Aug
6
Good eats in Beijing
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As one who works from one language to another, I have a special sympathy and extra laugh for the sign purchased by this Beijing restaurateur, who apparently used an internet translation service to obtain an English sign to attract customers while the Olympics are in town.
I hear the “404 File Not Found Chicken” is to die for.
Feb
9
Back from Minneapolis
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I’m glad to be back in Kosciusko after the spending the front end of this week in frigid Minneapolis at the Desiring God Pastors Conference. This was my first year to go. I was not disappointed. The following are some of my reflections on the week.
- All of the sessions were excellent. When you go to a conference you expect to get some good, some better, and hopefully some excellent. All, and I mean all, of the sessions were excellent. RC Sproul opened up on Monday night with a powerful exposition on Isaiah 6. The pace never lagged, all the way through the closing Q&A. I would heartily recommend all the sessions, which you can read or listen to here.
- The conference volunteers had a noticeable servant spirit. The event was staffed by DG staff and volunteers from Bethlehem Baptist Church. In their words and actions they showed a sincere zeal to help the pastors in attendance with whatever they needed. I remarked to my wife on my return, “They treated us like weary pastors.” That was so refreshing because so often that is what I am, a “weary pastor”.
- It was freezing! Temperatures hovered around one degree for most of the time. It snowed on Tuesday. The only time I ventured outside was to go a block to a coffee shop. That waiting cup of coffee, that precious carrot on a stick, was all that kept this cold mule trudging. I’ll take 40 and raining, my current weather, over frigid and snowing any day of the week.
- What an excellent book store. My wanderings through the tables of books produced most often one of two responses, either “I have it” or, “I want it.” That is what you want somebody saying as they come through your bookstore. My luggage was notably heavier on my return trip.
- They gave us some great books. Registration included a “goodie bag” of various and sundry books. I won’t catalog them all, but will say that one of the books we received was Beeke’s, Meet the Puritans.
- I have never seen so many shaved heads and goatees in my life.
- I was surprised to see so many older pastors. With all the press on the young, restless, and Reformed I was expecting a younger crowd at the conference. But there were equal men there of most age groups (young seminary students through older pastors).
Parting thought: My greatest encouragement at this conference was being encouraged again to drink deeply of the matchless holiness and glory of our God revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ applied to our hearts by his Holy Spirit. It is easy to let sin and secondary pursuits crowd out the singular beauty of the gospel of grace. The great Husbandman used this conference to carryout significant pruning of and weeding around this humble vine. By his work, I hope to bear more fruit because of it.
Feb
2
Desiring God Conference
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I’ll be at the Desiring God Pastors Conference for most of next week. The conference is designed to offer encouragement and resources for men in pastoral ministry. I’m excited to be there and learn from some great Christian men. The speakers will be R.C. Sproul, John Piper, Thabiti Anyabwile, and William Mackenzie. I’ve never heard any of them in person. Piper’s choice for Christian biography this year is Andrew Fuller, of whom I know very little. I’ll give an update on the conference upon my return. Pray for this Mississippi boy in MN with temperatures hovering around zero degrees for the duration of my stay.
Speaking of Desiring God Ministries, you can also check out their newly launched blog.