I am indeed despicable

I watched Despicable Me while "overseeing" my 7 children and 1 nephew and wondering why we think the innocence of children can reform the evil in us.  Having children will quickly bring out your short temper, sharp tongue, and other vices. Children's innocence is beautiful but shallow and short lived.

Our Agenda enclosure

We included the following with the copies of Agenda which we gave out.

This video is available at http://agendadocumentary.com/

Dear Friends,

Enclosed is a documentary we thought important enough to buy copies to share. We think this movie has several great things about it.

1. It was made by a family man who took a year off work to make it because he felt that the message was important enough for the sacrifice
2. It presents an excellent historical review of socialist thought, its horrific outcomes, and its connections to current political figures.
3. It shows that we are not victims of a conspiracy we never saw coming but rather that we God- fearing Americans have been idle. The growth of the welfare state has occurred in a vacuum left by the church. Much of the direction of our government reflects the lack of doctrinal understanding of the nature of man, work, personal responsibility, authority, ownership, God's sovereignty in all events, and the role of marriage.
4. It ends on a hopeful note. The man who made this movie makes it clear that the solution is not in political parties alone but is in the power of God working through his humbled people. I am amazed at how many people think it's all over. From my infancy, I was raised in church where “Jesus is coming any day.” They were right, but here I am thirty-five years old, a father of young children, feeling very unprepared, left searching the Scriptures and reading from Godly men on what God requires of me in my home. The Bible certainly speaks to the role of authority in the home and in the church. But outside those two realms, the Scripture is not silent. In our family reading through Proverbs, we have been struck by how many verses are related to rulers. Given the context that these are a King's advice to his sons, future kings, this is no surprise. But that so many of these sayings should be preserved for us in God's Word is significant. Scripture is sufficient for the ruling of nations. When Christ returns, I want to be found about his business, teaching the nations, including mine (Matt 28:19).

Please pass this video on. We love you and look forward to standing by you in the days ahead.

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. (Proverbs 29:2 KJV)

Thanks to a tip from Credenda Agenda, I rented How to Train Your Dragon tonight.  The differences in world view from most movies are subtle yet profound (maybe that is why movies are so powerful are conveying such ideas):

• It's "your dragon."  This is a movie about taking dominion.  The Vikings do not come to see the dragons, their mortal enemies, as equals but as "pets."  To take dominion, the mighty dragon enslaving the others had to be slayed.
• The father and son both have a difficult time in their relationship and both apologize.
• The hero ends up losing a limb.  Though a happy ending, it reminds us that great deeds are not without sacrifice and loss.

It reminds me of the subtle points of The Emperor's New Groove.  Those were dorky kids with cool parents, a family with three children (population growth--in a rainforest nonetheless!), and a lesson about humility.  The movie is really a retelling of the humbling of Nebuchadnezzar from Daniel 4.

I was also inspired to rent the dragon movie after reading A Landscape with Dragons which talks about the importance of analogies in fables and myths and popular culture.

Observations while substitute teaching

We are not raising our children for dominion.  Implied in dominion is a resistance.  We must take dominion. From who?  There are dominions, authorities, and powers that resist this dominion.  We need to train for war.  By not training for war, we bring it upon us.  We make its coming worse by believing we can avoid it by never mentioning it, forbidding it to be spoken of, by speaking of it as human tragedy of the past.  A peaceful oppression, an unresisted march of tyranny is a tragedy.  In war there are individual tragedies but within a national glory.

Without the gaol of dominion boys are restless and unmotivated, unaware of the challenges they may face.  Without the threat of opposition, girls are arrogant and unproductive, mot understanding that monsters are real.

Beating the inheritance tax

HOw are my boys going to provide for their families in the days to come? With the decline and death throes of democracy, wealth with be hard to acquire and hard to keep. One thing I can leave them is relationships and reputation. Prov 22:1. That means I need to be confident, friendly, and outgoing. Shucks.

Post some respect

We will return from our vacation Thursday. I am trying to think of how to describe our trip to those who might ask. "Tiring" seems too depressing. "Emotional" seems more hopeful. Emotions are not always bad and the tears eventually stop. July 5th one of my cousins apparently committed suicide leaving behind his female life partner(his term) and a 6-month old son then July 18th a friend from Florida was shot and killed while on duty as a police officer leaving behind his wife (my wife's childhood friend) and 3 children under 5.

I went to various local news website to get details and it was frustrating to see how the "Leave a comment" discussions digressed as people of the web gave their opinions and harped on their favorite topics. My cousin's death turned into a discussion of mental health, homelessness, Ronald Reagan/Bill Clinton, etc.. Junior reporters would also chime in with eye witness details. I was especially moved by the description of the fire engine washing my cousins remains off the train tracks. My friend's death has turned into a discussion of immigration, "the system," and gun control.

I'm all for free speech but I realize now that those news stories are real people. It amazing also how much communicating we do now, how many comments we are making. These two deaths have impressed on me the need to speak the words of appreciation, gratitude and encouragement to the people I actually know.