...inspired by this morning's worship service.
My God, I contemplate Your works and I am left bewildered.
I think of Your glory and am left dumbfounded.
How am I to describe the God of mercy who turned His face from His own perfect sacrifice, only to make that same face shine on me, both a stranger and an enemy?
You are a God that shows both justice and compassion. Not in a single moment in the history of man, but throughout eternity. I am left small, resting on the grace of a great God.
Amen
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Why Dead Theologians Are Cool
Just heard this on WHI podcast (@9:30).
Epistle to Diognetus
Chapter V.-The Manners of the Christians.
For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.
Epistle to Diognetus
Chapter V.-The Manners of the Christians.
For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Cadenne's First Year: Retrospective
A look at Cadenne's first year in pictures and video. Thanks to Hanssie Trainor of Hanssie Trainor Photography for the birthday cake w/pink frosting and pink, white and gray sweater photos! Hire her! Thanks to the staff at CHLA and our family and friends. Praise God, this season of our life is for His glory alone, with out whom it would have been a terror instead of a blessing.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
What I did Last Summer....
Welcome back! Okay, so that is more for me than you. "Just where have I been?" you may ask. Let me 'splain. No, there is to much. Let me sum up. The past year has been extremely challenging. Most of you know about Cadenne and her issues, and the joys of seeing God work in her young life. What most of you may not know is that in January I shut down my struggling business, leaving us in a huge financial mess. I have returned to the automotive repair industry, and business is down. Way down. In all of this, I trust that God is working, whether I see it or not. He has a way of taking me to the end of my own resources and then pushing me a little beyond. The battle between my temporal anxiety and my trust in the eternal God has been huge. It should not be so. I know He is faithful and that His promises are reality waiting to be fullfilled. More than ever before, I think I understand the struggle of the Isrealites as they wondered through the wilderness. I pray that Jesus will continue to build my character (Rom 5:1-5), to deepen my understanding of His pleasure, and to make steadfast my heart. Soli Deo Gloria.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Finishing Strong
Legit link
Other link
Other link
This is the putt that put Tiger in the lead. From one behind to one ahead. This is an example of finishing strong.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Thats Dedication; The Interview
The night of Zachary and Cadenne's dedication was our communion service. The service usually closes with a time of sharing. Tricia and I shared about our experience with Cadenne. Hope you enjoy the the audio that Tricia refuses to listen to. And yes, that is how the service ended.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Now Thats Dedication...
A couple of weeks ago we dedicated our two youngest kids, Zachary and Cadenne. Here is the audio.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Return of Cigars and Theology
Yes my friends, it is true. i will be scheduling a C&T night for early next month. If you would like to be on the invite list, just email me. You can find my email in my profile. Our topic for discussion will be, "What is the extent of our cooperation in sanctification". For those who can not make it in person we can webcast. So get in your thinking chair, and think, think, think.
Saturday, February 09, 2008
The Weakness of Faith
He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there, and it will move,' and nothing will be impossible for you."
Early on in our journey with Cadenne, I had a fellow believer tell me, "Don't let the doctors tell you what to do. Have faith and pray, and God will heal her."
I have only the faith I was given. Apparently, I was not given enough faith to move much of anything. My faith was not capable of healing Cadenne's CDH. It was not sufficient to move the organs that had pushed their way through the hole in her diaphragm and crush one of her lungs. My faith was not strong enough to supply the oxygen levels needed to keep her off ECMO.
Weak and flailing is my faith. It was only able to provide me with peace of mind, knowing that the fate of my baby was in the hands of God. My faith, feeble as it is, was able to magnify and glorify a God who is more likely to use vocation though providence to work all things to the good of those who love Him, than an instantaneous miraculous healing. It was my small faith that led me broken and poor to His body, the church. Through them, I felt the hands of God minister to my family. It was in this lacking faith that I found great joy in my suffering, wishing that I had been found more faithful so that I could suffer more for His glory.
My faith was unable to move mountains of sickness, poverty, or the broken heart of a desperate man unable to fix his baby and shield his wife from sorrow. My faith was only strong enough to throw myself upon His promises of His faithfulness.
Soli Deo Gloria! It was not my faith that is at work healing baby Cadenne, but the God that gave me my faith!
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Note: There is a "virtual cast" for you to sign if you are among those praying for Cadenne. Please leave a comment including your name and local here.
Early on in our journey with Cadenne, I had a fellow believer tell me, "Don't let the doctors tell you what to do. Have faith and pray, and God will heal her."
I have only the faith I was given. Apparently, I was not given enough faith to move much of anything. My faith was not capable of healing Cadenne's CDH. It was not sufficient to move the organs that had pushed their way through the hole in her diaphragm and crush one of her lungs. My faith was not strong enough to supply the oxygen levels needed to keep her off ECMO.
Weak and flailing is my faith. It was only able to provide me with peace of mind, knowing that the fate of my baby was in the hands of God. My faith, feeble as it is, was able to magnify and glorify a God who is more likely to use vocation though providence to work all things to the good of those who love Him, than an instantaneous miraculous healing. It was my small faith that led me broken and poor to His body, the church. Through them, I felt the hands of God minister to my family. It was in this lacking faith that I found great joy in my suffering, wishing that I had been found more faithful so that I could suffer more for His glory.
My faith was unable to move mountains of sickness, poverty, or the broken heart of a desperate man unable to fix his baby and shield his wife from sorrow. My faith was only strong enough to throw myself upon His promises of His faithfulness.
Soli Deo Gloria! It was not my faith that is at work healing baby Cadenne, but the God that gave me my faith!
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Note: There is a "virtual cast" for you to sign if you are among those praying for Cadenne. Please leave a comment including your name and local here.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Cadenne Updates
To day there were four updates. Lots of good news.
Update Number One. Update Number Two. Update Number Three. Update Number Four
Update Number One. Update Number Two. Update Number Three. Update Number Four
Thursday, December 27, 2007
What I learned this week...
All the calamities of the world can't scale the walls of my indifference.
But the tears of my wife, wash the walls away like waves on a sandcastle.
The generosity of the body of Christ breaks the gates like a strong army.
I am left humbled, knowing I am not as strong nor hard as I thought.
I reserve the right to delete this at any time...read fast.
But the tears of my wife, wash the walls away like waves on a sandcastle.
The generosity of the body of Christ breaks the gates like a strong army.
I am left humbled, knowing I am not as strong nor hard as I thought.
I reserve the right to delete this at any time...read fast.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Cadenne Update Cross Posting
For more info and back story see the McDaris Family Blog.
It is with much thanksgiving and praise to the Lord that we write this update for you today. As you have seen, Cadenne is now ECMO-free! The doctors are all thrilled with her quick progress. As sick as she was when she arrived here at Children's, none of them thought she would be off this soon. We know that God is the Great Physician, and has had his healing hand on her from the beginning. It was so wonderful to see that massive cart being rolled away... AWAY from our baby! What a blessing!
Cadenne did extremely well with her first day off of ECMO. Her blood gases have been great, and her oxygen levels have also been good. She spent some of the day "riding the machine," which is basically her body letting the ventilator take over for her while she is asleep. Other parts of the day she was taking breaths in addition to what the machine was doing for her. Surgeons were watching her closely all day and have made the decision to go ahead with her repair surgery tomorrow. She is an add-on case, and has 4 other surgeries on the schedule before her, so she likely won't go in until late morning or early afternoon.
Initially, the surgeon we spoke to said they would try doing the surgery orthoscopically, where they make tiny incisions in discrete places and do the repair in a way that is minimally invasive, with the understanding that they may have to go in and do a larger incision if that didn't work. Later in the day, after the surgeons had a pow-wow, they decided that it was best for Cadenne just to do the bigger incision. It is a MUCH shorter surgery, and with the level of pulmonary hypertension that she had, they think it is likely that they'll end up with the bigger incision anyway. They believe the hole is quite large and that a patch will be needed. (rather than just stitching the diaphragm up.)
Please pray that the Lord would guide the surgeons' hands, that the hole is easier to repair than they think it will be, and that Cadenne will recover quickly. Since they're going with the larger incision, she is likely to be in a lot more pain. Please pray that her pain would be managed well. Lastly, pray for the function of her lungs... that the surgery will help them to inflate even more. She is still experiencing some pulmonary hypertension, so hopefully after the surgery, that will ease up a bit. And most importantly, pray that our God would be made famous through all of this, that it will be clear that He deserves our worship.
We know that Cadenne is in good hands. The surgeons are top notch. We are confident that this surgery--the third in nine days--will be good for her. We are by no means out of the woods yet, but this is the next big hurdle that needs to be jumped!
Earlier today the respiratory therapist was changing the tape around Cadenne's ventilator and told me to get the camera out so that I could get a picture of (almost) her whole face. I jumped at that chance! Isn't she pretty?
It is with much thanksgiving and praise to the Lord that we write this update for you today. As you have seen, Cadenne is now ECMO-free! The doctors are all thrilled with her quick progress. As sick as she was when she arrived here at Children's, none of them thought she would be off this soon. We know that God is the Great Physician, and has had his healing hand on her from the beginning. It was so wonderful to see that massive cart being rolled away... AWAY from our baby! What a blessing!
Cadenne did extremely well with her first day off of ECMO. Her blood gases have been great, and her oxygen levels have also been good. She spent some of the day "riding the machine," which is basically her body letting the ventilator take over for her while she is asleep. Other parts of the day she was taking breaths in addition to what the machine was doing for her. Surgeons were watching her closely all day and have made the decision to go ahead with her repair surgery tomorrow. She is an add-on case, and has 4 other surgeries on the schedule before her, so she likely won't go in until late morning or early afternoon.
Initially, the surgeon we spoke to said they would try doing the surgery orthoscopically, where they make tiny incisions in discrete places and do the repair in a way that is minimally invasive, with the understanding that they may have to go in and do a larger incision if that didn't work. Later in the day, after the surgeons had a pow-wow, they decided that it was best for Cadenne just to do the bigger incision. It is a MUCH shorter surgery, and with the level of pulmonary hypertension that she had, they think it is likely that they'll end up with the bigger incision anyway. They believe the hole is quite large and that a patch will be needed. (rather than just stitching the diaphragm up.)
Please pray that the Lord would guide the surgeons' hands, that the hole is easier to repair than they think it will be, and that Cadenne will recover quickly. Since they're going with the larger incision, she is likely to be in a lot more pain. Please pray that her pain would be managed well. Lastly, pray for the function of her lungs... that the surgery will help them to inflate even more. She is still experiencing some pulmonary hypertension, so hopefully after the surgery, that will ease up a bit. And most importantly, pray that our God would be made famous through all of this, that it will be clear that He deserves our worship.
We know that Cadenne is in good hands. The surgeons are top notch. We are confident that this surgery--the third in nine days--will be good for her. We are by no means out of the woods yet, but this is the next big hurdle that needs to be jumped!
Earlier today the respiratory therapist was changing the tape around Cadenne's ventilator and told me to get the camera out so that I could get a picture of (almost) her whole face. I jumped at that chance! Isn't she pretty?
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Pics of the New Baby
Here are pictures of my brand new baby.
This is her room. Yes, all the equipment is for her.
She has CDH and she is on an ECMO (heart/lung bypass).
There are only four hospitals in California that offer ECMO.
Pray. For more information click here. Soli Deo Gloria.
This is her room. Yes, all the equipment is for her.
She has CDH and she is on an ECMO (heart/lung bypass).
There are only four hospitals in California that offer ECMO.
Pray. For more information click here. Soli Deo Gloria.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
A Recent Prayer
My God and my Lord,
To You alone I pray
Because you alone created every thing
It was You that came down to save me
It was You that created a heart of life in this once dead man
It was You that gave me eyes that see and ears that hear
You saved me not from the consequences of my sins
You saved me from the consequence of my sin nature
You saved me from the consequence of Your righteous judgment
Lord please forgive me for seeking pleasures other than You
Lord please forgive me for my pride that boasts in things other than You
Lord please forgive me for the passions that fail to glorify You
You gave me all that I have
You gave me my wife and my children
You gave me the ring in my ear, Master
By Your grace alone I stand before You
By Your grace alone I stand as head of my house
By Your grace alone I stand in the gap
With Your outstretched arm You have crushed Your enemies
With Your outstretched arm You have terrified whole nations
With Your outstretched arm You have lead me with steadfast love
Into Your arms I place all I have
Into Your arms I place all I fear
Into Your arms I place all my trust
Amen
To You alone I pray
Because you alone created every thing
It was You that came down to save me
It was You that created a heart of life in this once dead man
It was You that gave me eyes that see and ears that hear
You saved me not from the consequences of my sins
You saved me from the consequence of my sin nature
You saved me from the consequence of Your righteous judgment
Lord please forgive me for seeking pleasures other than You
Lord please forgive me for my pride that boasts in things other than You
Lord please forgive me for the passions that fail to glorify You
You gave me all that I have
You gave me my wife and my children
You gave me the ring in my ear, Master
By Your grace alone I stand before You
By Your grace alone I stand as head of my house
By Your grace alone I stand in the gap
With Your outstretched arm You have crushed Your enemies
With Your outstretched arm You have terrified whole nations
With Your outstretched arm You have lead me with steadfast love
Into Your arms I place all I have
Into Your arms I place all I fear
Into Your arms I place all my trust
Amen
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Arms of God
I listen to quite a bit of secular music. One of my current favorite bands is Corrosion of Conformity. Their latest release is titled In The Arms of God. It amazes me that men of the world can get so close to Truth. Here are the lyrics to the title song, last on the album. The song is extraordinarily powerful. The words alone are not enough. If you want to hear it we can work that out.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
You have not...
From the beginning of our difficulties with this pregnancy we have wanted the help and prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ. I want the people I worship with involved in my life. I am blessed with a healthy church family. We have often been asked by our church family to give updates on Cadenne Hope. That is a relatively easy request to fulfill. But at this past concert of prayer I came across a request that was not so easy, One of the elders simply asked, "How are you doing?" I answered, "Tired." I went on to mention a couple of reasons why, none of which seemed adequate. Now that I have been able to reflect upon it a little longer, I think I have a better answer. I have been anxious. And sinfully so.
I continue to be anxious even though I know Matt. 6:25-34 tells me I shouldn't be anxious. I know that my God is the God of Israel, the God that provided even after their sinful unbelief in the wilderness. He was still faithful to His people. How often will I fret about material provisions instead of seeking His righteousness? (Philippians 4:6) He has always proven Himself faithful to His own. In this, my "wilderness experience", I find myself tempted to side with the ten spies, those that thought the taking of the promised land was beyond their abilities. They were right. Joshua and Caleb say as much in Num 14:5-10: "the Lord is with us".
In every sense is not that enough? If God is for me, who can be against me? I can see how He has cared for both the birds and George Muller, surely I fall some where between those two. I wish to live out the trust I profess in God, that His love would cast out this fear in particular.
I continue to be anxious even though I know Matt. 6:25-34 tells me I shouldn't be anxious. I know that my God is the God of Israel, the God that provided even after their sinful unbelief in the wilderness. He was still faithful to His people. How often will I fret about material provisions instead of seeking His righteousness? (Philippians 4:6) He has always proven Himself faithful to His own. In this, my "wilderness experience", I find myself tempted to side with the ten spies, those that thought the taking of the promised land was beyond their abilities. They were right. Joshua and Caleb say as much in Num 14:5-10: "the Lord is with us".
In every sense is not that enough? If God is for me, who can be against me? I can see how He has cared for both the birds and George Muller, surely I fall some where between those two. I wish to live out the trust I profess in God, that His love would cast out this fear in particular.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Sometimes Blessings Stink
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5
If you read the Cadenne Hope Updates, you will know where this post comes from.
As for how this post relates to the post below, this would be a post on subject B) Stop pretending that you're OK. We know differently.
It seems that God has chosen to have me move beyond theological theories, and into the realm of living out the hope He has given to me. While we all understand that God is knitting our little girl together in Tricia's womb, we don't necessarily understand why He decided to skip a knit one, pearl two. I would like to think it is for the same reason the man in John 9:1-3 was born blind: to reveal God's glory.
The theory I had been formulating was a simple one. Given that we are sinners in a fallen world, pain is good. To quote Westley "Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something." But why would I argue that pain is good? Two reasons; 1) Pain as a diagnostic tool indicates that something is wrong and needs to change. Thomas Covenant longs for pain. This leads to reason 2) Pain also indicates life (that is you're not dead yet), which means there is time to correct the condition that is causing the pain.
I realize I have not suffered to the same extent as the great saints of the faith. As a result I do not have the endurance nor the character of a great man of God. For now I will rejoice in the suffering that my Lord has allotted me, content with the hope He is pouring out for His glory.
Post Script
I have come to understand a third reason that pain is good. It gives an opportunity for the body of Christ to be the arms of God that hold and comfort those that suffer.
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