18 Year Anniversary

My wife and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary yesterday. God has truly blessed our family and our marriage!

For our anniversary, we rode my motorcycle for just over 100 miles around the area. God gave us a beautiful day, with warm breezes and sunny skies. He also provided a dear young lady who watched over our kids during the day. What a blessing she was to us, as she needed her rest before she took on that task.

And where did we eat? At Steak-n-Shake, a 50's style hamburger joint, where the burgers are greasy and the malts are very good. And we enjoyed one another's company like we did almost 20 years ago when we were first dating. Now, is that NOT God's blessing or what!!!?

Scorned as Foolish

Over the last two years, as my wife and I have gone from a six figure income to one of living by faith on the gifts given on our behalf to serve the Lord in full time ministry, there have been several who think we've lost our minds. Indeed, we must look foolish to some, as we now live well below any income I could earn in the secular world with a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Indeed, we must also look foolish raising four kids with this lower income and different life.
So when I read the quote (below) in Sibbes this morning, I was indeed encouraged as I was reminded again of these verses in 1 Corinthians...

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written,  “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-31

Sibbes quotes this similitude, where an Italian marquis listened to Peter Martyr preaching on 1 Corinthians in the late 1500's...

"If a man be walking afar off, and see people dancing together, and hear no noise of the music, he judges them fools and out of their wits; but when he comes nearer and hears the music, and sees that every motion is exactly done by art, now he changes his mind, and is so taken up with the sweet agreement of the gesture and the music, that he is not only delighted therewith, but desirous to join himself in the number. So it falls out with men, whilst they look upon the outward carriage and conversation of God's people, and see it differing from others, they think them fools; but when they look more narrowly into their courses, and see a gracious harmony betwixt their lives and the word of God, then they begin to be in love with the "beauty of holiness," and join in conformity of holy obedience with those they scorned before." [1]

[1] The Works of Richard Sibbes, Volume 1,Richard Sibbes, Banner of Truth Trust, 2001 (Originally published 1862-64), p 184.