Pamark's Thought

Pontoons and Dunes

2011-09-02T18:49:00.000-04:00

Lydia loves Wisconsin! We spent some time in Eagle River and Sister Bay, both are quaint little towns in resort areas in America's dairyland. Grandpa and Grandma live in Eagle River, which is a great little town near the Wisconsin/Michigan border. They live on a lake and their backyard is a veritable zoo. Throughout our 3 days there we saw a family of six whitetail deer walk throughout the yard countless times.

Here's a video of Lydia watching some deer walk into the woods on our first morning in Eagle River.

After Eagle River we headed to a town called Sister Bay in Door County. Door County is essentially the thumb of Wisconsin that juts into Lake Michigan. It's loaded with great restaurants, shops, 19th century log cabins, and beaches. Here is a short video of Lydia's first time at the beach.

Splish Splashin' Around!

2011-08-09T22:35:00.001-04:00

People seem to like the videos. So we'll give the people what they want!

Lydia loves walking around with a bucket on her arm.

Today we went to a splash park in the neighboring town of Woodridge. Lydia didn't play in the water that much but seemed to enjoy being surprised by the fountain when it would start up.

Living in Illinois

2011-07-30T21:18:00.000-04:00

We have moved to Illinois!

Lydia loves her new home. That is mostly due to the presence of 2 doggies that Lydia loves to watch and point at and chase all day long.

Lydia also took her first steps last week. Every couple hours she'll decide she wants to try walking again. She'll be toddling all over this place in no time!

Midsummer Hijinks

2011-07-14T22:14:00.001-04:00

It's been a busy summer!

Here are some of the highlights in a nutshell:

Lydia got to play with her cousins!

Lydia turned one!

Lydia went to the zoo for the first time! Some of her favorite animals were the monkeys (she liked it when they hopped from branch to branch), goats, chickens and budgies. We even got to go in the budgie cage, which was exciting for mommy and daddy too!

We're so blessed to have such a good happy little girl!

As you can probably guess, all of this activity has made Lydia very tired.

Praying Like Your Life Depends On It

2011-06-16T20:38:00.001-04:00

This past week I got my first taste of Synod in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Synod is the yearly gathering of delegates from each of the 47 regions (called classes) in the CRCNA. One of the sessions I attended was the acceptance/commissioning of a new Director of Home Missions. Home Missions is the section of our church that supports church plants and revitalization of existing congregations.

The new director, Moses Chung, shared his vision for the ministry of the CRCNA and his thoughts on how we will attain our goals. His central theme was prayer. He said that Christians must stop trying to have a great prayer life and start praying like their entire life depends on it.

The early church knew a lot about this type of prayer. The greatest theologian in the history of western Christianity was a man named Augustine. I hope this prayer that he wrote will help you focus on God and realize that you rely on him for everything!

Grant us, even us, O Lord, to know you, and love you and rejoice in you. And if we cannot do these perfectly in this life let us, at least, advance to higher degrees every day, till we can come to do them in perfection. Let the knowledge of you increase in us here, that it may be full hereafter. Let the love of you grow every day more and more here, that it may be perfect hereafter; that our joy may be great in itself and full in you. We know, O God, that you are a God of truth. O make good your gracious promises to us, that our joy may be full. To your honor and glory, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns one God, world without end. Amen.

In the Merry Month of May

2011-05-18T16:54:00.001-04:00

It's been a memorable, busy, and fun month!

We went to Illinois this past weekend for my cousin Cal's wedding and my cousin Anna's wedding shower. The wedding was a lot of fun. Lydia was very well-behaved and loved dancing with mommy and daddy. I got to preach at the wedding, which was great because Cal and I go way back.

I graduate from Calvin Theological Seminary on Saturday, May 20 (as I write this I should be studying for my final exam). Pam and I can't believe that three years have passed so quickly. It's exciting to look forward to the future but when it comes time to leave Michigan we will likely realize how much we have enjoyed our time here.
Click here for more pictures from May. Click here for pictures from April.

Ready to face my Case Study panel!

Ready for the wedding!

"Do Something Pretty"

2011-04-08T14:29:00.001-04:00

Our pretty little girl!

(Click on any of the pics to check out the full album)

C'mon Let's Crawl!

2011-03-20T20:35:00.000-04:00

We have a little crawler! Last week Lydia barely knew what her legs were for, and now she scoots around the living room like it's her own personal playground. The apartment has been babyproofed, but it seems she still manages to get into everything she shouldn't.

Things Lydia will crawl to include:

Mommy and Daddy
Electrical Cords!
Remotes
Phones
Shoes
Pens
Paper (I happily allowed her to destroy my oral comp study notes after I passed my exam. It was a highly symbolic moment as she decimated the pile of paper that has ruled my life for the past two weeks.)
Sometimes toys, but those are boring!

My Girls

2011-03-06T15:42:00.000-05:00

I was at school with Lydia a couple weeks ago waiting for a meeting to start. As I was playing with Lydia in the auditorium one of my classmates looked over and commented, "Your life is full!" It's true! I love my girls!

"I do not see the road..."

2011-02-14T19:37:00.000-05:00

Pam had this great little prayer on a bookmark in her Bible. All I know is that it was written by Thomas Merton and can be found in Thoughts on Solitude.

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen.

It strikes a chord, considering my current employment status. However, I'm guessing it will still resonate with me after I begin working at a church... maybe even more so.

Clapping and Rolling

2011-02-10T19:03:00.000-05:00

WARNING: These videos contain extreme cuteness and should only be viewed by people who love to watch babies clapping, rolling, and having a generally good time. Upon viewing this video you may want a Lydia of your own, but you can't have one. She's ours.

Jumping and Hiding

2011-01-18T19:29:00.000-05:00

Lydia loves to jump and hide. See Lydia jump. See Lydia hide. Jumping and hiding is fun!

Hiding from Mark V on Vimeo.

Transformation, Piety and Doctrine

2010-12-30T14:10:00.000-05:00

I (Mark) recently had the privilege of listening to Jerry Dykstra address my CRC polity class. CRC Polity was a course for graduating M.Div. students where we learned about and discussed issues facing the Christian Reformed Church. During our final class session we listened to the Executive Director (read: lead guy) of the denomination, Reverend Jerry Dykstra.

The session was incredibly interesting, as Rev. Dykstra proved to all of us why he has been entrusted to lead our denomination. One of the points he spoke of has been bouncing around my brain since that lecture. He stated that in each church there is an interplay between three foci: transformationalism, piety, and doctrinalism. All three elements are essential to the Christian life but each church (and each person) tends to lean towards one.

In every church there are people who value transformation, that is seeing people changed by the Holy Spirit into a follower of Christ. Meanwhile there will also be people who focus more on piety. They strive to be a light to the world by living a holy life. Thirdly, there are others who focus on doctrine. These people want the teaching and thinking in the church to be orthodox and theologically accurate. The transformationalist values change. The pietiest values right living. The doctrinalist values right thinking.

Each side of the triangle is essential for every church and every Christian person. Reverend Dykstra pointed out that it is the pastor's duty to analyze how the three perspectives are playing out in the church while also keeping his/her own perspective balanced.

So which one are you? Transformationalist, Pietist or Doctrinalist? None of us is a perfect equilateral triangle, and when we address the area that falls into our blind spot we become more complete in our perspective. Much like an athlete needs to work on the weak areas of their game, it is helpful to consider which side of the triangle you might be neglecting. Personally, I lean towards doctrinalist and need to tune my sermons/lessons to appeal more to the transformationalist. I really value Reverend Dykstra's wisdom because it reminded me of the diversity of perspectives in the church and how that diversity is invaluable to our spiritual health, a church's health and the health of the denomination.

Entry #25 - O Magnum Mysterium

2010-12-25T12:45:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas! Oh what a great mystery that animals should see the newborn Lord lying in a manger! Alleluia! Amen!

O magnum mysterium
et admirabile sacramentum
ut animalia viderent Dominum natum
jacentem in præsepio.

Beata virgo, cujus viscera meruerunt
portare Dominum Christum, Alleluia!

Oh great mystery
and wondrous sacrament
that animals should see the newborn Lord
lying in their manger.

Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy
to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!

Luke 2:11 - "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Entries 18 through 24 - Handel's Messiah

2010-12-20T23:59:00.000-05:00

Well... it happened. I knew it was only a matter of time before I would miss a couple days in the musical countdown towards Christmas.

In anticipation of missing several more days while pamark + 1 travels to Canada, today's post will include all the songs until Christmas day. So now you can listen to seven of my favorite songs from Handel's Messiah. Since not everyone is a classical music fan let me encourage you to listen to these songs and consider God's glory and love for us.

It is believed that while Beethoven was in his final days, he pointed to a collection of Handel's works and said, "There is the truth." With regards to Handel's lyrics, he had quite a bit of good source material. With regards to his music Mozart remarked, "Handel understands effect better than any of us -- when he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt." While listening to "For Unto Us a Child is Born" and "Worthy Is the Lamb" I completely agree with Beethoven and Mozart.

Enjoy!

If you're reading this on Facebook click here to listen to the song on our blog.

Entry #17 - Do You Hear What I Hear?

2010-12-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Until today, this list has not featured anything that you might find in a Christian book store. That wasn't intentional. It has more to do with my musical taste than with being opposed to CCM. (Although I was in the Christian book store the other day and noticed that they've lowered their standards enough to sell Charlie Brown nativity scenes. Call me an old fashioned stick-in-the-mud, but there's something wrong with the King of the universe being represented by Woodstock the bird). But I digress. I do enjoy some Christian music, and IMHO one of the better Christian groups out there is Third Day.

Entry #17: Do You Hear What I Hear? by Third Day

If you're reading this on Facebook click here to listen to the song on our blog.

Entry #16 - I Saw Three Ships

2010-12-16T08:00:00.007-05:00

Pam requested "I Saw Three Ships," and since this is PAMark's Thought she pretty much gets what she wants.

Entry #16 - I Saw Three Ships by The St. Peter's Boys Choir

If you're reading this on Facebook click here to listen to the song on our blog.

Entry #15 - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

2010-12-15T08:00:00.003-05:00

Entry #15 - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

The ballerina is Larissa Lezhnina.

If you're reading this on Facebook click here to view the video on Facebook.

Entry #14 - Last Christmas

2010-12-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

This one goes out to anyone who has ever worked retail during the Christmas season. There are four songs that every retail worker knows by heart because of their massive exposure during the Christmas season: Annie Lennox's Winter Wonderland, Bruce Springstein's Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You, and Wham's Last Christmas. After working at The Sports Authority for five Christmases I would guess I have heard each of those songs a few hundred times.

So for all you retail workers, one more time couldn't hurt, eh?

Entry #14: Last Christmas by Wham!

If you're reading this on Facebook click here to listen to the song on our blog.

Entry #13 - The Christmas Song

2010-12-13T12:11:00.001-05:00

I like how this song goes beyond Christmas and into the ministry of Christ. Some of the theology (well... a lot of the theology) is unorthodox but the song is a great reminder that Christ was born for the drinkers, jokers and soul searchers - like you and me.

Entry #13 - The Christmas Song by Dave Matthews

If you're reading this on Facebook click here to listen to the song on our blog.

Entry #12 - Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

2010-12-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Do kids these days get any exposure to the stop motion animation Christmas films that were made during the '60s? I'm not so sure I enjoyed them as much as the generations preceding me, but I would always make sure to catch a couple minutes of Rudolph's Shiny New Year or Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Here's a song that always reminds me of those old Christmas TV specials.

Entry #12 - Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

If you're reading this on Facebook click here to listen to the song on our blog.

Entry #11 - I Pray On Christmas

2010-12-11T15:27:00.001-05:00

When my family would drive around looking at Christmas lights on people's houses we would often be accompanied by my mom's Harry Connick Jr. Christmas tapes - yeah, they were cassette tapes. Here's one of the first songs that comes to mind whenever Pam and I go on a "Christmas light drive."

Entry #11 - I Pray On Christmas

If you're reading this on Facebook click here to listen to the song on our blog.

Entry #10 - Sleigh Ride

2010-12-10T08:00:00.002-05:00

There are exactly 741,239 versions of "Sleigh Ride." So what's the best one? Well, I can objectively state that it's the rendition by the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Amy Grant comes in a distant second. Sorry Amy.

Entry #10: Sleigh Ride by the Squirrel Nut Zippers

If you're reading this on Facebook click here to listen to the song on our blog.

Entry #9 - Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming

2010-12-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

Today we're returning to the land of the indie artist. Feist is more commonly known for "1234" as seen in an iPod commercial from a couple years ago. It's unfortunate that she's known mostly for that song, because she has some really great stuff out there (not that 1234 is a bad song).

Here contribution to the Christmas Music extravaganza is one of my favorite Christmas songs. The excellent lyrics of the song are provided below, because although Natalie Feist has a wonderful voice her diction leaves a little something to be desired.

Entry #9: Lo How a Rose E're Blooming

Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming
As those of old have sung
It came, a flow'ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter
When half spent was the light.

O flow'r, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispel with nature's splendour
The darkness ev'ry where.
True love so pure and good
From pain and death it saves us,
And share our ev're load.

Entry #8 - Winter Wonderland

2010-12-08T09:33:00.000-05:00

One of the most well-worn VHS tapes in my parents' house is a Christmas Disney Sing-Along. A "Sing-Along" is a video of about seven or eight Disney songs where the lyrics are shown on the screen so the viewer can learn the words and sing along. The Christmas one has some classics, and the song selection is surprising Christian.

Entry #8: Winter Wonderland

Entry #7 - Song for a Winter's Night + Bonus Video

2010-12-07T08:00:00.002-05:00

One thing my father has instilled in me - along with a love for bungee chords - is an appreciation for 70's singer-songwriters. One of his favorites is Gordon Lightfoot. Never heard of Gordon Lightfood?! Seinfeld sorts things out for you in this YouTube clip.

Entry #7 is "Song for a Winter's Night" by Edmund Fitzgerald... er... Gordon Lightfoot

If you're reading this on Facebook click here to listen to today's song on our blog.

Entry #6 - Christmas Is Coming

2010-12-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

Muppets + Christmas Music + Singing in a Round = Fun!

Entry #6 is one of Lydia's favorites: Christmas Is Coming

If you're viewing this on Facebook click here to listen to the song on our blog.

Entry #5 - Snow Day

2010-12-05T08:00:00.002-05:00

What better way to follow "Skating" than with a "Snow Day"?

Entry #5 is "Snow Day" by Matt Pond PA.

If you're reading this on Facebook click here to listen to the song on our blog.

Entry #4 - Skating

2010-12-04T08:00:00.003-05:00

What would a collection of Christmas music be without the Vince Guaraldi Trio? Here's my favorite song from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Entry #4: "Skating"

If you are viewing this on Facebook click here to view our blog and listen to the song.

Entry #3 - The Friendly Beasts

2010-12-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

For those who don't know Sufjan (pronounced SOOFyahn) Stevens you're missing out on some great music. It's not just my opinion either. Paste Magazine named one of his albums the best release of the last decade. He has also produced one of the greatest Christmas albums this side of John Denver & the Muppets.

Enjoy this great little diddy from disc three of his Christmas album. Entry #3 is The Friendly Beasts.

If you are viewing this post on Facebook click here to here the song at our blog.

Entry #2 - In Dulci Jubilo

2010-12-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

Today's entry will delight the musical palette of even the most sophisticated musicologist. It's pretty great for everyone else too! If you're not really into classical music at least give it one listen. If you stick with it 'til the end you will not be disappointed thanks to the majestic trumpet accompaniment.

In dulci jubilo, In sweet rejoicing
Nun singet und seid froh! Now sing and be glad!
Unsres Herzens Wonne Our heart's joy
Leit in praesepio! Lies in a manger!
Und leuchtet wie die Sonne And it shines like the sun
Matris in gremio! In the mother's lap!
Alpha es et O! You are the Alpha and Omega!

For those reading this on Facebook, you will likely need to click "View Original Post" to listen to the song.

Operation Christmas Tunes!

2010-12-01T08:00:00.003-05:00

In celebration of the season Pamark's Thought is undertaking an epic task: blog one Christmas song each day until Christmas! These entries probably won't be very long, but what you'll get is a tasty smörgåsbord of holiday tunes. You'll hear some classical, some folk, some for kids and some for those of us who wish we were still kids.

Here's entry #1: "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes. I first heard this song last year while snow was falling and I was shopping for Pam's Christmas present. It was quite serendipitous!

For those reading this on Facebook, you will likely need to click the "View Original Post" link below in order to listen to the song.

I Love to Laugh

2010-11-07T20:46:00.000-05:00

We're thinking of auditioning her in a stage production of Mary Poppins soon. Cuz she loves to laugh!

Ticklish Feet

I Love to Laugh

Learning

2010-11-05T20:14:00.001-04:00

Lydia is learning new things all the time.

She went to the zoo with our friends, the Choi family. They're from South Korea.

She loves to hold her toys now and look at them or put them in her mouth.

She loves sitting in her new high chair.

She loves her animal friends: a bear from Boston and Piglet.

She got her picture taken for her passport because soon she'll learn about a
wild and fantastical place called Canada.

Lydia's Favorite Ball

2010-10-28T10:25:00.000-04:00

One of Lydia's favorite things to do is lay on the floor and hit an inflatable ball this is suspended above her. As you can see in the videos below she has improved quite a bit in her form and ferocity. She now attacks that tetherball in a way that would make Napoleon Dynamite proud.

Here she is on October 2.

Playing With Ball - October 2 from Mark V.

Here she is on October 22.

Playing With Ball - October 22 from Mark V.

Marked by the Signs of the Covenant

2010-10-02T21:54:00.002-04:00

Lydia was baptized this past Sunday at our church in Grand Rapids. The service was a great reminder of God's covenant with his people. We're so glad we could have so much family present at her baptism and promise to help us raise her to grow in her relationship with the Lord.

While preparing for her baptism I did some reading about the sacrament. I really love what Neal Plantinga, my professor and a great theologian wrote about the subject in an issue of The Forum:

Baptism is a way of saying to a child, “You are a child of these events and of all that they mean. You aren’t just your family’s child. You’re an Exodus child. You’re a resurrection child. You’re a kingdom child. And all because Jesus Christ was a Christmas child.” Every baptism is a sign to us, whether of babies, college students, or born-again truck drivers who are receiving the kingdom of God like a little child.

Now enjoy some pictures of Lydia and our family on our special day. The day when she received the mark of the God's covenant of grace in baptism.

Looking Up

2010-09-22T21:35:00.000-04:00

Lydia's latest trick is holding her head up for long periods of time while she lays on her stomach. Other than that she spends a lot of time being incredibly cute.

As always click any of the links for larger versions or click here to check out our September album on Picasa.

Ho Ho Ho Hosanna!

2010-09-16T22:03:00.000-04:00

Lydia loves singing along with our songs. This is one of her favorites, Ho Ho Ho Hosanna, as popularized by her cousin Emmitt.

Ho Ho Ho Hosanna! from Mark V on Vimeo.

School Has Begun

2010-09-13T22:21:00.002-04:00

This past week I began what will hopefully be my final year in the school system. Whenever I hear that people are in school I often wonder what they are learning. So here are my courses for the semester for those who are interested.

Preaching - In this class we preach and listen to each other's sermons. Pretty straightforward.
Old Testament Narratives - We study the Hebrew text and culture so we can understand the meaning, themes and literary elements of stories of the Old Testament. One very cool nugget of wisdom I gained in the first day of this class was the prevalence of exile/redemption throughout the Bible. The OT is bookended by exile stories. Adam and Eve are exiled from the garden and the nation of Israel is exiled from the promised land.
Christian Reformed Church History and Polity - Here we learn about how the CRC began and we look at important issues throughout the denomination's history.
Pastoral Counseling - This class focuses specifically on more formalized pastoral counseling (which is in slight contrast to informal pastoral care).
Imaginative Reading for Creative Preaching - This is the one I've been excited about for months, both for the subject matter and also because it is taught by our seminary president, Neal Plantinga. In this class we read good books, poems and short stories with the intention of accumulating memorable and effective sermon illustrations. Why am I excited to learn under Dr. Plantinga? Take a listen to one of his sermons and you'll find out. (You'll need RealPlayer to listen to it.)

For those who aren't as interested in my schedule and might, perhaps, just visit this blog to see pictures of our cute little girl. You can get your fix by clicking the image below for some of the latest shots of Lydia.

Girly Girl

2010-09-06T13:01:00.000-04:00

Here are some of Lydia's girliest moments from August.

Click on any of the images to visit our PicasaWeb page.

"I love my frilly dress!" - Lydia

Thanks for the purple bow Auntie Laura.

Having a Talk with Daddy

2010-09-03T20:23:00.000-04:00

Lydia was extra happy tonight so we thought we'd shoot a quick video of her cooing and babbling.

Lydia Talking to Daddy from Mark V on Vimeo.

Videos From NoCal

2010-08-20T17:58:00.000-04:00

Here are three videos from last weekend's trip to the California coast.

First we went to Monterey. This cove was chock-o-block full of sea lions and seals!

Fishermen's Wharf in Monterey California

Then we drove down the scenic California coastline through Pebble Beach golf course.

Viewpoint Near Pebble Beach Golf Course

We southern terminus of our route brought us over the Bixby Bridge, which you'll see here. It was quite a day!

Bixby Bridge Near Big Sur

We Descended a Dusty Gravel Ridge...

2010-08-17T12:07:00.000-04:00

My parents visited from the Chicago area this past weekend and we had a great time showing them the natural wonders of Northern California. We visited the Monterey Peninsula, a Redwood grove, and downtown San Francisco. As you might expect, we took lots of pictures as we toured the area.

This batch of photos begins in Monterey, which is a touristy seaside town between San Francisco and Los Angeles. We then drove along the coast of the Monterey Peninsula. Part of that drive took us through the famed Pebble Beach Golf Course. We ended our day by going further south to enjoy the spectacular scenery in an area known as Big Sur.

As the soundtrack for your picture-viewing I have provided some tunes by Death Cab for Cutie. This is a song about one of the bridges that we crossed on the California coast.

Yosemite!!!

2010-08-09T14:22:00.001-04:00

Last week we had lots of fun hanging out with Ben, Liza and Claire. One of the highlights of our week was visiting Yosemite National Park. It took about 2 and a half hours to drive to the park, and then another 45 minutes to find a parking spot. Yosemite is a beautiful place, but it sure is crowded! I've been to other major national parks during the summer and I've never seen anything like the crowds at Yosemite.

Some of the sights we saw there were Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and the Tunnel View Lookout over the Yosemite Valley.

Here are some pictures from the trip.

Fun in the Tub!

2010-08-02T22:42:00.002-04:00

Here's Lydia enjoying her first bath!

Lydia's First Bath from Mark V.

Looking and Stretching

2010-07-26T20:20:00.002-04:00

Lydia loves to hang out on the floor and look around. It's very exciting!

Hanging Out on the Floor from Mark V.

California's Amazing Trees

2010-07-19T23:53:00.001-04:00

If there's one thing that sets nature in California apart from the rest of the world, it's the trees. California has the largest trees (Sequoias), the tallest trees (Redwoods) and the oldest tree (Methuselah Tree) in the world!

Today we drove an hour and a half to visit a grove of Redwoods. These weren't the tallest Redwoods in the state, but they were amazing nonetheless.

Arriving at Calaveras Big Trees State Park from Mark Van Dyke on Vimeo.

Walking Among the Redwoods from Mark Van Dyke on Vimeo.

Little Lydia

2010-07-16T20:06:00.002-04:00

Here's a short video of Lydia and Pam hanging out.

She's doing pretty good holding her head up.

Lydia Holding Head Up from Mark Van Dyke on Vimeo.

More Cuteness!

2010-07-07T19:04:00.001-04:00

Lydia seems to be getting better at two things as time goes by: eating and staying up late. On some nights she sleeps so soundly that we have to wake her up to feed her. The past two nights she has been up until 2:00 AM. We're hoping tonight is more like the former than the latter.

She got to meet two of her cousins this past weekend. You'll see a picture below of her cousin Emmitt (my sister's son) holding her and Alina sitting next to them.

Lydia on Her Birthday

2010-07-04T21:31:00.000-04:00

To commemorate Lydia being 1 week old let's revisit her first day.

Lydia on Day 1 from Mark Van Dyke on Vimeo.

Favorite Lullabies

2010-07-03T22:18:00.000-04:00

One fun thing about having a baby is singing songs to her to comfort or entertain her.

Pam and I definitely have our favorites. Usually when we're together it's "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley. When Pam is on her own Lydia prefers her to sing "Solomon's Song" by Plumb. When daddy sings to her she likes "Sparrows Over Birmingham" by Josh Rouse.

For a playlist of songs we like to sing for our lullabies click here. (Hit the "Play All" button in the top left hand corner to listen to all the songs.)

Acts 16: 11-15

2010-07-01T22:05:00.000-04:00

Here's a little refresher on the story of Lydia in the Bible. We didn't really choose the name Lydia because of this story, but it's kind of cool nonetheless.

Here's Acts 16:11-15 as found in the NIV.

From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

We pray that our Lydia will grow into her namesake and be a woman of great faith and generosity.

Hiccups!

2010-06-30T20:00:00.000-04:00

Whoever thought hiccups could be so cute?

Lydia's Hiccups from Mark Van Dyke on Vimeo.

Introducing Lydia Mae Van Dyke

2010-06-29T21:02:00.001-04:00

Our little girl has finally arrived! Pam and I are so happy to announce that Lydia Mae Van Dyke was born on June 27, 2010 at 12:52 PM. She weighed 8 lbs. 11 oz. and was 23 inches long. When she came out she wasn't crying, but let out a few cute whimpers to let us all know that she was breathing just fine.

It has been a great 3 days since she arrived. We're all doing lots of sleeping, eating and cuddling - each of which we weren't able to do much of while we were in the hospital waiting for her to be born.

I'll be blogging more regularly for a while, so subscribe to the blog or check back often! Check back for videos, pictures and stories about her cuteness!

Still Pregnant

2010-06-16T17:11:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!

We're still waiting for baby! Here are a few pics of Pam from the past couple days.

We have been keeping busy by taking walks and watching lots of World Cup games (well... I've been doing most of the WC watching).

We will be sure to let you all know when we have the baby. We can't wait to show her to you all!

Pam Pregnant on the Phone

2010-06-01T22:00:00.001-04:00

This video has 3 purposes:

To show you what Pam looks like now that she's 9 months pregnant.
To show you where Pam and I like to go for walks. This place is called Reeds Lake and there is a nice library, walking path and park along the shore.
I'm testing out our new video camera.

Not all video posts will be this mundane.

Nesting!

2010-04-24T22:05:00.000-04:00

Today I nested. Mark and I went to Ikea to get our crib, which was a 4 hour drive when you count both directions. We than put it together and than I continued to organize our nursery which was a bit of a project since the room was so full of random stuff, especially the closet - I wish I took a before picture, but at least you can see the after shot. Now there is lots of room, including only a half full closet to store all kinds of wonderful baby things in.

The most shocking part of the nursery's layout is that there is still lots of room for our futon convert into a bed so we still have room for you all to come and visit us!

Who's Your Favorite Puritan?

2010-03-26T12:41:00.000-04:00

I came across a blog the other day that linked me to a great website*: A Puritan's Mind.
The website has a list of entries in the journal of Jonathan Edwards, who was a great preacher and widely recognized as the greatest American theologian. In each journal entry Edwards resolves to change something about his behavior or thoughts "for Christ's sake."

At this point you might be thinking, "Puritans?!?! Weren't they that terribly legalistic band of prudes who guilted people into living an artificially pious lifestyle?" Well, there is a kernel of truth to such a perspective, but with Edwards' own writing you get the sense that his morality was driven by an intense love for God. Much like John Calvin, Edwards absolutely loved the Bible and theology and it shines through in these resolutions.

Here are a few of my personal favorites:

#23 - Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God's glory, to repute it...

#30 - Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

#34 - Resolved, in narration's never to speak anything but the pure and simple (truth).

Check out the list yourself. It's a great reminder of how intentional a Christian should be in her/his actions.

*Upon further review of the website (after I posted this) I can't endorse the whole website. It says some harsh and overly dramatic stuff about various doctrines that I consider inside Christianity. The stuff from Edwards is great though.

We're Having a Girl!

2010-03-17T21:27:00.001-04:00

Upon my return from our first Lamaze class I am inspired to share our exciting news with the blogosphere. The first addition to the Van Dyke family will be a girl! Pam and I are both very excited and I'm already preparing my retinas for the massive amount of pink that I will inevitably behold.

The best news though, is that the baby appears to be very healthy. There was some concern after our first ultrasound because of two cysts on the baby's brain and only one kidney being visible. Our ultrasound last week showed no cysts in the brain and two kidneys! We also scored some sweet pictures of our little girl! Check 'em out!

Click on either image to view a larger version on our Picasa page.

What are Pam and Mark Doing?

2010-02-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

Hey readers! Everything is going well here in Grand Rapids. Pam is been getting more and more pregnant every day! She feels the baby kick a lot more frequently now, and I have even felt it a couple times. It's still a few more weeks before we go for ultrasound #2. At that point we'll get a more exact diagnosis on the whether the cysts in the baby's brain are dangerous or not (or maybe they'll even be gone, which would be amazing!).

Last weekend Pam attended a retreat for seminary wives. The event was held at the Amway Grand Hotel (aka one of the nicest hotels in Michigan). She did the worship planning/leading and had a lot of fun hanging out with the friends she has made since moving to Michigan.

I'm now in the third week of the new semester, and it looks like this one will be much better than last. In case you're wondering what I do all day here are the classes I'm taking:

Hebrew Usage (we'll be studying Jonah most of the semester)
New Testament Letters (in-depth analysis of Paul's letters, very interesting stuff)
Forming Communities of Disciples (mostly focuses on pastoral care)
Teaching in North American Culture
Family and Youth Ministry

I have been preaching a lot more lately and I enjoy it more each time. If you would like to listen to my latest sermon you can check it out here. I think it's one of my better sermons.

Thanks for reading!

Sunny Summertime Tunes!

2010-02-10T12:18:00.000-05:00

It's cold. It's really cold. And snowy. The cheapest therapy for winter-time blues? YouTube!

Check out Lisa Hannigan. I saw her on a late-night show last week and was immediately impressed. Hopefully she'll warm up your winter day!

Baby's First Pictures

2010-01-23T19:31:00.001-05:00

Here are some pictures of our baby! We're so excited to share them.

18 Weeks!

2010-01-11T20:52:00.001-05:00

Here's Pam with our 18-week-old baby. She gets bigger throughout the day.

Morning, January 11

Evening, January 11

Christmas Plans

2009-12-01T22:52:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it's helpful to post our schedule on here so people know where we'll be during the busy holiday season. So here goes:

My semester ends on Thursday, December 17.
On Saturday, December 19 we head to Chicago to be with my family for a few days.
Fly to Terrace from Chicago on Christmas Eve Day! Unfortunately we're heading straight through Vancouver and won't be able to see all our Seattle/Lynden/Bellingham friends this Christmas. But we're very excited to go back to Terrace and spend the Christmas and New Year's with Pam's family!
I'm preaching at Terrace Christian Reformed Church (the church of Pam's youth) on Sunday, December 27.
Return to Chicago via Vancouver on January 5.
Back in Grand Rapids late on January 5 because school resumes the next day!
Preaching at my home church (Christ Community Church of Plainfield) on January 17.

Thanks for reading our blog and have a blessed advent season!

The Lost Boys of Sudan

2009-11-09T23:40:00.000-05:00

If you're anything like me it's hard to imagine what is happening throughout the world unless there is a face attached to a story. One such event is the genocide and poverty in Sudan. It has been in the news a lot in the past few years but I never really understood what was happening there.

That was until I watched God Grew Tired of Us. The film follows some of the Lost Boys of Sudan on their journey from Sudan to Ethiopia then Kenya and finally to the United States. The film was very entertaining at parts, but it's most powerful moments came during the testimonies about their families and the immense longing they had to know their estranged mothers, fathers and siblings. I also appreciated it for the profound and wise commentary that the Sudanese refugees gave on American culture.

Here is a video of one of the main characters of the movie, John Bul Dau being interviewed on a very good Canadian show called The Hour.

Please rent the movie and learn the story of these men.

Our Next President?

2009-11-03T20:58:00.000-05:00

I'm hoping Ron Paul's next Presidential campaign gets some traction. It would be great to see a Ron Paul/Mike Huckabee ticket!

Yogurty Goodness!

2009-09-16T22:00:00.000-04:00

Due to popular demand, here is my yogurt recipe. I shall note that this is a recipe that has changed over time and crafted to perfection.

List of required ingredients/materials:

big soup pot (with lid)
three 1-quart jars and lids
sieve
thermometer
measuring cup
one 6 oz. cup of yogurt (Pick one with a few different yogurt cultures in the ingredient list. I like the Brown Cow brand. Either plain or flavored is fine. Note that the picture below has packets of yogurt cultures, I have found that a cup of yogurt works better.)
ten cups of milk (higher the fat content = sweeter yogurt)
1 big towel

Instructions:

Heat milk to 180 degrees on medium/high heat. Stir constantly while heating.
Turn off element/stove and place lid on the pot. Let sit for 30 minutes. Even though this sounds unimportant this step will make your yogurt less tart and much thicker.
Take lid off and let cool to 140 degrees.
Remove one cup of milk from the pot into a small bowl and stir in the yogurt.
Put the smaller mixture back into the pot. Stir well.
Sieve the mixture into 1 quart jars. Place lids on the jars.*
Rinse out the pot. Place jars in the empty pot and fill pot with hot tap water (around 120 degrees Fahrenheit). See picture below.
Place the lid on the pot and wrap completely in a large thick towel for incubation. see picture
Check the temperature of the water every couple hours to make sure it is between 110 and 130 degrees.
After 5-8 hours remove jars from pot and place in fridge to cool.
Enjoy your yogurt with fresh fruit (like peaches or blueberries).

*At this point you need to be careful that the temperature of the milk doesn't fall below 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Knowing God - Sermon

2009-09-11T20:16:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday I preached at my home church, Christ Community Church in Plainfield, Illinois. This was the 4th time I preached in church and the first time I have preached at a morning service (the other 3 times were all in front of small groups at evening services).

My sermon is posted on the church's website. Click here to listen to or download the sermon.

During the sermon I refer to the two images below.

From 2009

Thanks for listening!

Thoughts on Alaska, Part 2

2009-09-08T19:38:00.000-04:00

This blog post is a continuation of an earlier post titled Thoughts on Alaska, Part 1. The earlier post is more general while this post will include some of my theological reflections based on my work in Anchorage.

My Missions/Evangelism professor Pieter Tuit encouraged our class with some words that I hope I will never forget. He said, "You are instruments of God, nothing more and nothing less." What he meant was that I am not essential for God's plan of salvation for people I talk with (because God can do things however He wants to) and yet I am something that God will use to do His work. I tried to keep that attitude at the forefront of my mind during my work in Penland Parkway.

People want to know the Truth.
As I entered Penland Parkway for the first time I had no idea how people would respond to my being there. Pastor James (of Trinity CRC, the church where I served) had warned me that I would likely be cursed but most of the time the residents just wouldn't answer their door. My perception going in was that most people have already made up their minds with regards to Christianity. This meant that I would either be trying to convince them of something they didn't want to believe or I would be telling them something they already knew. I figured there would be some people out of the 300 or so who would be interested and it was my job to find them and connect with them. After visiting the first few trailers I realized my ideas were wrong.
Many of the people I talked with in the trailer park were receptive and appreciative of my visit. Not only this but it seemed as though they were just waiting to hear what I had to say. Although I was in a very poor area, I would guess I would have experienced a similar reaction. I would guess that one out of every four people I talked with did not attend church and were (at least superficially) interested in Jesus. Before I went out into the neighborhood we, that is me and the church, prayed fervently that the Holy Spirit would prepare people to accept the Gospel. I was shocked at how real the answer to that prayer was.
It is the Christian's responsibility to provide others with a decisive moment regarding their faith in Jesus.
Before this internship I underestimated my role in God's plan of salvation for other people. This attitude really affected my demeanor in talking with people in Penland Parkway. When visiting with one person I caught myself being perhaps overly polite. He said, "I don't believe in any God. I'm an atheist." To which my knee-jerk reaction was to say, "That's OK. Have a good day and thanks for your time." Two seconds after leaving their doorstep I realized that my language was not accurately portraying the truth of the Gospel.
I then began to think seriously about my role in the lives of the people with whom I was talking. I would knock on each door with the Jesus Film easily visible to the resident. When someone rejected me I never saw it as them saying no to me personally but rather he or she was saying "No" to Christ. With many of the people (some of whom even said they were Christians) there was a visible immediate reaction once they saw the video in my hand. I was really saddened for those people who shuddered at the sight of the DVD in my hand, and yet I also feel that I was doing God's will in bringing them the message.
Christians need to evangelize with the same perseverance as Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons.
One other thing I was surprised about were the amount of JW's and Mormons in the trailer park. Not only this, but I was also shocked at how those people were thoroughly trained to reject any conversation with me. I have studied Mormonism in particular at some length so I was looking forward to discussing their faith in the same way that Mormons expect to converse with any Christian they encounter. I never got this opportunity, despite the proportionally large number of JW's and Mormons.

At our previous church (Faith Reformed in Lynden) Pastor Paul would often refer back to his cross-cultural experience in Chiapas, Mexico and how that shaped his faith. I now understand how such an experience can influence a pastor and, although it was difficult at times, I have learned lessons about God and humanity that will hopefully remain in the forefront of my future ministry.

Year Two at Seminary

2009-09-01T23:58:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I will resume my education at Calvin Theological Seminary.

Going into the year, I have a lot to be excited about, one of those things is the possibility of receiving a seminary scholarship from Logos Bible Software. The generous folks at Logos are offering a $1000 scholarship for seminary students. To me it shows Logos' dedication to excellence in preaching and Christian scholarship (and I'm not just saying that to win the scholarship, I really believe it).

Here's what my class schedule looks for first semester.

Hermeneutics (3-day seminar)
Apologetics
Systematic Theology
New Testament Narratives
Hebrew Fundamentals
Heidelberg Catechism

Some other highlights from the upcoming semester are a visit from Ben, Liza and Claire in October, lots of great activities with the youth group at our church (Shawnee Park CRC), and preaching at my home church in Illinois this Sunday. I really hope to preach more often this semester, as the more often I do it the more comfortable I am being in the pulpit.

It's gonna be a great year!

I Have Addictive Tendencies

2009-08-27T23:24:00.001-04:00

When I find a song I really like, I tend to overdo it by searching for various covers of that track and listening to it incessantly. Right now that song is "Reckoner" by Radiohead (thanks for the CD Ben and Liza!).

Here is Gnarls Barkley doing the song much justice during a concert in the UK.

Since Gnarls's diction leaves much to be desired, the lyrics are posted below.

reckoner

can't take it with you.

disavow your pleasure.

you are not to blame for

bittersweet distractors

dare not speak its name

dedicated to all you, all your needs.

because we separate like ripples on a blank shore

reckoner

dedicated to all you, all your needs

For those of you who expected Part 2 of my "Thoughts on Alaska" they are still percolating.

In the meantime let me know what song tops your list right now! Maybe it will be my next FSATM (favorite song at the moment).

Thoughts on Alaska, Part 1

2009-08-18T01:15:00.000-04:00

Many people I talk with are curious about my time in Alaska. The big question is always, "What were you doing there?" The answer is a little complicated. Each week I was involved in a different ministry, but the common thread that tied them all together was outreach/evangelism to a nearby trailer court called Penland Parkway.

First of all I was astounded at the racial and socio-economic diversity of the people living in Penland Parkway. The trailer court consisted of over 300 trailers, some of which were new and adorned with potted flowers while (many) others barely had a front door and wreaked of garbage from several yards away. Culturally, the largest population in the trailer court was Alaska Native but there were also large numbers of southeast Asian people, white people and a small number of African Americans.

I snapped this picture of one of the trailers. This is an average trailer in Penland Parkway. Some are nicer but many are in worse shape than this one.

My main objective was to visit each trailer during my 5 weeks in Anchorage and share the Gospel with whoever lived there. One method I used was inviting any children in a residence to our Bible Club (which was like a small VBS) or the church's Vacation Bible School. The other, more direct method, was handing out DVDs of The Jesus Film to anyone who would accept it. I attempted to strike up a conversation with each person I came saw and steer the conversation towards spirituality, Christianity, church or whatever he/she believed in. When people didn't want the DVD, they would willingly offer their opinions and reasons why they thought I was selling snake oil.

In general, the residents of Penland Parkway were very accepting and amicable. Most people would answer there door with some skepticism on their faces, but after I assured them I wasn't selling anything they literally and figuratively opened up to me. By the end of my 5 weeks I was able to knock on over 300 trailer doors and distribute over 50 DVDs. We also brought more than 20 kids from the neighborhood to our VBS.

I'm not exaggerating when I write that God taught me a lesson about Himself, myself, the world, evangelism, or his people every day I was in Penland Parkway. I will write some of those thoughts in Part 2 of this series of blogs.

Thanks for reading!

Hiking in Alaska

2009-07-18T00:52:00.000-04:00

Pam and I are having a great time in Alaska. I'm learning a lot in my internship and she really likes working at the local Starbucks.

During our first week here we had some time to go hiking. On the Sunday before our hike we went to church and I got to talking with some local hikers. I told them I planned on doing a short, 6 mile round tripper to a backcountry campsite. They quickly convinced me to do a 26 mile hike over Crow Pass. I figured it might be our only chance to get into the Alaska backcountry so we could give it a shot.

Some of the trail highlights included seeing a mother and baby mountain goat, viewing a massive glacier from Crow Pass and camping at a beautiful site near Eagle River. The tough parts of the hike came when we had to traverse a steep snowy patch in the trail (photo 12) and a harrowing ford of Eagle River. The river was waist high, freezing cold and about 150 feet wide. It was exciting, but very tiring.

Click the image below to enjoy some pictures of our hike!

American Idol

2009-07-06T13:59:00.000-04:00

Last night I was flipping through the channels and came across "In Touch" with Charles Stanley. I like Stanley's preaching so I checked it out, only to find that the pulpit was occupied by David Barton. The usual backdrop behind the preacher (a map of the world) was covered by an enormous American flag.

In my worship class we had a heated discussion about this very topic. Should an American flag be raised at the front of church? Should we hold a special service on 4th of July weekend in honor of our nation? How much patriotism should we show during worship?

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the United States. I know and love our history and I'm proud to be an American. That being said, I am offended that a 40 foot-long American flag covered the map of the world at First Baptist Church. Doesn't the Bible constantly warn against pride and trusting in earthly power? Shouldn't we, as Christians, consider our American citizenship less important than our identity in Christ?

The typical rebuttal to my outrage would tell me to listen to David Barton's words. He "preached" (and I use the term loosely) about how the United States was founded by Christian men who had a goal to create a Christian nation. He said we need to protect our Christian heritage by electing Christian people "whether it's the local dog-catcher or the President." I'm not against electing Christian people, but there is an implication that if only the United States could have a really Christian President then we would be ok. These people (although they would never admit it) are all about trusting our power as a nation and our human leadership over the leadership of Christ over our personal lives. It's far too easy to project our national problems onto a corrupt political system instead of taking personal responsibility for things like racism, corruption, environmental concerns or social injustice.

All this leads to my distaste of promoting patriotism during worship services. When the focus of an entire Sunday morning service is on the United States, we are worshiping something, and it's not God. That makes God angry, so it should make Christians angry too.

To The Last Frontier!

2009-07-02T10:36:00.001-04:00

Today Pam and I will leave on our journey to Alaska. We'll be in Naperville for a couple days with my family and then we fly out to Anchorage on the evening of July 4. We will return from our trip on August 14.

We plan to do some sightseeing the first week we're in Alaska because my internship doesn't actually start until July 9. The event I most look forward to is a very quick backpacking trip into the Chugach State Forest. I'll take my camera and post some pics to this blog.

In case I haven't told you yet, I'll be an intern at Trinity Christian Reformed Church in Anchorage for six weeks. They want to get more involved with the surrounding immigrant and Native American communities so I'll be planning and implementing some strategies that would make this happen. I'll also be helping with VBS and their youth program. Meanwhile, will work at Starbucks, as well as lending a hand with church stuff when she gets the chance.

We have been excited about the internship since I was assigned to it in March so we're ready to get started!

A Baptist Who Loves Calvin?

2009-07-01T18:59:00.000-04:00

Check out what Pastor John Piper has to say about the impact and beliefs of John Calvin.

Pics From Our Trip

2009-06-24T18:13:00.000-04:00

We had a great time in Lynden/Vancouver/Chicago/Eagle River!

Click on the image below to check out a photo gallery from our trip.

Off to the Northwest

2009-05-27T20:52:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow (Thursday, May 28) Pam and I will begin our journey to the Northwest. We're driving to Chicago to hang out with my family for a couple days. Then on Saturday we fly out to Seattle. For our first few days we'll be in Lynden with our good friends the Heisers. We'll be at Faith Reformed Church on Sunday, so it should be a really good chance to catch up with all the people who were such a big part of our lives for the first 3 years of our marriage. During the week I hope to visit my old workplace (Logos Bible Software) so I can see how much they have ruined the place since I left.

On Tuesday we will be picked up by Pam's sister, who will bring us up to Vancouver for a week of fun and frivolity. We'll be meeting a new niece and a new nephew for the first time, which we both can't wait to do. It looks like we have a busy week planned.

Our trip ends back in Seattle, where we will hang out with our old friends the Rocks before heading back to the midwest. We will then stay in Chicago for a couple days and then head up to my grandparents' house in Eagle River, Wisconsin. We haven't been there for 2 years, and it will be great to sit by the lake in their backyard and read/swim/nap.

We're very excited to see our friends and family!

Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan

2009-05-05T17:13:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we went to Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan with my parents and my sister's family (Laura, Matt and Emmitt). We had fun walking around the tulip fields and getting a strong dose of Dutchness. The tulip fields were beautiful but pretty disappointing compared to the Mount Vernon Tulip Time. I would guess that the fields in Holland were 4 or 5 acres while the ones in Mount Vernon were 30 or 40 acres and had many more varieties.

However, the fields gave me a great opportunity to use our camera. Enjoy the pics.

Do Christians Exist?

2009-04-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

I recently read "Whether Christianity Exists" by Soren Kierkegaard for my church history class. The point of his homily is to show how far removed we are from the church as its described in the New Testament. Although it was written in the early 19th Century the criticisms are incredibly applicable to me and the church in general.

"If I must be candid, I do not deny that I am not a Christian in the New Testament sense; if I must be honest, I do not deny that my life cannot be called an effort in the direction of what the New Testament calls Christianity, in the direction of denying myself, renouncing the world, dying from it, etc.; rather the earthly and the temporal become more and more important to me with every year I live."

He has some very challenging and convicting things to say for the modern evangelical pastor as well. Referring to the church leaders of his day he writes:

"He lectures about renunciation, but he himself is being steadily promoted; he teaches all that about despising worldly titles and rank, but he himself is making a career; he describes the glorious ones (the prophets) who were killed, and the constant refrain is: If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets."

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T10:21:00.000-04:00

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth,b and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Cuddles and Snuggles

2009-04-18T22:47:00.000-04:00

Actual conversation that just took place while giving Pam a hug.

Pam: I need a snuggle.

Mark: What's the difference between a cuddle and a snuggle?

Pam (speaking in all seriousness): A snuggle has more nuzzles.

More Details on Summer

2009-03-27T17:34:00.000-04:00

Details are coming together regarding our summer. Here's the latest news.

First of all, we booked out flights to Anchorage and we will be there from July 4 through August 13. If anyone is wants to visit us while we're there it would best to do it right when we get there. We're actually arriving in Alaska 6 days before I start my internship so we can do some camping up in Denali National Park.

Some more exciting news about the trip is that Pam scored a job at a Starbucks in Anchorage. She will probably be working a lot, which means we'll definitely be able to keep our medical coverage and her status as a Starbucks employee in Michigan. She's really excited to show those Alaskan bumpkins a think or two about coffee-makin'.

Perhaps more applicable to the people reading this blog, we are planning a trip to Seattle/Lynden/Vancouver during the first week of June. Prospective dates for the trip are May 30 through June 6 or 7. It all depends on how long ya'll will let us stay at your places. We plan to hang out in Lynden for the first couple days at the Heisers and then up in Vancouver (where we'll meet our newest niece and nephew for the first time)!

Other than that, not a whole lot going on around here. I'm preaching my first sermon in class on Tuesday. Then I'm doing it for real the following Sunday at a Christian Reformed Church on a Navajo reservation in NW New Mexico! I'm excited but quite nervous. Why will I be in New Mexico you ask? I'm one of the youth leaders at our church and that's the location for this year's spring break server project. I plan on taking hundreds of pictures and maybe even blogging while I'm there.

What's going on with Pam and Mark?

2009-03-09T22:35:00.000-04:00

Where in the world have Pam and Mark been for the last month? Are they so busy that they can't take an hour every few days to write a quick blog entry? Why does my breath smell bad in the morning even though I brushed my teeth right before I go to bed? The answers to these questions, as well as many others, will be answered in time my friends. But as for now, I just wanted to update ya'll on what Pam and I will be doing in the near future.

The biggest news we've gotten recently is that we'll be headed to Anchorage, Alaska for our summer internship. I'm supposed to be there from July 15 to August 19. We also plan on bookending our trip with hang out time in Vancouver and Lynden. Pam and I are really excited to be headed to the nation's 49th state. I'll be helping with the church's cross-cultural youth ministry, which reaches out to the local Asian and Native American communities. Hopefully we'll be able to fit in a quick trip up to Mount McKinley, North America's most scenic and tallest mountain. It's likely that Pam will transfer to a Starbucks in Anchorage, which would be great.

I recently started a new quarter at seminary. My winter quarter was very difficult and I'm glad to be taking 4 courses this quarter instead of the 5 I had last quarter. In case anyone is wondering what I learn at school, right now I'm taking Greek, Preaching, Church History and Evangelism/Missions. I am also getting more and more involved with our local church's youth group. In April (3-11) I'm going with the group on a serve trip to Shiprock, New Mexico.

Right now Pam's parents are in town and we've been having lots of fun playing games and seeing the glorious sights that Grand Rapids has to offer. Here are a few pictures of our recent activities. Including me helping my nephew Emmitt walk around my parents' living room.

Worship Symposium

2009-02-04T21:26:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending the Calvin Symposium on Christian Worship. The conference was intended to present various styles of worship and ideas that can be incorporated to make worship more biblical, theologically accurate and fresh. It was definitely interdenominational - my first session was presented by a panel of emergent church leaders, the second was done by a Lutheran organist and the third was by an actor who performed dramatic Scripture readings at his Presbyterian church.

The first session, as mentioned earlier, was an honest look at the Emergent Church. In short, the movement was founded on the idea that church needs to adjust to a post-modern culture. This means the church needs to rethink everything, from how we worship to the buildings we meet in to the theology and ancient creeds.

The high point of the session came when Jason Clark, a pastor in London, England, discussed the topic of his Ph.D. disseration: consumerist tendencies in today's congregations. To me, the greatest danger in any modern church movement (especially the emergent movement) is that it makes church so fun and entertaining that people see it as a time of entertainment and refreshment rather than worship.

There was a whole lot I disagree with about the Emergent Church but if you want to read up on it more check out the following sources:

Peter Rollins's Blog - He was a panelist and is a pastor in Belfast, Ireland
Emergent Village - A useful hub of Emergent Church information
New Kind of Christian - This book was constantly referenced during the panel's discussion of the emergent movement

As I stated earlier, I don't endorse the movement (sorry, I still have some marketing tendencies), but there is a lot of really cool stuff that they're doing that any denomination can use. We need more creativity in worship and the EC folks really get that.

They Don't Say 'Em Like They Used To

2009-01-07T09:50:00.000-05:00

During many of my classes we talk about the value of writing a prayer or praying something that someone else has written. My church history prof, in particular, usually starts class with a prayer written by a church father from the middle ages. Here's one that he recently read that was written by Thomas Aquinas in the 13th Century:

O creator past all telling,
you have appointed from the treasures of your wisdom
the hierarchies of angels,
disposing them in wondrous order
above the bright heavens,
and have so beautifully set out all parts of the universe.

You we call the true fount of wisdom
and the noble origin of all things.
Be pleased to shed
on the darkness of mind in which I was born,
The twofold beam of your light
and warmth to dispel my ignorance and sin.

You make eloquent the tongues of children.
Then instruct my speech
and touch my lips with graciousness.
Make me keen to understand, quick to learn,
able to remember;
make me delicate to interpret and ready to speak.

Guide my going in and going forward,
lead home my going forth.
You are true God and true man,
and live for ever and ever. Amen.

While it's good that we can say what we're thinking to God, this prayer puts my free form prayers to shame (since they usually start well but turn into a grocery list of stuff I think I need).

Good Bye 2008!

2008-12-31T12:58:00.000-05:00

A trip to Germany and Spain. Moving 2700 miles. The skyrocketing neice/nephew count. Becoming a student again. 2008 was an amazing year!

Now that I'm a student I doubt 2009 will match this past year for momentous events, but you never know. I thought I'd take this opportunity to inform ya'll of Pam and my plans for this year.

The biggest event of our year will likely be a cross-cultural internship this summer. It's our hope that Pam will be able to join me on this 5-week missions trip. With the economy being so poor we need to decide if her being with me for the entire five weeks is worth risking her job not being here when we get back. We have several contingency plans and I'll let you all know what we plan on doing in a couple weeks.

We also hope to visit the northwest this year. We really miss all our friends and family in Lynden, Vancouver and Terrace and we know that if we know our best chance for a long trip out to see ya'll is this summer.

Thanks for making 2008 a memorable year!

Personality Type

2008-12-14T19:32:00.000-05:00

Last week I took a personality test for my small group. I've done these things before and they haven't been very accurate, so I went into it with some skepticism. This was actually pretty good though.

Try it out at www.humanmetrics.com
Get some analysis of your results at www.personalitypage.com

It turns out I'm ENTJ and Pam is ISFJ. I think that makes us a pretty good combo.

Let me know what you are in a comment.

Nigeria

2008-12-01T19:58:00.000-05:00

A good friend of mine from school named John Eigege shared some disturbing news today in our small group. John is from the Nigerian city of Jos, which lies on the unofficial border between the northern, predominantly Muslim region and the southern, predominantly Christian regions of the country.

There was recently an election in the area and in Nigeria, elections are often followed by turmoil. In this case a Christian won the election and many of the muslims in the city are claiming the election was fixed and illegitimate. This has quickly escalated into violence and hundreds of people have already died. John's family has been forced from their home and many of his relatives fear for their lives. Understandably, John is very upset about being so far away from his family while they endure these terrible events.

Please pray for the people in Jos, that the Holy Spirit would miraculously intervene, and that the violence will stop soon.

Stuff I Learned During My First Quarter at Seminary

2008-11-25T23:59:00.000-05:00

Sorry the the long gap between blog posts. I thought I'd take a minute to put in writing some of the cool stuff I learned during my first quarter at Calvin Seminary.

In one of my classes we talked a lot about spiritual disciplines. I was aware that I should be praying and reading the Bible (which are both spiritual disciplines) but felt that there should be more I can practice to be more like Jesus. We read excerpts from several great books including Celebration of Discipline, In the Name of Jesus, The Confessions of Saint Augustine, and my personal favorite Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Through all this reading I learned that spiritual disciplines such as silence, solitude, secrecy (which is not telling people whenever you do something good), fasting, worship, celebration, fellowship and service are extremely effective when practiced for the right reasons.

During my courses I heard more metaphors than you could shake a stick at, but the best one I read all quarter was from John Chrysostom. This guy lived in the late 4th century and was one of the first great Christian preachers. He said that discipline is like surgery: too little will leave someone unchanged and too much could cause permanent damage.

Another great moment came when we were discussing humility in one of my courses. My professor, John Rottman said something so profound that I immediately committed it to memory. He said that humble people very seldom ruin things (meaning community, progress, or even the world's perception of Christianity). This caused me to contemplate relationships I have that might be slightly fractured, and I instantly realize that my problems are caused by my own arrogance, pride, and outspokenness.

So what's the point of my post? I would recommend reading any of the books that I mentioned earlier. By learning about the spiritual disciplines therein, you too might realize what your strengths and weaknesses are and where you fit into the body of Christ.

Campaign T-Shirt Test

2008-11-13T21:15:00.001-05:00

My cousin, and good buddy, Cal alerted me today to a great article in the Chicago Tribune.

The article is about a teenager in Oak Park named Catherine Vogt. Since the Obama campaign was preaching tolerance and togetherness, Catherine decided to test how open-minded her classmates and teachers really were.

So just before the election, Catherine consulted with her history teacher, then bravely wore a unique T-shirt to school and recorded the comments of teachers and students in her journal. The T-shirt bore the simple yet quite subversive words drawn with a red marker: "McCain Girl"

The article goes on to explain how many of her classmates says she deserved to die for wearing the McCain shirt. To me, her classmates easy to dismiss because they are, after all, teenagers. What surprises me is the reaction she got from one of her teachers. Catherine notes, "In one class, I had one teacher say she will not judge me for my choice, but that she was surprised that I supported McCain." I love this quote because it typifies our culture today. In essence she's saying, "I'm not going to judge you, but I am judging you." (Don't get me started on the phrase "with all due respect".)

So what's my point in citing the article? Once Obama is inaugurated I really feel there could be some backlash for anyone who criticizes him. Considering our racist past, we have achieved a milestone in our nation's history. However, that doesn't mean we should throw our brains out the door and canonize him. It's great that people trust the President but we might be crossing the line by believing he is going to solve all our problems.

Friends' Blogs

2008-11-06T18:18:00.000-05:00

Some of my buddies have some pretty good blogs of their own. Check 'em out.

Calvin's Unnamed Blog is written by my favorite 9-year-old. Calvin has done a really good job updating his blog each day, and he would really like it if you check it out.

Zack Rock's Illustration Blog is loaded with spectacular water colors and witty commentary. He's my good buddy from our days at Logos Bible Software.

Every Thought Captive is the blog of sarcastic scholar , Mike Heiser. Mike has his Ph.D. in Semitic Languages and writes on a variety of topics at his various blogs. Every Thought Captive is his blog hub.

And it's not really a blog but if you're into good music (and who isn't?), check out Classic Rock Liberation. These podcasts are done by Chris Lopez, who is my wife's sister's best friend's husband... but he's also a pretty good friend of mine as well.

My First Time Voting (in a Voting Booth)

2008-11-04T12:04:00.000-05:00

Since the state of Washington has concocted the most anti-climactic way to vote (via mail), this was the first time I've ever gone to vote in a voting booth. What an experience!

The lady behind me was irate (and close to going insane) over how inefficient the voting process was. The guy in front of me was complaining about how voting should never be done in a church and how offended he was by the poster on the wall with pictures Christians helping poor people in Haiti. Once I got into a different line (of which there were many) the guy behind me was raving about how voting "is the least I could do for my country."

The best moment of the day came when a hyperactive little kid made a break for the table on which the "I voted" stickers sat. Upon getting there he grabbed the stickers and chucked the roll in a manner that would put any experienced high school TP'er to shame. Every person in the crowded gym quickly learned this child's name was "PAAAATRIIIIICK JOSHUAAAAAA!!!!!" and a disciplinary swat was administered post haste.

Voting was maddening, fun, intense and generally weird experience. For all you readers in Washington, you don't know what you're missing!

Crossroads Bible Institute

2008-11-01T19:18:00.000-04:00

This past week I sat in on a presentation by Dr. David Schuringa of Crossroads Bible Institute. This organization creates and distributes Bible studies for people in prison. Dr. Schuringa started off with some staggering facts:

There are currently more than 2 million people in United States correctional facilities.
The United States has 5% of the world's population, but 25% of the world's incarcerated population.
Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States because it is the fastest growing religion in US prisons.

Quite obviously, this means that Christians have a huge mission opportunity right on our proverbial doorstep. The Crossroads Bible Institute believes that every man in prison needs to know that someone cares about them, so it's their mission to connect Christians with prisoners. Here's how the program works:

A person in jail hears about the institute. (CBI takes care of that.)
The student (who is in prison) receives a lesson and mails it to the CBI.
The CBI mails that lesson to the instructor (AKA you!).
The instructor corrects the lesson and mails it back, along with an encouraging letter of discipleship.
The instructor reports the score and evaluation to the CBI.
When the student completes the course (which is several lessons) he/she receives a certificate of completion.

Sounds pretty great doesn't it? To me there are two statistics that make this organization even more attractive.

Eighty percent of prisoners never receive any mail while they are incarcerated.
Seventy-Five percent of people who were in prison will commit another crime upon their release. However, only 14% will commit another crime if they studied the Word of God during incarceration!

Dr. Schuringa told us of his first visit to a prison. He left with an overwhelming sense that if Jesus were around today he would be hanging around in prisons. I think he hit the nail on the head with that statement. I also think this is the kind of thing Jesus was talking about when he called us to store up treasures in heaven rather than on this earth.
If you want to get involved send an email to mail@crossroadbible.org.

Fall in the Midwest

2008-10-22T22:34:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday we decided to take advantage of the lowering gas prices and drive to Ludington, Michigan. It took us just under two hours each way. We passed hundreds of miles of dense deciduous forests. It was a really nice day that made us feel a lot more at home in the midwest.

The fall colors outside our apartment balcony

Me on the beach near Ludington

Beach, Blue Sky and the Fall Colors

Pam prepares our lunch.

A post-drive nap with Blackie, my childhood teddy bear.

Camera for Stephen

2008-10-15T11:52:00.000-04:00

A couple posts ago I introduced my new friend Stephen Hamidu from Nigeria. Stephen and I were talking the other day about how nice it would be if he could send some pictures to his family.

I got to thinking that a digital camera would be something he could really use during his time at seminary. And since I know that we all like upgrading our stuff some of the readers of this blog might have a digital camera that they don't use very often, if at all. Stephen does have a computer so he could email pictures to his pastor in Nigeria, who could print them and bring them to his wife and kids. So if you can help out, post a comment and I'll send you my address.

Thanks for reading!

My First Blog Post (by Pam)

2008-10-09T22:31:00.000-04:00

Today was very exciting, I created my own little business where I sell fun things that I've made. Lately I've been into appliqueing cute little animals and other things of the like onto onesies and tote bags, however I have a feeling that other different items may come in the near future. I see this as an excuse to spend money on my hobbies, and even more reason to spend time doing them.

Check out my Etsy store!

Leave a comment if you can think of anything you want me to put on a onesie.

Thank You Stephen Colbert

2008-10-02T15:59:00.000-04:00

This is satire at its best.

This makes me realize how many people are actually involved in fleecing the American public. We blame CEOs for their greed, but marketers are just as much to blame for making commercials that are just as ridiculous as Colbert's parody.

Stephen's American Odyssey

2008-09-30T16:52:00.000-04:00

I signed up this thing called the International Friends Program during one of my first days at school. Eventually they paired me with a guy named Stephen Hamidu.

Stephen is from Nigeria. This is his first time being to the western hemisphere. What makes this guy so remarkable is that he is living here for the next 2 years while his wife and 4 kids are back in Nigeria. That's just the start of what makes Stephen an incredible guy.

He is in the Master of Theology program and his topic is environmental responsibility in west Africa. Stephen says that the Christians in Africa (and I'm afraid this is true of ones in North America) just focus on how they are redeemed and don't work towards the redemption of creation. Stephen says that in Nigeria people kill animals without giving a thought to how rare the animals are or how they are affecting the ecosystem. Stephen is from southeastern Nigeria (near the border with Cameroon) where chimpanzees and gorillas are threatened with extinction.

One of the problems he has had in his research is finding sources that deal specifically with environmentalism in Africa. If you come across any let me know so we can all help Stephen in his studies!

Why I Argue

2008-09-17T18:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I couldn't fall asleep. I eventually I ended up thinking about why I enjoy arguing my point? The reason I noticed this is because I haven't really felt a desire lately to get into debates on politics, religion or even sports.

I realized that the large amount of sports coverage is probably to blame. Sports coverage has become a shouting match (Around the Horn, PTI, sports talk radio) about what team is the best, who's the MVP, and even who has the best uniforms. The news isn't much better. For a while I thought I liked Rush Limbaugh until I took a step back and realized how much of a colossal jerk he is. Watching any coverage on a cable news station is now beyond persuasive. It's fun to get mad at Keith Olberman, Bill Maher, Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity but is it really beneficial?

At a certain point politics, sports talk, and even theology become more about rhetoric than substance. I'm not saying I'm perfect but taking some time off from TV saturation has done some good.