Ben's Favorite Pics...Ice Storm 2009

Snowstorm 2009

Good News and Bad News

It has been an eventful week for us! Bad news first - the powers that be at my school have decided that they must fill an open Spanish position two weeks before finals. As I have the certification necessary, I have been elected to move departments into the position. I will no longer have a classroom, as the open position is for a floater who moves throughout the four story school. Also, I will be teaching the "comprehensive" aka behavior issue classes. This will not be pleasant.

Now for the much more pleasant good news: Ben has been asked to be a Garrett Fellow to Dr. Nettles! This is an honor for Ben and I am very proud of him. He has worked very diligently this semester and God has blessed his efforts with new friends, new knowledge of several areas, and now, the opportunity to be a Garrett Fellow.

A Happy Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend in Mississippi. It was especially good to see our friends at New Home again. Ben preached on Wednesday night and we were able to share a meal with them.
It was also really nice to spend some leisure time with family. Ben's Meemaw was visiting Clinton, so we were able to see her more than usual.
I hope that everyone had as much fun as we did. Only 3 more weeks until Christmas!

To SBC or not to SBC?

That is the question...

With the fallout of the John 3:16 Conference dulling to a low roar, I thought that I would share some thoughts and fears about our future as Southern Baptists. (You can read some of the responses here or here, or just ask Ben. He has plenty to say on the matter.)

Ben and I love Baptist churches. We especially love Mississippi Baptists and feel called to work in our home state again one day. Lately, however, I have been concerned about whether or not the Southern Baptist Convention will have us. We are branded with the scarlet letter. That letter is a "C."

As you may know, Ben received his M.Div. from RTS Jackson. My family and I were members of a Presbyterian church. Now, we are in Louisville, KY where Ben is pursuing his doctorate and studying under men like Dr. Tom Nettles and Dr. David Puckett.

We are Calvinists. Wow. I'm not sure if I've ever actually seen that in print before. It is a little scary considering the current climate, but it is necessary to say. We are not confrontational people, but I would not have us hide what we believe. It is the whole doctrine of God.

Earlier this week Ben sent me this blog. I read it and my immediate reaction was to get really angry that poor guy has been blacklisted because of his beliefs. Then, I thought about how many times I have avoided the Calvin conversation myself. I thought of a recent lecture that I heard on William Tyndale. Tyndale sacrificed his life for what he believed. I guess a little ostracism is a small price to pay for holding to the scripture-based solas.

My second reaction to reading Voddie Baucham's blog was fear. After all, if these things can happen to someone like him, we are certainly at risk. I have lots of questions like: Will the SBC go on a witch hunt and kick all of us out? What will some of the reformed-leaning pastors at home do about this? Will they ignore us? Or will they help us? Will Southern Seminary officially take a stand on this matter for its professors and students?

I do not know the answers to these questions today, but I do know that we will continue to be Southern Baptists. This week, I will start working on the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering at church. (If that ain't Baptist, I don't know what is!)

I grew up Baptist, but I rarely shared the Gospel because I didn't know what I believed. Now that I listen to solid, biblical preaching, I am told that my beliefs kill evangelism. I disagree. I am on fire now. I want to be a new kind of Baptist. I want to share the Gospel with unbelievers and not skip over anything. I want to be the kind of Baptist that can articulate what I believe and back it up with scripture. I will know the attributes of God and praise Him daily for his sovereignty. I think they call that Reformed Baptist.

Harry Connick Jr.

Thanks to a connection at my school, we got free tickets to the first performance of Harry Connick Jr.'s new tour.

Ben and I enjoyed the concert at the Louisville Palace on Tuesday night. We had a great time watching Harry Connick Jr. perform Christmas music and some other favorites. The Palace is an incredible venue. This was a fun way for us to kick off the holiday season!

Lately..

It is cold and rainy here. We are bracing for the winter, and hoping for a mild one. My car is out of the shop, and the tires repaired from a blowout that we had on the way to church last week. We are worry-free and on wheels again!
Ben has been working like crazy getting the last of his papers completed. I got really sick last week and am still recovering from a sinus infection. With his busy schedule, it is a blessing that Ben did not catch it. This is his last big, busy week and then he can take a breather.
At school, there is still a possibility that I may get moved into another department in January. We are hoping and praying against that because it would be a big inconvenience and very stressful. In the meantime, I am teaching The Odyssey to my Freshmen and they are working hard. We are all ready for the holiday breaks.
So, that's what's happening lately.