My New Year Resolution

I'm not big on New Year resolutions. Too often, I find that I'm trying to externally patch some problem by simply resolving to stop rather than dealing with whatever deeper root cause. This being the case, I too often fail at whatever I am undertaking because I'm attempting to treat a symptom rather than the problem.

All that to say that I have a New Year resolution of sorts this year, and it's one that I would recommend to everyone. Timothy Brister, in collaboration with The Resurgence, has begun a project called "Partnering to Remember." The goal this year is to memorize the entire book of Philippians beginning on January 1, to be completed by Easter Sunday (April 24). The Resurgence has created a very helpful PDF that divides the text up into small chunks of 5-8 verses for each of the sixteen weeks. The sections of this PDF are sized so that they can be cut and taped into a Cahier Moleskin for maximum portability and ease of study.


I know that memorizing and entire book of the Bible seems daunting, but what more worthy way to spend your spare time? I'm a little nervous that I won't be able to stick it out for 4 months, but why let that stop me? Come January 1, I'll start on the most ambitious memorization project I've ever undertaken. Tim Brister:

Let’s face it. Memorizing Scripture can be a difficult discipline, especially memorizing long passages of Scripture. In our fast-paced lives of multi-tasking with any number of things vying for our attention, there is a real danger for the Word of God to get squeezed out of our daily lives. More than any other time, Christians need to partner together for the purpose of internalizing Scripture, encouraging one another to abide in the words of Christ, and remembering the weighty truths that center us in God’s work in our lives.

I encourage you to join me on January 1 as I begin to memorize the book of Philippians.

Merry Christmas!!!

I enjoyed this...

100 days and counting...

For those of you who follow our baby blog, you'll know that yesterday marked the end of our first 100 days with Aiden. We've been chronicling the journey in pictures, and so I thought I would post the entire slideshow here for everyone to see. I can't wait to see the Lord's faithfulness in all of our lives over the next 100 days, and beyond.

Hobby Lobby Heresy

I'm pretty sure this isn't what Paul meant when he wrote this in his letter to the Romans. Just sayin...

Road Trippin' with the Boy

Last week, we drove from Louisville to Chambersburg, PA to spend Thanksgiving with the Locke side of the family. Normally a not-so-ambitious undertaking, the drive is a beautiful tour through West Virginia and Western Maryland that takes about 8 hours. But this time, we had a complication...it was the first trip for our boy, just a week shy of 3 months old.

The packing was excruciating: did we remember burp cloths? Do we have enough diapers? Are the wipes where we can reach them? Then there was the planning. When will we feed him? What about stopping to change him? What will we do if he just screams his head off for 8+ hours?

Fortunately, our fears were without merit. As it turns out, Aiden loves to ride in the car (or more accurately, loves to sleep in the car). Kristen had to wake him up to feed him, and he was otherwise happy as a little clam.


Thinking ahead, Kristen bought this toy bar so that in his rare moments of wakefulness, he could entertain himself. He seemed to enjoy it once he realized he could hit the various parts and they would spin and make sounds.

He did great with feedings too! We ended up scheduling it so that he only had to eat twice on the trip, and once was with a bottle while the other coincided with a lunch and gas stop (I could see in his eyes that he wanted my Hush Puppies at Long John Silvers). Of course, the last hour of the trip, he was fussy, but who doesn't want to wail and scream after 9 hours in a car? As it turned out, the trip only took us an hour longer than sans Aiden, and we consider that a victory to be sure.

It was a great trip, and when I say that, I'm including the traveling. We were blessed with safe driving and a great time with family. And now Aiden has been inducted into the tradition of the Groves Family road trip. There will be many more to come!

Turkey Psalm

Thanksgiving inevitably brings about the question: "What are you thankful for?" While I could fill pages and pages with my answer this year, I was struck this morning by my daily reading in Psalms. Perspective is critical in any discussion of thankfulness and blessing, and this Psalm brings it to me. Have a happy thanksgiving, remembering the unending faithfulness of God!






²²for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

²³The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
when he delights in his way;
²⁴though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the LORD upholds his hand.

²⁵I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
²⁶He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.

²⁷Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
²⁸For the LORD loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
²⁹The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever...

³⁹The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
⁴⁰The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

- Psalm 37:22-29, 39-40