Thoughts and Happenings

First - or as Chris would say it, 'Right off the top of my bat' - I've told a bunch of you that I'd blog about the John Piper conference we went were at a couple of weeks ago. I learned something by not blogging about it right away... always blog about whatever you're going to blog about right away, because it's a lot fresher in your mind. Not that I needed to tell any of you that, as I'm sure you're all a lot smarter than me... but... just in case there's another crazy person reading this... (and likely if you're reading my blog you are one - no offense.)

Anyway. Dad, Chris, the Ditmar girls and I all started the long 4 hour drive up there on April 3rd at 3:oo p.m. The conference started that evening at 7. We made it up there just in time for my starving brother to have his Big Mac at Micky D's. I personally wasn't to crazy about the eating part, so, if you all don't mind, I'm going to sorta skip over that.

The topic of the conference was; "Meditations on God's Delight in Being God". John Piper explained how we will learn to glorify God if we learn what God loves.
One of the points that really spoke to me was that, we become like who we love and admire. If we love the world, we'll become like the world, if we really admire a person or celebrity that's who we'll become like, and if we love and adore God THAT is who we will be like. I was really encouraged by that, because I thought, you know, if I love Jesus, I'm going to become like HIM!
Piper also talked about how God loves Jesus so much, but it's not the same kind of love that He loves us with. He loves us with a merciful, forgiving love. He loves Jesus with an approving love. Thus, God loves the Son, that is, delights in the Son with infinite joy because the Son is the perfect representation and divine radiance of Himself.
A lot of it was about finding ALL our joy in God. "God get the glory, and we get the joy. And the way to get Him the glory is to agree with that and live that - finding our highest joy in HIM."
And praising God through all the little things He gives us. Piper talked about how things like food, family, things, etc are not bad, they are good. IF we use them as a means to glorify Jesus, and life up His name. Not just consuming them on ourselves. Rather thanking God for all the things we don't deserve.

So, everything the first night was wonderful. Mostly everything on Saturday was wonderful. Except. (I wish there didn't have to be a "but") He DID talk about "God's Pleasure in Election", which got quite Calvinist. And, as pretty much all my readers probably know, I'm not a Calvinist, and couldn't agree with that part. However, I've always been a very strong advocate of, "Chewing the meat and spitting out the bones". There was diffidently a lot more meat than bones, and I went home very blessed!

At Perkins Friday night discussing the sermon! :)

Me and John Piper. Yes, he signed my book too! :D

Btw, everyone. This man totally seems like he lives the joy he talks about. Wow. I think he's probably one of the most joyful people I've ever met.

One more thing. I love Resurrection Sunday. Honestly. I'm looking forward to tomorrow... just meditating once again on what Jesus did for me. He's alive! I serve a risen Savior! I couldn't be happier! :)