I think is flawed, that we go by the Louis Pasteur [germ] theory." He has told CNN's Larry King that he won't take aspirin because he believes it is lethal and that he doesn't even believe the Salk vaccine eradicated polio.

Anti-religionists such as Mr. Maher bring to mind the assertion of G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown character that all atheists, secularists, humanists and rationalists are susceptible to superstition: "It's the first effect of not believing in God that you lose your common sense, and can't see things as they are."
Ms. Hemingway is a writer in Washington.

Thomas Jefferson on the financial crisis

2008-09-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs. —Thomas Jefferson, 1802

nohussein.org

2008-09-12T21:17:00.000-07:00

You need to check this out. After working your way through the site, you've got to see their videos on youtube. There are links on the page, but there are some pretty in your face facts concerning this election. The one on abortion is exceptionally chilling. I still don't understand why so many people my age are buying the celebrity.

Embedded below is one of the many videos:

'bella's laugh

2008-09-09T12:26:00.001-07:00

'bella laughing it up at my weird faces.

Uploaded by http://www.cellspin.net/

Veracity Group--Growth Update

2008-09-08T06:47:00.001-07:00

Yo, family and friends,

First off, we appreciate your prayers over the past two years for the Veracity Group. We've learned a lot, both working with each other and working with Precept to get this thing out there. Precept is currently building a call center and will be making calls for the next several weeks to schools, home school organizations and other groups. Joshua and Judges are being sold as we speak. aJoseph and Abraham will be available in January. CBD, Christian book distributors, is promoting it in their online catalog while still considering promotion in their print catalog. Seven Star Schools, an online home school academy of 1,000+ students, will be offering Joshua and Judges to their students soon.

We've been informed that the next 60-90 days are critical! Please pray that the Lord will give everyone involved favor while making phone calls and promoting in person. Also, pray for our team. We are currently finishing our epic study on Exodus... which is a really long book! I'm finished with my writing aspect, but the writing of the teacher's guide, layout of both the student and teacher guide, and all of the academic helps are still in the works. Also, VG will be unveiling our new site within the next two weeks. Please pray for Dayron and I as we get everything coordinated and attempt a good mix of functional code and creative design. Pray for Mickey as he begins writing the prelim. units of I John and James.

We've heard so much positive feedback throughout the past two years. Though we've experienced some road blocks, we know that the Lord is the one tying up all of the loose ends. In front of my computer, where I work all day and write all night, is this verse, "The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations."

Thanks for your prayers,
Jeremy

Palin Covered

2008-09-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

I'm not a conspiracy theorist... usually. However, recent happenings in the world of politics coupled with a fascinating book I've been reading by Hugh Hewitt called Blog has me considering the strings of the puppet masters. This morning I was downing my usual cup of coffee while scanning the various news channels. Last night I stayed up late watching the RNC lineup--the First Lady, Mr. President, Bill Thompson and Joe Liberman were all show stoppers. Bill Thompson, however, went the extra mile and really cut to the chase on the character and record of both Senator McCain and Sara Palin. If you didn't see his speech, you should check it out on foxnews.com

On Friday there was dancing in the streets in conservative Chattanooga when McCain announced Palin. One of our friends, who is in the government system, said it was "brilliant!" Over the weekend, however, the far left task force went on their way to destroy the character and resolve of this strong, independent woman. They referenced "scandal" for Palin wanting her ex-brother in law fired as a police officer for tazing a teenager and driving in his squad car under the influence. Then the news came out that Palin's 17 year old daughter is pregnant. One gross media outlet went so far as to say that Palin's 5 month old child with Downs Syndrome was actually the 17 year old's first child! Finally, this morning Fox News' Megyn Kelley pointed out the inconsistencies in the far left media by showing the above two covers of US Weekly. Conspiracy theory or not, the owner of US Weekly is also the owner of Rolling Stones. According to Megyn, he is also the contributor of massive amounts of money to the... Obama campaign.

Regardless of your political position. You need to watch Palin's speech tonight. If you're a student, you should watch expectantly for the hope of your country. If you're one of the disenfranchised, you should eagerly await the mavericks to shake things up. Finally, if you're one of the ones that have decided not to vote because your cookie cutter candidate isn't out there... shame on you for not exercising your democratic voice. As Edmond Burke said, "Evil prospers when good men do nothing."

Longawaited Cd

2008-09-01T15:38:00.001-07:00

The long awaited Cd from Stephen Hinkle has arrived. For friends of Stephen or those that have previously worshiped with him, you know how long it has been. Hinkle's new cd emphasizes the gospel, while mixing it up with different beats and genres. Hinkle fans of the past will be pleasantly surprised, while the newbies will hear what everyone has been talking about. Sign up in the above box to be apart of the mailing list.

Politico-CHANGE that shows what we believe in

2008-08-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

*Disclaimer-the recent book unchristian says that unbelievers think evangelicals are too political. The truth is politics matter. Leadership of the free world matters. Theology in practical action matters. For that reason, I couldn't resist:

I don't know if you've been following the DNC or not, but it is a pretty big show around here. I'll admit, I watched the first two nights to see how the Clinton regime would cover up all of the low blows they dealt to Obama over the last 18 months. You can look at other blogs or "fair and balanced" main stream media to determine all of the errors the Clintons, particularly Bill, piped to the crowd last night. I'm amazed at how quickly people loose sight of how miserable Bill Clinton's foreign policy and experience were the first two years of his term--Rwandan genocide, Serbia, and allowing the 9/11 masterminds to build their attack.

Another laughable moment was when Biden, last nights main speaker, said that he and John McCain were "good friends, and you hear those words thrown around a lot, but I mean it!" The next fifteen minutes were spent not questioning his policies, which would be understandable, but questioning the moral judgment of the man whom he called "friend". Anyone who follows Biden knows that it isn't the first time his mouth has gotten the best of him (check the speech last night for his ramblings about "flickering lights"). In fact, both Sean Hannity and the National Review are quick to point out how Biden questioned Obama's experience and said that he would love to run on the same ticket as McCain. I guess another aspect of the CHANGE of mind that the Obama campaign has peddled.

Even more than these CHANGEs, the thing that has blown my mind is the amount of under 30 evangelical Christians who have drank the Obama kool-aid. I won't go into my views on the post-Christian era and post-modern Christianity, but come on... does anyone know what biblical character is? Has anyone ever considered the moral standards of God's word? I understand that America's fiscal future looks a little dim right now. I, too, have experienced the pains at the pump and Dr.'s office; yet, how quickly we abandon the standards of God's word for the sake of relief in our wallets! A good pulse from the under 30 evangelical crowd came when Relevant Magazine's editor, Cameron Strang, accepted the request to pray at the DNC. Days before the event, he declined. Donald Miller, the author of Blue Like Jazz, accepted. Cameron's blog, http://relevantmagazine.com/releblog/category/cameronsqa/, explains his rationale... and the guy is overwhelmingly praised. I understand that my generation is upset at the hypocrisy and lack of true kingdom living in the church the past several decades. However, should we abandon all of our principles... should we abandon the word of God... should we engage in syncretism? The children of Israel from Exodus 32 on can show us how that turns out.

Finally, there are the recent comments Obama has made about Iran (another CHANGE). I'm pretty sure Biden and Obama disagree about the use of intimidation tactics. Biden claimed that Bush/McCain ignored the problems with Putin, but Obama called it out. Biden said that it needed to be stopped. All I know is, the truths of Ezekiel, the whole Gog and Magog thing, are pretty clear. Iran is a threat. Joel Rosenberg's book Epicenter and his blog clearly outline how prophecy is being fulfilled each day in the Middle East. Yet, Obama says that it is a "tiny" threat? (McCain's recent add, embedded below, is extremely poignant) The Democrats are right on this one thing, the state of affairs in America is grim. When we allow a man who has been involved in genocide, stock piling of nuclear weapons, and who has repeatedly threatened to "wipe Israel off the map" to come to our country and speak in our institutions... yet, the President of Iran has been invited to come back to Columbia University this year.

All of this CHANGE, shows that the American people do not know truth. I'm not whole heartedly endorsing McCain. I'm not saying, as other radical Republicans, that Jesus would vote for McCain. I am saying that when an evangelical goes to vote, to exercise the freedom of his/her democratic voice, the standards of God's Word should not be checked at the door. McCain has issues too! Does that mean we put our evangelical heads in the sand until Christ comes back? No, we continue to try and redeem the culture, penetrating it with the light of the gospel message. We continue to be in the world, but certainly not of it. We continue to follow Christ's example of justice and mercy woven together.

All of the politics shows America's abandonment of the true gospel. America really is at a cross-roads.

Freedom?

2008-08-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

Quick question

audience participation needed (either email or respond on facebook note)

What is freedom?

Something I'm considering for a class I'm taking--Principles of the Christian Life. I've been considering the use of the law, but was asked this question in a lecture. I'm interested to know what you think.

Spurgeon-Discerning the Summons

2008-08-25T13:41:00.001-07:00

For those awaiting pictures of 'bella, they're coming... but this is definitely not one of them!

I am reading a lot these days; yet, most items on the list are required reading, not nececissarly something for enjoyment. There are two books that have entered the long list that are capturing my attention. They've even been given a place on the the hallowed bedside table--a place where all Lucarelli owned books long to be.

The first book on the list is something I am reading with several other people, somewhat of a think tank. It is called Do Hard Things. Though I am only on chapter two of a book geared for teenagers, something is stirring. The book is a call to the next generation from two 18 year old twins. The call is to rebel against the low expectations that many have put on them... and to do hard things. One particular 16 year old I know is right there, living and breathing this message. I'll let you know how it goes.

The second book is more of a pamphlet. It is called Summons or Discerning the Summons. This whole "God, where we going?" question has really been gripping me lately. At times, I am totally a faith walker, with tons of joy. However, it is a roller-coaster when I don't combat those anxious thoughts that often paralyze my faith. Sovereign Grace Ministries offers the book on their website free of charge. The basic idea, are you called or summoned for ministry?

Summons starts off with the gospel call. The summon of God to enter into relationship with Him. The faith that He gives. The grace that He gives. The life that is changed. In expounding on the amazing passage in Ephesians 2, the author talks about another one of my heroes--Charles Spurgeon. Nineteenth-century
pastor Charles Spurgeon discovered this grace of God’s call in a
memorable manner. He writes,

One week-night, when I was sitting in the house of God, I was not
thinking much about the preacher’s sermon, for I did not believe it.
The thought struck me, How did you come to be a Christian? I sought the
Lord. But how did you come to seek the Lord? The truth flashed across my
mind in a moment—I should not have sought him unless there had
been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek him. I
prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, How came I to pray? I was
induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. How came I to read the
Scriptures? I did read them, but what led me to do so? Then, in a
moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that he was
the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened up
to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I
desire to make this my constant confession, “I ascribe my change
wholly to God.”

The steps of a man

2008-08-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
And He delights in his way."

I won't go into the details, but the Lord is using this verse to challenge me. I am just like the children of Israel, at times, forgetting the faithfulness and nearness of my God. Psalm 37 is often quoted by those who want things--"...and He will give you the desires of your heart." Yet, as with all of Scripture, this verse must be evaluated according to the context. If you look at the first couple verses, note what situation David is noticing around him. "Fret" isn't a word that we regularly use, but the issues of anxiousness, worry and panicked uncertainty are common within our social context. In that state of panic, the eyes latch on like a leech to those who are successful in the eyes of the world. Fret then is mixed with envy and there is a deadly cocktail. David reminds himself that these things, whatever he was tempted to fret about and be envious over are temporal and short lived.

The contrast of what the son and daughter of God needs to be is evident. Instead of worry, trust. "Trust in the Lord" Instead of scheming to get what the wicked have, "do good". There is a progression of cause and effect in these verses. Trust and do good leads towards"Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness." As one puts their hand to the plow and through trust begins to cultivate faithfulness (Do not grow weary in well doing comes to mind). Delight yourselves... in what, things... status... power? As you are trusting in the Lord, doing good, cultivating faithfulness where God has planted you... DELIGHT in Him who has placed you there. It is then that the Lord will give you the desires of your heart. A heart that is trusting, cultivating, and delighting in the author of delight will then see the situations around him as opportunities for further delighting God. "Commit your ways to the Lord, Trust also in Him and He will do it." All throughout this progression is trust.

David continues talking about the wicked and what will really happen to them. Yet, the Lord brought great encouragement to my heart this weekend with the verse at the top of this post. Becky and 'bella were gone this weekend to mourn the loss of Becky's aunt. I spent the weekend with friends, one in particular who was mourning the recent loss of his mom. Both are situations where one must depend on the one who holds the power of life and death in His hands. God's sovereign purposes, His divine decrees as Jonathan Edwards would call them, are pretty apparent... even when we don't feel that they are.

Don't Waste Your Kids

2008-08-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

Children are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. Wise parents train their children and include them in life, thus aiming them at the target of God's glory. When let fly, these children will build God's kingdom, bless their family, and do good in their community.

A lot of seemingly unrelated things have been swimming around in my circumstances recently. I'm on a mission to discover where the Lord is moving me vocationally. Simultaneously, as pastoral/shepherd thoughts--"Could I ever be an effective Pastor to this generation"--are being raised from the ashes, real life, vivid pictures of God's call to love people is making an imprint. Also worthwhile it is the Olympics, so constant images of heart heart and sacrifice are taken to the Christ-centered level in my aspirations. To top it all off is that ambition, the one that Paul speaks of, "...having this as our ambition: in all things to be pleasing to the Lord" and you've got a God-ordained, sovereign thought process. Finally, our family has experienced loss on several levels over the past few days, so the thought of not wasting our lives has really permeated our home. I'm not sure what that is going to look like, so pray with us.

As these thoughts have been repeating themselves through conversation and sovereign happenstance, I've been doing a lot of reading. I am taking my final on a course called "The Theology of Jonathan Edwards" tomorrow. He remains one of my heroes because of his passionate pursuit of the Godward life in the midst of unparalleled adversity. I've also been introduced to Covenant Life Church in Maryland, Sovereign Grace Music, and other ministries that are effectively returning to the gospel. Recently, I listened to this message (From Covenant Life Church). Yes, the message is impacting... but the way in which it was packaged and communicated spurred my thoughts, which will hopefully lead to appropriate action.

If you're a parent, might I suggest a recent sermon and the application questions listed below:

You can download the message or listen online here.

1. In his message, Gregg Harris reminded us that God normally works through his created order to accomplish his purposes. In other words, God uses the diligence and faithful labor of dads and moms as his tools to train, instruct and direct our children. In what ways have you neglected or delegated this vital responsibility? In what ways is the Lord calling you to change?

2. Psalm 127 refers to children as a blessing, a “heritage” and a “reward.” In your heart, do you agree with God’s assessment for the children that he has given you? If not, what thinking and heart attitudes is the Lord calling you to change?

3. Gregg Harris challenged parents to train our children to be included in our lives. He said that, “when children are not trained to be included on the household team, they…live like guests in their own homes with no clear sense of purpose.” Parents (specifically dads and single moms), what practical steps can you take to train your children to be included “on the household team”?

4. He also called parents to partner with our kids and include them in our lives. Parents (specifically dads and singles moms), in what practical ways could you enter into a partnership with your kids to include them in various aspects of your life (spiritual, vocational, recreational, hobbies, projects, etc.)?

Goodbye Carolina

2008-08-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

Our 3 weeks in NC came to an end. Each moment of the day was so special, beginning with 'bella and I watching Elmo extremely early in the morning. She loved it. I took the opportunity to get some more sleep. This was one of those rare occasions where Becky was able to sleep and I was up with the little one. MaMa took the time to redo 'bella's little nails. Honestly, it was a fight to the finish. She enjoyed the first foot, took the second, but started to cry like none other when Mom started on her hands. Mom ended up only getting one hand done before admitting defeat!

After a leisurely day by the pool and hanging out with the family, we all went over to J's house for dinner. Amy and Becky made sweet spread. J entertained the kiddies with the Lion King, which mesmorized Ben and 'bella. Uncle "G", as 'bella calls him, is the stuff. After dinner the kiddos played around in the pool, which was so much fun to watch! Becky and I both wished we lived closer so that Ben and Berea could hangout with 'bella all the time.

Kimber's Birthday

2008-08-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

Augustine-happy?

2008-07-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

One of the many benefits of pursuing a Master's of Divinity is the networking. I am not a networker, which I consider both a strength and a weakness. However, in the realm of all things theological I am learning the benefit of networking (I am not talking about hanging out with Chesterton or sippin one with Lewis at the Eagle and the Child in Oxford). The networking I speak of takes place anywhere there are dog-eared pages and the inevitable coffee stains on a repeatedly read page. This morning I networked with Augustine as I watched early morning sail boats drift by, after I hadn't slept a wink.

Consider what he says in Confessions:

The desire for happiness is not in myself alone or in a few friends, but is found in everybody. If we did not know this with certain knowledge, we would not want it with determination in our will. But what does this mean?
If two people are asked if they want to serve in the army, it may turn out that one of them replies that he would like to do so, while the other would not. But if they are asked whether they would like to be happy, each would at once say without the least hesitation that he would choose to be so. And the reason why one would wish to be a soldier and the other would not is only that they want to be happy. Is it then the case that one person finds joy in one way, another in a different way?
What all agree upon is that they want to be happy, just as they would concur, if asked, that they want to experience joy and would call that joy the happy life. If one person pursues it in one way, and another in a different way, yet there is one goal which all are striving to attain, namely to experience joy.

I know what the pursuit of joy is. I know the aim has largely been confused by most; yet, though I know what the pursuit of joy is... I can't affirm what Paul says in Philippians. I've heard all the arguments about the difference between joy and happiness. The cliche's abound--choose joy, joy comes in the morning, joy-Jesus, others and you. As I evaluate my walk with the Lord over the past eleven years, I'm not seeing the joy. I see the duty. I see the obligation, but I don't see the consuming pleasure of Christ motivating my steps. Augustine hints at it, as does Paul, Edwards, Lewis and here recently Piper... my not experiencing joy doesn't have to do with not wanting it.

Becky and I were up late last night discussing where the Lord has us in life right now. We have a lot of uncertainties. In all aspects of life, what does the Lord want from us? I do believe God wants us to find joy. I pray that Becky and I strive to attain that one end for which man was created, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We've learned that one cannot bring glory to God if there is no joy. Vis-a-vis, one cannot have true joy without brining glory to God.

Lucarelli's come for a visit

2008-07-26T14:54:00.000-07:00

Charlotte/Cornelius is a stop through for many beach travelers, including Pop! Everybody hung out at J's house for the day, which was tons of fun. Of course, 'bella got some great goodies to play with while we enjoyed J's back porch! Thanks for making the stop guys.

Sorry Dad, I couldn't resist this one!

Lake Photoshoot

2008-07-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

What an action shot-Becky preparing for some mad distance, 'bella holding on for life, Gatsby preparing to pounce. Thanks Nikon!All of the dogs--Max, Gatsby, Gracie and Dink.
Becky's new haircut--awesome!
Chillin with dad... going for a walk on the point. We didn't get any of the boats, but 'bella kept pointing to them saying "boa, boa!" She also liked to look over the edge at the waves on the rocks. Becky wasn't a fan of us being too close to the water.
Again, money shot... dig the hair dear.
Cool perspective, though the next is my favorite. It took some maneuvering on my part.

While the rest of the family was spending week 2 at the beach, Becky and I were able to relax by the lake. What a vacation--renewal, good food and peace and quiet!

A Night with the Parkers

2008-07-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

I grew up in the Charlotte area, but Becky has relatives there too. We spent an evening with the Parkers, who had us over to their house for dinner and good conversation. We braved the wicked weather in the Charlotte area, though 'bella didn't seem to mind.

Lake Norman V a c a t i o n

2008-07-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

While the rest of the family was enjoying their time at the beach house, we were able to relax at my parent's house on Lake Norman. 'bella had her very first jacuzzi bath after spending some time lounging by the pool (I still had me-bathing suit on). Becky dumped in a lot of bubbles before leaving the room, not realizing that when the jacuzzi was turned on that the bubbles multiplied to the n-th degree! When Becky came back, 'bella and I were being drowned by bubbles. 'bella didn't know what to think at first, looking at the bubbles like a bunch of bugs that were trying to get her. However, after I showed her that they could be worn... blown... and that when you clap they go flying... well, let's just say that our limbs were a little prune-like before she wanted to get out. Here is a picture when she was a little unsure.

We had spent the whole day riding in the car, so when we got to my parent's house we decided to stretch our legs in the town of Davidson (where Davidson College is). We ate at a 1950's-esque place called the Soda Shop, which had some amazing burgers and Lime-Aides! Afterward, we walked around the college, which is where I used to spend my summers at Soccer Camp. 'bella was memorized by the huge trees and large areas to run and play (perfect after the day in the car!).

In addition to hanging out by the pool almost every day, on Tuesday 'bella was able to go out for some time on Lake Norman! Though she doesn't really like to sport the life vest, she really likes when the wind is in her hair. The sailboats caught her attention on our short ride, but the waves on the choppy main channel was not something our young thrill-seeker appreciated. Though it was more of a hassle to get the boat in the water and suited up, the joy ride was much appreciated. I so enjoy my family.

Beach 2008 Video

2008-07-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

Sunset-it is called Sunset.

2008-07-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

Just a few miles north of the border between North and South Carolina sits Sunset Beach. Though closely located near Myrtle Beach, Sunset is a quiet oasis. Absent of a large bridge to get on the island, residents and vacationers must cross the one lane, swing bridge for access. At times it may be annoying, the bridge is just one sign of the difference of Sunset.

At the end of the Island is a small bird sanctuary called "Bird Island" where thousands of gulls and pelicans make their home during the Summer months and countless other birds during the fall migrating season. Sunset is also a nesting area for rare turtles, which their voyage from egg to see can be observed during the evening.

Becky and I tried to make going on a daily walk a priority while at the beach. On this particular evening, a large storm had pelted the coast throughout the day though, the clouds left afterwards were breathtaking (Not to mention the sun goddess).

Here is the view from the porch during the day time. Notice the absence of commercialism!

In the background are four shrimp boats. We thorougly enjoyed their spoils throughout the week. Calabash, NC is one of the S. East's largest fishing ports. Just up the Cape Fear River basin is the small town of South Port, which you may remember from Dawson's Creek, I Know What You Did Last Summer, or the movie Cape Fear.

Sunset Beach Bliss - 1

2008-07-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

Every year Jeremy's family takes a trip to Sunset Beach, NC. The past two years have been extremely interesting. One I was pregnant, which made for an eventful trip through the middle of the SC marshes. After that, we had a 4 month old lounging in a tent by the water! Jeremy and I were both looking forward to a relaxing, though rabuncious trip with a year-and-a-half 'bella, who hasn't been sleeping very well.

After an uneventful trip down to the beach where we beat everyone else who was making the trek, the Lucarelli family went to the beach for a little look see. Immediately, 'bella was pointing out the birds saying "tweet-tweet." We didn't go in the water, but she did say "Whoa!" when the wave came up and touched her freshly painted, pink toes.

Night one was not a good night for our little one. I was up several times through out the night with her, so I was a bit delirious in the morning. While playing around on the floor 'bella discovered my lipstick. Apparently, I don't put it on very well, that is if she was mimicking my presentation!

We weren't quite sure how 'bella would respond to the sand. Last year, remember, all she did was sit there and sleep. We've also heard horror stories from friends about their children putting handfulls of sand into their mouths! 'bella did great, with shovel and little red bucket in hand. Jeremy took her for a nice dip in the ocean. All she could say the entire time was, "Whoa!"

In keeping with family tradition, everyone usually cooks a meal for the entire family during our stay. Tonight, however, we decided to risk the crowds and the lines in order to get a fresh taste of Calabash, NC seafood. I won't go into the mistake that was, but while we were waiting on everyone to get ready Jeremy decided to snap some shots. We aren't sure what Ma Ma is doing in the background, but thought that it was a great picture! Maybe she was acting out the birds.
Our little on is getting to be so big! She has so many new words and is constantly on the move. What a sweet shot this was, as she was looking out for more "tweet-tweets" and squirrels.
Great family photo on the balcony. We spent a lot of time in the evenings on this balcony, which is complete with several rockers. There is nothing like hearing the waves under the stars with both a good book and good company!
It is amazing how many facial expressions 'bella has inherited from her dad. This may be why we are dealing with her hitting Jeremy!
More pictures and commentary will follow!

Hickory Grove Baptist Church (North)

2008-07-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Full circle.
Becky and I loaded up the gas guzzler and returned to my roots for a couple of weeks. Our time in NC started off with a Precept workshop at a sattelite campus of the church where I grew up. Though I didn't see any familiar faces from when I went to church there, it was a blessing to see some of the different Precept participants throughout the NC, VA and even Maine areas. The forty participants in my class were eager to discover truth for themselves, apart of the greater endeavor of 300 people being trained in inductive study throughout the entire weekend. As we used the book of Titus to determine how to study the Bible inductively, it was both humbling and invigorating to see so many people begin or continue to mine the depths of God's Word. It was humbling simply because I am so much younger than many of the participants. It is invigorating because the Lord is the teacher as students determine to accurately handle His word. He moves them past intimidation and fear towards excitement and wonder as they discover who God is and their responsibility to both uphold the sound doctrine and live the sound doctrine.

It was also a priviledge to have in attendance both my mom, the one who forced me to start studying inductively more than a decade ago; my sister, who honed in some of her mad study skills as apart of reflection time away from the kiddos; and even my first Precept leader from back in the day when I was 16.

RedNeck Karaoke and Fireworks!!!

2008-07-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that our life is a sitcom. Let me explain-our July 4th plans had been cancelled due to kiddie illness. We were looking forward to some time together as a family--grilling out, going for a long walk, and watching the fireworks on TV. Around 2 or 3 in the afternoon it sounded like we were in the middle of a concert pavillion, with Johnny Cash and Lyle Lovett wannabees outside our back patio. Oh the neighbors! We have many neighbor stories, but like to pull those out over dinner or coffee... but this one... I wish I would have got it on video! Redneck Karaoke was set up almost in our backyard for all of Chattanooga to hear. Becky was upstairs, taking a shower... 'bella was in bed... Becky came downstairs and we both just stared in amazement as 50 or so people were boozin up, singing horribly and getting their jig under the big oak tree. Around 5:30 we couldn't take it any more, so we left. When we returned around 9, that is when the Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture occurred all around our house. Every neighbor, on every side invested in hundreds of dollars worth of firecrackers! Instead of setting them off at a safe distance, they began shooting them down the road. It was a war between the neighbors... I could hear the trumpets as the booms and bangs erupted all around. As 'bella tried to sleep through the night, we just decided to go outside and watch. We came in around midnight... the fireworks continued until 3--Unbelievable! The next day, paper from the spent fireworks was everywhere.

Transform: Boot Camp: James 5 Part Deux

2008-07-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

Last night I was humbled to speak at the second week of Precept's Boot Camp. A fresh crop of 14-18 year olds learning how to mine the depths of God's Word for themselves prepared to go home to the reality of a generation that does not love truth. In my typical fashion, the last time I spoke I barely got through my introduction. In try number 2 I felt that the Lord gave me clarity of thought, economy of time and precision in regards to the application of treasuring Christ. We looked at Luke 12, focusing on the parable of the rich fool where Jesus states that life is not about accumulating stuff. We concluded that the individuals in James 5 who were labeled as rich were definately not belivers because of both the context of James and Jesus' radical call to discipleship in Matthew 16--"If anyone wishes to come after Me He must first deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me."

So, if they are singing the repetative song of the world, "Money makes the world go round" then they aren't believers! Man! Well, what is a beliver, a James type real, genuine, faith in action believer look like? We jumped to Ephesians 5:15-17 and Colossians 3:1-5--SINCE you have ben raised with Christ... keep seeking the things above. In the life of the believer, Christ is our life according to Paul. The son or daughter of God rejects the song of the world and realizes that, "Where your treasure is there lies your heart!"

James gives encouragement to the bros in James 5 to wait patienty, endure and wait for the last days through prayer. We jumped over to 2 Timothy 3, making the connection that we are in the last days... men being lovers of pleasure and lovers of money... but we are to continue in the sacred writings--the word of God that brings one to salvation. So, if we are listening to the song of materialism that is all around us and being influenced by it, we are not intent on the things above or treasuring Christ. Finally, the treasure of Christ shines more vividly and brightly in the midst of suffering and loss, not prosperity. The following is a video that I used to get past my 39 minute introduction! (I'm not sure why there is no sound... I'll get to the bottom of it)

MaMa and the King

2008-06-26T12:36:00.001-07:00

This is from Christmas (Dad hasn't been updating the videos... for over six months!). A little background--mom loves Elvis. This year, her Christmas consisted of Elvis memorabilia out the wazzo. One of the interesting finds was a lamp that shakes it like a polaroid picture. Throughout our time in NC, I kept telling mom that I was going to put it on the internet for all to see. Let the record show, though I am late... I keep my word!

Maggie's Early Birthday / Draper Send Off

2008-06-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

Momma Kat (with Luc in sling), Amanda, Cambria, Maggie, Cara and Uncle Beau.
Jax and Clarity.
Cara and Beau.
'bella sporting some bling! She was borrowing Clarity's princess cell phone that matched her outfit.
Momma Kat and Luc, Becky and the birthday girl Maggie and the amazing carrot cake that Amader made.
Funny story behind this one... but not fit for blogosphere. Momma Kat, Luc, Becky and 'bella, whose reach for the cake was successful... big huge chunk of cake in her mouth in the next two or three seconds.
Happy pool day!!! The really tall kid is Amanda. Maggie and Cambria, Jax has his back to the camera and Clarity is about to pour out some water. 'bella is screaming.
Picture caught in the midst of one of 'bella's many dances!

Fun with Photobooth

2008-06-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

1. Normal Family

2. Kind of odd
3. What in the world?
4. Totally scared 'bella!
5. Just weird.

Transform:Boot Camp:James 5

2008-06-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight was interesting.

For the past eleven years, in one way or another, I've been involved with a ministry that seeks to establish people in God's Word. When I was 17 my Mom forced my sister and I to write an essay to get into this Summer Camp. Having grown up in the church, gone to Christian school all of my life and speaking the Christian talk very well... I thought I had better things to do with my summer. We studied a book called I John. I've never been the same.

Eleven years later, I was asked to speak as a platform speaker again. For several years, for several reasons, I haven't been involved with the student aspect of this ministry. For a week the 100 or so high school students have been inductively studying James. Tonight was their last night. Tonight was the night that I spoke on James 5--money talks. Tonight was interesting!

Intense really is an inadequate word. Add to it blunt, desperation and a hint of sarcasm and you have the book of James. James hits it hard... what a true believer, a child of God does and how they react, live and patiently suffer. Though James 5 talks a lot about the coming of the Lord and prayer, I felt the Lord lead me to talk about materialism... living for our pleasures... the tragedy of a wasted life.

What if people started to get what God said in this book?

What if the sleeping and complacent in the church were wakened?

What if the masques came down and people realized the black and white of the gospel of grace?

Having been to India and AFrica, the contrast is so apparent. As I tell some of those that I've traveled overseas with, I wish the Holy Spirit would give me a pill... the Africa pill so that I could remember. Lord, remind me about the simplicity and purity of devotion to you.

Take a look at this video to get the flavor:

Summer Lovin

2008-06-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

Summer time is always a welcomed time in our home perhaps like many of you...walks - taking in the sites of nature, planting flowers and veggies - (we LOVE those summer tomatoes), pool, tan (hopefully coming soon), and alas...vacations.. Yes, this summer, though only the beginning has already proven to be so fun. Bella (turned a year in Feb) has been running everywhere, so energetic and is learning new things every day. BUT in addition to all the joy and fun summer brings, this year, summer introduced a new uncertain, yet exciting chapter for our family. This years summer began with Jeremy completing his last day of his 5-year career at Silverdale Baptist Academy. While, this was and is a huge step of faith, the Lord was so good in confirming His will for our lives despite the intangible signs and directions we so desperately want sometimes. Jeremy is now pursuing full-time his masters degree from CIU (Columbia Intl. University). In addition, he is a trainer with Precept Ministries giving him the opportunity to travel nationally teaching students, adults, even ministry leaders and pastors, the tools of inductive Bible study. What a refreshing experience to teach those so hungry to know God more. Meanwhile, we are holding steady with our team The Veracity Group, working and writing Bible curriculum for middle and Highschool students, currently published by Precept Ministries. We appreciate your continued prayers as we seek what's next for us. We truly have His peace in what we are doing and are so thankful for His provision in confirming our decisions. His faithfulness shines in uncertain times and this past semester and leading up to our decision, He not only showed Himself faithful, but replaced our anxiety and questions with His peace and confidence. Thank you for your prayers and love for our family. Our hope is that He is glorified in what we do.

Express communication

2008-06-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

Jeremy here. The Lucarellis have tried various forms of mass communication, but somehow always miss one niche or another. Family, friends and co-workers always want an update, but not all of them are accustomed to facebook. Sadly, Becky and I joined the cult of facebook and devoted all of our communication time there. If you've missed us, we apologize. The following is our attempt to reach out to you, whoever you are. Whether it is deep thoughts we've been pondering, news from the home front, or daily craziness with the little one... you will now have yet another thing to divert your attention from your countless list of items on the to do list.

When Ma Ma comes to town

2008-06-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

We love visitors! Ma Ma got to spend some time with the little one when she came up for the weekend. By the end of the time together, 'bella was calling her "Ma ma" and raising her hand up in the air when asked, "How much does Ma Ma love you?" Ma Ma got to have some good snuggle times while Mom and Dad went out on a date! The weekend was complete with the purchase of 'bella's first jellies--which she wears around the house like she is on the catwalk. Thanks Ma Ma for the weekend of fun!

Chillin with Dad--whenever she sees flowers she sniffs her nose, acting like she is smelling them, and then goes "Ah!"

Ma Ma and 'bella went on a nice little walk around our neighborhood. Of course, conversations ensued the whole way. What a special time!
Bella, as with mom and dad, loves to be outside. She kicks her shoes off and goes running, jumping, and skipping through the grass. We stick to the front yard (where Maximus hasn't left his mark)
Bath time gone bad! Though a big fan of her rubber duck, 'bella isn't a fan of getting the shampoo out of her hair. She fights and fights, eventually causing the her to be submerged.
All is well now. the froggie towel, Ma Ma, and mom makes everything better.

Hanging with Hernandez

2008-06-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

Good friends and good times! Bella was happy to meet the newest addition to the Hernandez family--Coco Chanel.

Our LIttle Valentine

2007-02-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

This was the video I made while Becky was asleep in the hospital... after having our little one! I can't believe it has already been a year and a half!!! Children really are a gift from the Lord.