December 2006 Archives

On behalf of Beall and the Phillips shayneh kepelehs ^[i], as well as all the precious families who are part of the work of Vision Forum Ministries, I want to extend a hearty, happy praise to the Lord for you. I am praising the Lord for you because, for twelve months, so many of you have been sending us notes of encouragement, praying for us, and standing with us as we “remember the great Lord, and fearful, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your houses” (Nehemiah 4:14, Geneva, 1599 Edition).

Thanking the Lord for You Who Traveled with Us to the Ancient Ebenezers

Some of you have done even more. You have traveled with us to the Pilgrim shores of Plymouth, or to the ancient woods of the Jamestown colony, where we have rejoiced together on Faith and Freedom Tours as we told our sons and daughters the great stories of God’s providence in preserving his church and raising up a nation consecrated to the Lord. I think of these as Psalm 78 journeys of hope and vision-casting.

Especially precious is the steady flow of testimonies the Lord sends from the young men and women who join us on these adventures. These testimonies usually fall into one of two categories: Profound thanks to the Lord for their parents’ investment in their lives; or declarations of thanks that the Lord renewed their vision to make their lives count for Christ — a vision inspired by the great cloud of witnesses they study on these tours.

Thanking the Lord for Those Who Joined Us as We Sought a Fresh Vision of Victory for the Christian Family

Some of you joined us in Virginia for more than six thousand years of providential history at the History of the World Mega-Conference. This conference marked the fulfillment of a personal life goal — to bring many of the finest teachers of our day together to provide a panoramic, context-building perspective on Christian history and to honor great men used of the Lord in my own life, specifically, Dr. John Whitcomb and Dr. Henry Morris.

More than twelve hundred of you joined us in San Antonio for the groundbreaking Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Christian Families. This was an event none of us will soon forget. Drawing from the collective wisdom of a remarkable group of Christian leaders, entrepreneurs, and home-school fathers, hundreds of families learned new ways to practically implement vision for the Christian household to become an economically-interdependent unit for growth, training, and generational blessing. Praise the Lord!

Thanking the Lord for Those Who Joined Us in Appealing to the Lord for the Heart of Our Sons and Daughters and for Christ-Exalting Churches that Purpose to Equip Parents to Raise Children of Honor

Always dear to my heart are the special times together that we spend at Father and Daughter retreats, and this year was no exception. I remember with special fondness the spiritual power of the Geoff Botkin father-and-daughters team. I venture to say that few of us have ever witnessed a more compelling and articulate example of daughters honoring their fathers and expanding the “borders” of their family through noble daughterhood.

Were time to permit, I could speak at length about the great Ebenezers to chivalric boyhood that were presented to our sons at this year’s Tenth Anniversary Celebration of the Christian Boys’ and Men’s Titanic Society, or the tremendous chorus of new speakers and great Christian leaders who joined us this year to call for the restoration of the biblical model of church and family life. Speaking of which, all of us at the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches praise the Lord for the finest, most foundational National Conference for Uniting Church and Family in our history. From the clarion call of Dr. Voddie Baucham concerning youth culture, to the vision of a compassionate church culture presented by Pastor Kevin Swanson, to the wisdom concerning church leadership presented by Alexander Strauch, we believe that an important investment of blessing for the local church was made, an investment which will yield dividends for years to come.

Thanking the Lord for New Opportunities to Proclaim Christ to the Culture and Equip the Next Wave of Home-School Heroes of the Twenty-First Century

Throughout the year, we have experienced a steady wave of meaningful responses to our Faith of Our Fathers Project and The League of Grateful Sons film. God used this to strike a note, both with our Word War II fathers, as well as their progeny. For many of our aged veterans, the project and the film were used of the Lord to allow them to open up for the first time in their lives about the events of sixty years prior. For the children and grandchildren, a new vision was planted to interview grandparents, to chronicle the deeds of God in the lives of their families, and to be thankful for the freedom purchased for them by a prior generation. The League of Grateful Sons, which broadcast numerous times on cable television in 2006, continues to be a powerful tool for teaching the Fifth Commandment and modeling honor. Thanks to every one of you who helped to make this project possible.

It is great to see a vision hard won begin to be realized. That is what happened in 2006 with our Christian Filmmakers Academy and San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. The Lord blessed us with a tremendous crop of budding filmmakers, with nationally known sponsors, and with the best faculty in our history, including Stephen Kendrick, co-writer and producer of Facing the Giants. Watch carefully. I believe that great things will come from these unique, inspiring events.

Thanking the Lord for Times of Heartache and Pain

This glorious warfare has not been without its challenges. More than any prior year, 2006 was the year in which the blogosphere turned into a cesspool of unbiblical gossip. (Notably and tragically, the source of much Internet gossip is not the secular world, but those who profess faith in Christ.) It was also a year in which numerous godly churches and men of God were under the most intense attacks we have witnessed to date. Our own work has not been immune from detractors. Fiery darts of revilings were launched. Some detractors, notable for their dishonesty and unscrupulous behavior, even stooped to target and mass-disseminate cruelties concerning the noblest woman I know — my own bride and mother of eight children.

Here is our response: Thank you, Lord. Thank you for the challenges. Thank you for the sifting. Thank you for the revilers. Thank you for allowing the trying of our faith to work patience. Thank you for teaching us to fear you more, to examine ourselves for sin, and to be humble before our God. Thank you, Lord!

Thanking the Lord for New Life

More than any other year in my life, the Lord encouraged Beall and the children and me with a special, deeply personal blessing. This year, members of the Phillips family traveled together to dozens of locations to share the Gospel with the lost, to proclaim the whole counsel of God to the Church, and to bring a message of hope for the Christian family. We visited Colorado, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Virginia, Massachusetts, Washington State, Florida, Missouri, Washington, D.C., Arizona, Canada, Georgia, and, of course, Texas. Of all these precious ministry opportunities, I cannot recall a single location where I was not approached by a family — sometimes in tears, often with a picture in-hand of a little baby — coming to thank Vision Forum Ministries for sharing with them the message that God loves a fruitful womb and that children are a blessing from the Lord.

If Vision Forum Ministries were to end tomorrow, Beall and I would be satisfied knowing this one thing: There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of souls in the world today whose parents were persuaded to reverse a bad decision or to remain open to the Lord concerning the blessing of children. This victory will last forever and ever and ever. For this I am thankful and bless the name of Jesus Christ, the Creator of life.

On a deeply personal level, I thank the Lord for His kindness to Beall and me. This year, he renewed the womb of my own bride after the loss of a child last year. God answered our prayers by sending us our fourth daughter and eighth child — a precious bundle of love we named Virginia Hope Phillips.

A Personal Request

If you believe in the work of Vision Forum Ministries, or if you have ever been blessed by the messages and men and women of this work, then I have one very special request: Would you send Beall and me a letter telling us one way in which Vision Forum Ministries has been an encouragement to you? Would you let us know that you will commit to pray for our families and for the work of this ministry? Letters of encouragement are like the balm of Gilead to our family and staff. We read them, pray over them, and share them with each other. They allow us to experience the joy of being yoked in the battle with you. God bless you for considering this special request.

One last thing: Next year is special. It is the four hundredth birthday of the founding of America. There are important providential stories to be told in the context of this founding. Our children need to hear them. Understanding God’s providence gives context, hope, and courage. That is why ours is a mission of gratitude and honor. We hope to cultivate both within the hearts of our children. Toward this end, Vision Forum Ministries will be leading a national Christian celebration of this event. We want to invite you to be in Jamestown with us in June for an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime celebration.

Thanking the Lord for His Mercies which Endure Forever

May the Lord bless your family out of His great abundance. May your home be filled with life and love. May you abound in all spiritual blessings. May your children be mighty in the land. May you live to see your children’s children walking in the faith of their fathers. “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 136:1).

Persevero,

Doug Phillips

President, The Vision Forum, Inc.

[i] A Yiddish term passed down from my grandparents to my father to me which essentially means the “pretty heads” which the Lord has given to me.

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 29, 2006 | Permalink

Beall with Faith and Virginia.

The games for the evening were London Bridge and circle swings.

Providence wanted to play hide and seek.

“Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters...”

Across the street at the Menger Hotel, they have one of the finest toy soldier stores in America, The Kings X.

Wishing God’s blessings to all of our friends from the Phillips family.

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 28, 2006 | Permalink

Special Note: The following article is updated and reviewed each year as the Lord teaches our family new and important principles for beginning a new year. I hope it will be an encouragement to you as it is to our own family.

Three of the Most Important Things You Can Do At This Time of Year

Life moves fast. If we don’t take the time to chronicle the providences of God, we forget them. If we don’t take the time to say thank you to those who have invested in our lives, we actually cultivate a spirit of ingratitude in our own hearts. If we don’t stop and make sure that we have a spirit of forgiveness towards others we grow bitter, we lose the capacity to move victoriously into the future, and our prayers are hindered.

Here is a little practice that I was taught, and would like to share with you. Each year, during the last week of December, do three things:

I. Outline and Chronicle the Many Providences of God

“Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” (Hab. 2:2)

First, using simple bullet points, outline the key events for every week of every month of the year. Take the time to do the research which will help jog your memory and allow you to make an accurate record. I find that reviewing bills, blogs, journals, newspaper headlines, letters, and even organizing my photographs chronologically are enormously helpful tools. Those individuals who were faithful to journal or keep a diary will have little problem reconstructing key events. Give yourself a good week to reconstruct your own outline of the year. Also, by making this a family project, you will not only build your list with greater speed and precision, but (in the hands of a loving patriarch) the very act of chronicling the providences of God in your life is a blessed tool for family discipleship.

Every family will have a different set of priorities directing what they should record. In addition to recording the key events and providences of the year chronologically, I try to take the time with my family to record some of the following information on separate bullet lists:

1. Where did I/we travel?
2. What were the titles and key texts of sermons I preached?
3. What books/articles did I write?
4. What significant household projects did we accomplish in 2006?
5. What were the most important meetings of the year?
6. What special friendships were made this year?
7. Which children lost teeth, and how many?
8. Who grew in physical stature and how much did they grow?
9. Who learned to read this year?
10. What diet and physical exercise regimen did I maintain to honor “my temple”?
11. What books did I read? Did we read as a family? Did my children read?
12. What Scriptures did my family memorize?
13. What loved ones died this year?
14. What were the great personal/ministry/national tragedies and losses of the year?
15. What were the great personal/ministry/national blessings of the year?
16. What were my most significant failures/sins for the year 2006?
17. What unresolved conflicts/issues am I bringing into 2007?
18. What significant spiritual and practical victories did I experience?
19. In what tangible ways did I communicate gratitude to those who have blessed me and invested in my life?
20. What are the top ten themes of 2006 for my family?

II. Say ‘Thank You’ to Those Who Have Invested in Your Life

[I] cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. (Ephesians 1:16)

Whatever happened to the man who first opened to you the words of life from the Scripture? Where is the comrade, coach, or instructor who believed in you and helped you to accomplish a great goal? What about the Bible teacher whose careful handling of the Word opened up new vistas of understanding? Where is the friend who stood with you through thick and thin? Most importantly, what have you communicated to the mother who carried you in her womb, loved and nurtured you, or the father who labored to provide for and shepherd you?

When was the last time you responded to their investment in your life with gratitude, blessings, and even money? Jesus reminds us of those ungrateful recipients of blessing who simply went their way without demonstrating gratitude (Luke 17).

Before the year ends, make a list of two types of people: The first list are the names of people whose life, ministry, or personal investment in you have deeply touched you and changed your life. (In my case, the list includes parents, pastors, and even some teachers from the early years of my Christian walk that I did not meet until much later in my life, but whose books and tapes were crucial to my personal discipleship as a young Christian.) The second list should include those people who played the most significant role in your life in 2006.

Write a brief, meaningful letter to each of them. Be specific in your gratitude. Explain what they did for you and why it was important to you. Show them how they were God’s instrument of blessing in your own life. Pray over each letter, asking God to grant you rich insights on the character qualities of each individual and on the way those qualities changed your own life. Where appropriate, include a check or special token of appreciation that reflects your desire to show them, tangibly, that you recognize that you are in their debt. You cannot imagine the joy this will give to someone from your past who may think you have forgotten them. Give generously and without concern for getting a tax deduction. I strongly recommend sending money to your parents. Keep in mind that you will never be able to return their personal and financial investment in your life, except through your testimony of faithfulness, covenant keeping, and honor to the Lord.

Also, your children need to know the people who have blessed their parents. They need to see that Mom and Dad are grateful and generous. Share your letters with them. In our household, we ask our children to write to some of the people who have blessed Mommy and Daddy, because our children are the indirect recipients of these blessings on their parents.

This will take a day or two to complete. You may have twenty letters to write, but you will never regret saying “thank you.”

One last thought: One reason why Christians are often limited in vision, energy, and blessings is that, contrary to the Lord’s command, we are ungrateful, unforgiving, and bitter. Far too many who profess the name of Christ spend more time obsessing on those who have wronged them, than rejoicing in those who have blessed them. Letters and tangible expressions of gratitude are not only pleasing to Christ, but an antidote to heart-sickness.

III. Forgive Those Who Have Wronged You

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12: 19-21)

In the course of a year, it is possible to build up many offenses and personal grievances at others. Left unaddressed, these grievances fester and grow. They turn the heart black and the body weak. They foster a spirit of vengeance and misguided self-righteousness. The short of it is this: Unforgiveness leads to bitterness. Bitterness curdles the mind and the spirit.

Fresh starts and new years should begin with forgiveness for others. Having a genuine spirit of forgiveness towards those who have wronged us is a mark of biblical Christianity. It is an evidence that we have been redeemed, and that we are praying lawfully: “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

Successful Christians are men and women who are free from bitterness. They have learned the principle modeled by our Lord Jesus Christ who, while suffering death at the hands of people he had never wronged was able to say, “Lord forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”

I have a dear preacher friend with a sterling reputation who was once grievously slandered. When asked about the wicked actions of the slanderers he replied something to this effect:

“Oh you don’t understand — I am far, far worse than my detractors realize. They may have gotten a lot of the specific facts wrong, but I am just thankful they don’t know how bad my heart truly is. God have mercy on me a sinner.”

This man had victory over bitterness.

My father is another man who always appeared to have victory over bitterness. In fact, from my earliest days to the present I have watched lesser men “twist the truths [he’s] spoken to make a trap for fools.” [i]

Early in my life when I was still in government schools, I would listen to my own teachers criticize before my class, the work my father was doing for the President dismantling a government agency which was at war with the family. I read untruthful articles and saw derogatory comics on the pages of the Washington Post picturing him as a cave man for his “prehistoric” views. When my father was a leader in the Republican Party in Massachusetts, a gangster repeatedly threatened the life of his family. I remember being a boy and having my father shield me from homosexual picketers and protesters that would follow him and our family around at public locations.

Most painful and difficult for many to forgive are betrayal and dishonor. But that is a mistake. Betrayal and dishonor probably exist in the lives of most men. And why should any Christian be denied in their lives what past generations of Christians — and of course our Lord and Savior himself — patiently endured? To our shame, most of us have been on both sides of that coin. From a son’s perspective, however, it is highly instructive to watch a father act honorably in the midst of such conflict. It has been a great blessing in my own life to observe my father nobly respond even in the face of barbs from former allies and friends, once loved and nurtured by him.

Eternally optimistic, Dad would always say: “Never be bitter. Life is too short. Thank God for your blessings. Press on!”

Bitterness comes from being unwilling to forgive. Bitter people are small people. They are unsuccessful people. They are people who cannot move forward. They are people who believe that the personal wrongs against them are so great that they — the offended — are entitled to do to their offenders what they pray the Lord Jesus Christ will never do to them — refuse to forgive.

Here is my recommendation: Think through every grief, minor and major, caused by others to you in the year 2006. Now add to the list any other personal offenses that continue to linger from past years. Write these down as bullets on a sheet of paper.

The first thing you will likely realize is just how many offenses are polluting your thought life, and, probably, your spirit. This is a sign of latent bitterness. Bitterness will kill you. It renders you completely ineffective.

Now prayerfully walk through the list — bullet, by bullet. With each offense remind yourself that the most despicable action taken against you by another, utterly (and infinitely) pales in comparison to the least of your offenses against the Lord Jesus Christ.

And yet He has forgiven you.

Before 2007 begins, adopt a spirit of forgiveness towards your insensitive friends as well as your hateful enemies. Forgive your imperfect father for whatever it is you need to forgive him for (and pray to the Lord that your own children someday forgive you for your failures). Quit devoting untold precious hours to commiseration, mental replay of the wrongs done, and thoughts about just how badly you were wronged. Stop blaming everybody but you for your problems. Look to yourself. Once you start chronicling your own sinful attitudes and crimes against God and man, you simply won’t have time to worry about the wrongs done to you. You will stop being bitter and you will start being thankful.

Wipe the slate clean. “Press on.” Forgive.

Conclusion

As 2006 comes to a close, take time to remember and to say “thank you.” Take time to examine yourself for bitterness. Forgive others. It is appropriate that we do so on the birth of a new year.

Remember that God gave man the stars on Day Four, in part so that he could order and structure his days based on a clock/calendar system of days, seasons, and years (Genesis 1). He tells us to “remember” acts and to “number” our days. In Scripture, the formal act of remembering providences of God in our life is linked to hope, honor, and generational success (e.g., Psalms 44, 78, etc.). By February 2007, the year 2006 will be a distant memory. Strike now while the iron is hot. The opportunity to remember and to say “thank you” may never come again. And can you afford even one more day in which your prayers are hindered — because you were holding on to offenses and refusing to forgive?

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 27, 2006 | Permalink

Where did you come from baby dear?

Out of the everywhere, into the here.

Where did you get your eyes so blue?

Out of the sky when I came through.

What makes your forehead so smooth and high?

A soft hand stroked it as I went by.

What makes your cheek like a warm, white rose?

Something better than anyone knows.

Where did you get that pearly ear?

God spoke, and it came out to hear.

How did they all just come to be you?

God thought about me and so I grew.

But how did you come to us Baby Dear?

God thought of you, and so I am here.

George MacDonald

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 26, 2006 | Permalink

I received the following entertaining ditty in an email from a reader of Doug’s Blog. It is a real gem and falls into the “You know you are a home schooler when...” category. Enjoy.

My 3-year-old was in a store with the family recently, when she turned around and saw a display of several large elfish men in elaborate red suits and full white beards. Her eyes grew wide, and she exclaimed as loudly as she could, in mix of childish delight and utter shock, “MOMMY!! LOOK!!! IT’S JOHN WYCLIFFE!!!!!”

“Yes, indeed, sweetie, it is,” my wife said.

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 26, 2006 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 22, 2006 | Permalink

Today is the day celebrated as Forefather’s Day, commemorating the landing of the Pilgrim fathers. Edgar Guest gives us the following poem:

Forefather’s Day

Look back three hundred years and more: A group upon a rock-bound shore, Borne by the Mayflower o’er the sea, Pledged hearts and lives to liberty.

They were the few we hail with pride Singing: “Land where our fathers died,” Daring to die that this might be Forever: “Land of the noble free.”

At Plymouth Rock they could not know How far their shadows then would go, That freedom (as today we sing) From every mountainside should ring.

“Our Fathers’ God to Thee” I pray That we, devoted as were they, Who sing: “Long may our land be bright” Shall cherish: “Freedom’s holy light.”

Edgar Guest

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 21, 2006 | Permalink

We have just graduated the 2006 intern class. This is a wonderful group of men.

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 21, 2006 | Permalink

On December 1, we announced the Family Choice Award contest — an opportunity for families across the country to vote for their favorite Everyday News episode. The deadline for submitting a vote was December 7. The contest generated plenty of interest, with votes sent in for over thirty different news episodes.

This year’s Everyday News Family Choice Award winner is..... “Taking Care of the Ladies!” Congratulations to all those who voted for this episode; a $10 coupon will be e-mailed to you. “The Log Cabin” was a close second, followed by “Wild & Woolly” and “10,000,000,000 Children.” Thank you for voting, and we hope you enjoyed the contest. “Taking Care of the Ladies,” produced by the Southerland family, features four-year-old Daniel Southerland and his sister Hannah as they encourage boys across America to help serve and protect the ladies in their family. The Southerland family will receive a $500 Vision Forum gift certificate.

Each Everyday News episode highlights different aspects of the day-to-day beauty of the life of the Christian family, from a Thanksgiving play, to a trip to the donut shop, to a little girl’s first deer hunt, to daddy leading family devotions. Since its inauguration in June of this year, close to ninety Everyday News episodes have been broadcast to the families of America. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, new ENN episodes are launched, each of which is presented by Christian young men and ladies of America.

We look forward to receiving many more Everyday News submissions from you! Remember to take time to read the guidelines and tips in order to produce the best possible news clip.

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 12, 2006 | Permalink

Emalee and Katie dialoguing with Pilgrim ladies at the Plymouth Plantation during the 2006 New England Faith and Freedom Tour.

It was a feast fit for a king. More than 150 of us enjoyed a many-course meal featuring authentic foods of the early 17th century.

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 12, 2006 | Permalink

Nestled away in the little town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, a small congregation has just celebrated a remarkable event — the four hundredth anniversary of their church covenant. The congregation is the Church of the Pilgrimage. They are the same congregation which began exactly four hundred years ago in a little manor home in Scrooby, England. On that day, a group of separatists including William Bradford, William Brewster, John Robinson, and Richard Clifton covenanted before God and man to live honorably before the Lord in a local body committed to the purity of the doctrines of the Christian faith, notwithstanding great persecution and disapproval by the state church.

Though less than two paragraphs in length, this church covenant would be used of God to bind the hearts and lives of the members of this little assembly, and to propel them to travel across the Atlantic Ocean on a boat called the Mayflower. As Dr. Gary Marks [30th pastor in direct succession from John Robinson] has observed, the Scrooby church covenant would serve as the basis for the Mayflower Compact, one of the most significant documents of freedom in the history of Western Civilization. The church covenant and its child, the Mayflower Compact, would later influence the building of a free society under God, and even presage the Declaration of Independence itself.

As they traveled to America to plant this experiment in faith and freedom, they carried in their hands a Bible — the 1599 Geneva Bible. Powerful for its orthodox translation and inspiring footnotes, the Geneva Bible was the Scripture of the very separatist Pilgrims we honor on Thanksgiving Day — the men and women who laid the spiritual heritage of America throughout the New England colony.

The first account in history (reasonably inferred from the text) of the pilgrims bringing the Geneva Bible to the American land occurred on December 9 and 10, 1620 (old calendar), when the Pilgrims landed on Clarke Island in Plymouth harbor. December 10 was the Sabbath, so they found an anomalous, giant rock in the middle of the island, stood upon it, opened their Geneva Bibles, and worshipped God.

Three weekends ago, the Vision Forum team circled Clarke Island to remember the Pilgrims and the coming of the very special representation of the Christian faith embodied by the Pilgrim congregation which originated in 1606 with the Scrooby covenant. In our hands was the 1599 Geneva Bible.

Local historians tell us that only between 25,000 and 50,000 people in American history have ever set foot on this remote, inaccessible, privately-held island. (They also tell us that this island is next to a sandbar where, in the year 1004 A.D., the son of Leif the Red was buried after a battle.) The island’s inaccessibility is one reason why Pulpit Rock is not as famous as Plymouth Rock. But the message of Pulpit Rock is clear: before we can have political and social freedom (the message of Plymouth Rock), we must first have pure spiritual faith (Pulpit Rock).

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 11, 2006 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 8, 2006 | Permalink

Each December my family and I take time to give thanks for the men and women used of the Lord to shape and define our lives. There have been many. On different evenings we will tell the stories of different men and women who make up the providential investment which God has deposited in the bank account of our lives and the lives of godly fathers who came before us. This week we are telling the story of Dr. R. J. Rushdoony — a man who, like David before him, could declare: “I love the law of God.”

Dr. R. J. Rushdoony was God’s appointed evangel who guided my beloved father out of the lostness of his Judaism and into the glorious Gospel of Christ. As such, he was the tool of the Lord to bring light and life into my family. For this, as well as for his many, many personal kindnesses to me, I will forever be his debtor.

Around the time that Dr. Rushdoony went to be with the Lord (February 8, 2001), my father suffered an accident and was unable to attend the funeral. I was running a Father and Son retreat in the middle of a blizzard in the mountains of California when I received the call from my father that he wanted to commission me on his behalf to drive through the night and morning, travel about eight hours, and bring a very special message to Mrs. Rushdoony on his behalf. Last night I found the tape of the funeral and the meeting with Mrs. Rushdoony. God willing, I will pull a few clips from the funeral and the meeting with Mrs. Rushdoony and post it on my blog next week. (FYI, Mark Rushdoony has graciously granted me permission to show the clips.)

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 8, 2006 | Permalink

Praise the Lord for an outstanding journey to the land of Pilgrims, Patriots, and Pilgrims. The 2006 New England Faith and Freedom Tour concluded last week in Plymouth. More reports on our journey, as well as additional installments of “Virginia Goes to Massachusetts,” coming up.

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 8, 2006 | Permalink

(To view this video clip, you must have QuickTime 7 installed — available as a free download.)

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 6, 2006 | Permalink

I hold within my arms to-day
A priceless bit of mortal clay;
Divinely fashioned, and so fair;
The angels well may kinship share.

My soul with gratitude is filled,
My heart with mother love is thrilled,
My eyes brim o’er, love undistilled,
While gazing on my cherub girl.

O precious one! Through tears I see
A mighty task awaiting me.
My happy sky grows overcast,
Life’s duties loom so grand, so vast.

To shield from wrong, to right incline,
This little life now linked to mine—
Divine the gift. Oh, may the mould
A heart of truth and honor hold!

Help me, kind Heaven, to know the way
From out the tangle of each day,
To guide her safe to woman’s prime,
And all the glory shall be Thine.

—Edited for a daughter, quoted from M.I. Piatt (from Verses of Virtue, editor, Beall Phillips)

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 4, 2006 | Permalink

Announcing the Arrival and Adventures of God’s Glorious Gift

On October 20, 2006, at 4:30 in the morning, the Lord brought the glories of new life into the Phillips home. With thanksgiving to the God of mercies (Psalm 136) we praise our Creator for the birth of our fourth daughter, and our eighth child on this earth, Virginia Hope Phillips—our own precious answer to prayer and the apple of her parents’ eyes. May the glorious name of Jehovah be praised in the life of this future “maiden of virtue” (the meaning of “Virginia”).

Virginia Hope was born in the comfort and safety of our home, assisted by the able hands of a faithful midwife. Less than two hours later she was being smothered with the love of seven wildly enthusiastic children, each trying to patiently wait for their first opportunity to hold the baby whom for nine months they had prayed about, dreamed about, and spent endless hours debating whether God had given a boy or a girl (the latter of which would mean “even stevens” for the family.)

Thanks to all of you who have written to ask about the baby and who have patiently awaited the formal announcment of her birth. We have just been enjoying the blessings of the solitude and joy of new life in the home, as well as some special adventures around the country introducing Virginia to Massachusetts. Over the next day or so, Beall and I will share some pictures and stories of the first six weeks of Baby Virginia Hope.

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 4, 2006 | Permalink

That is what I call it when I see young ladies hold out their arms, twitch their hands and make little squeaky sounds mixed with words that all run together: “eeeooowwwwcanIhooldthebabeeeeeeeoowsheeeeeeessocuuuuute.”

The girls in my local church have this “itching arms syndrome.” So do my daughters. The boys have it too. It just manifests itself differently with boys. Instead of squeaks and twitching hands, the boys just get real quiet, protective, and dopey-eyed. It is really wonderful.

It is a blessing when children long to hold babies. It means that Christian culture is being encouraged in the household. It means that God is blessing the passion of the parents for children by instilling in the hearts of our young’ns the tremendous value of life. This is one of the many practical outworkings of Titus 2 which reminds us: “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers...That they may teach the young women...to love their children.” It is the natural consequence of fathers telling their children over and over again that men value children as the “rewards” of God. (Psalm 127)

Praise the Lord for the itching arms syndrome.

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 4, 2006 | Permalink

Kelly holds Virginia Hope Phillips in her arms. Since becoming Mrs. Peter Bradrick this past August, Kelly has learned that she is a new mother. God has answered the prayers of Peter and Kelly, of their families, and of their little congregation which has prayed that the Lord would bless them with exceeding great riches in spiritual blessings and with the fruit of the womb. Kelly: “be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them” (Genesis 24:60).

Read Doug’s Blog from August to learn the powerful story of their wedding and covenant vows.

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 4, 2006 | Permalink

Wow — what a year it has been for the Everyday News Network!

Since its inauguration in June of this year, close to ninety Everyday News episodes have been broadcast to the families of America. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, new ENN episodes are launched, presented by Christian young men and ladies of America.

Each episode highlights different aspects of the day-to-day beauty of the life of the Christian family, from a Thanksgiving play, to a trip to the donut shop, to a little girl’s first deer hunt, to daddy leading family devotions.

Of course, one of the missions of the Everyday News Network is to communicate hope by highlighting the beauty of everyday life in Christ. We also aspire to encourage Christian boys and girls from Florida to Alaska to be stronger communicators for the Lord Jesus Christ. By God’s grace, we think both are happening.

Our staff probably enjoys the episodes people send us more than anyone. We laugh, rejoice, and delight in the tremendous budding talent, humor, and character we see in so many of the episodes sent to us from young ladies and men from across the nation.

Cast Your Vote for the Family Choice Award

Now we would like to hear from you. We want to know your very favorite ENN broadcast of all time. Vote for your most beloved episode since the launch of ENN in June 2006 to December 7, 2006, by sending us the name of the episode and the date it broadcast. Remember there are nearly ninety episodes to choose from. Get us your vote by Friday, December 8 at 5:00 p.m. (CST). Limit one vote per household. The episode with the most votes wins a $500 Vision Forum gift certificate.

As a special incentive, if you select the episode that ends up being the winner, we will send you a $10 coupon good toward any product in the Vision Forum catalog. Send your vote to enncontest@visionforum.com. The winner will be announced on Doug’s Blog on Wednesday, December 13.

By the way, every day there are hundreds of wonderful stories all around us. But you won’t find these stories on the television or in the newspaper because they reflect the simple day-to-day interests and priorities of boys and girls and of mothers and fathers who are about the very “normal” business of living the Christian life. These stories represent what one scholar described as “the nobility of the commonplace.” It is the job of Everyday News correspondents to share these stories with the world. We want to hear your stories. So if you would like to become an ENN reporter, click here to find out how.

Find the Clue in the ENN Episode

While you are at it, maybe those of you learning about America’s providential history with the Jamestown 400 will find an important clue in a misplaced episode. Who knows?

Posted by Doug Phillips on December 1, 2006 | Permalink