Tragedy at Eldora Mountain Resort

The obsessive skier is deeply saddened by the tragic shooting death of Eldora's general manager Brian Mahon at Eldora Mountain Resort yesterday.

For more details, visit the Boulder Daily Camera.

Please join me in praying for the families of both the victim, Brian Mahon, and the shooter, Derik Bonestroo. Pray also for Sheriff's Deputy John Seifert as he recovers from injuries received in a gunbattle with Mr. Bonestroo along the Peak-to-Peak highway yesterday.

Skiers are used to the conflict between mankind and nature. The adventure of "Man vs. Mountain" is what skiing is all about, along with family, friendship and shared experiences outdoors.

But skiers are not used to this kind of conflict between man and man. Yesterday's tragedy at Eldora shows how our sin is rooted deeply in human nature, and Mr. Bonestroo's sinful action reveals the condition of depraved human hearts like ours. Jesus said "Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander..." (Matthew 15:19; cf. Matthew 7:14-19)

How can one make sense of real human tragedies like this? Having a biblical, Christian worldview is the only means of making sense of this fallen, broken, dangerous world that we now find ourselves in.

We must have answers to questions like these:

Why do bad things happen to good people?

What does the existence of evil say about God's existence and character?

How can God expect us to draw closer to him when he hurts us?

On Sunday, January 11th, the obsessive skier will be preaching at Christchurch and providing a set of biblical, Christian answers for you to consider. Please join us at 10:30am at Superior Elementary School.

Moving to Utah...

...or at least thinking about it. When the obsessive skier hears stories like this one, he wonders whether he should move to someplace with more snow.

LIBERTY, Utah - In parts of Weber County, Utah, residents have received more than 70 inches of snow in just 10 days, but they're not complaining.

Head into the small, peaceful town of Liberty and you're sure to pass Pat Foley's house, that is, if you can see it behind all the snow.

"I've done nothing but plow for the last week," resident Pat Foley said.

Foley got so tired of trying to keep up with the snowfall, he decided to call his buddy, Gregg Chambers.

Resident Gregg Chambers said: "I love it. This is what I do."

Chambers owns his own snow removal business, and after 70 inches of snow falling in Liberty in just the past week and a half, business has been good.

"We run 14 hours every day," said Chambers.

And the thing is, long-time Liberty residents don't consider all the snow deep, yet.

Pat Foley said: "This winter is looking like if it keeps up, it's going to match last winter."

Last winter, the snow was so deep, horses could just walk over their fences. This year, it's almost like that again.

Even deer are having a tough time getting through all the snow.

Residents definitely need something big to get rid of all this snow.

"You have to be a lot healthier than me to try and tackle it with a shovel," Foley said.

Liberty isn't the easiest place to live during the winter, but for Foley and other longtime residents, that's the point.

"It keeps the flatlanders and tourists out. You know, One winter up here and they're gone," Foley said.

Chambers said: "This is the greatest place to live. I mean, this is the Garden of Eden. Eden, Liberty, Huntsville, perfect. You gotta love the snow."

(Copyright NBC Newschannel, All Rights Reserved.)

Christmas Eve Memories

Here are the lyrics to one of the newer songs that Sophie and I were singing with God's people at Christchurch on Christmas Eve.

"Joy Has Dawned upon the World"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2004 Thankyou Music

Joy has dawned upon the world,
Promised from creation—
God's salvation now unfurled,
Hope for ev'ry nation.
Not with fanfares from above,
Not with scenes of glory,
But a humble gift of love—
Jesus born of Mary.

Sounds of wonder fill the sky
With the songs of angels
As the mighty Prince of Life
Shelters in a stable.
Hands that set each star in place,
Shaped the earth in darkness,
Cling now to a mother's breast,
Vuln'rable and helpless.

Shepherds bow before the Lamb,
Gazing at the glory;
Gifts of men from distant lands
Prophesy the story.
Gold—a King is born today,
Incense—God is with us,
Myrrh—His death will make a way,
And by His blood He'll win us.

Son of Adam, Son of heaven,
Given as a ransom;
Reconciling God and man,
Christ, our mighty champion!
What a Savior! What a Friend!
What a glorious myst'ry!
Once a babe in Bethlehem,
Now the Lord of hist'ry.

Click here to purchase this sheet music
Click here to find more lyrics
Thanks to Mike DeVries for introducing me to this great Christmas Hymn!

Many thanks to my friend Travis for taking these photos.

Giant Snowman Rises Again!

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A giant snowman named Snowzilla has mysteriously appeared again this year - despite the city's cease-and-desist order.

Someone again built the giant snowman in Billy Powers' front yard in an east Anchorage neighborhood. Snowzilla reappeared before dawn Tuesday.

Powers is not taking credit. When questioned Tuesday afternoon, he insisted Snowzilla just somehow happened, again.

For the last three years, Snowzilla - to the delight of some and the chagrin of others - has been a very large feature in Powers' yard. In 2005, Snowzilla rose 16 feet. He had a corncob pipe and a carrot nose and two eyes made out of beer bottles.

This year, Snowzilla is estimated to be 25 feet tall. He's wearing a black stovepipe hat and scarf.

"Have you seen him?" Powers asked when reached by telephone at his home, the sound of excited children in the background. "He's handsome."

Snowzilla has consistently risen outside Powers' modest home. His children - he is the father of seven - collected snow from neighbors' yards to make the snowman big enough. Each year, Snowzilla got a bit bigger.

Not everybody in the neighborhood liked all the cars and visitors who came to see him.

City officials this year deemed Snowzilla a public nuisance and safety hazard. A cease-and-desist order was issued. The city tacked a public notice on Powers' door.

City officials said the structure increased traffic to the point of endangerment and that the snowman itself was unsafe.

The mayor's office on Tuesday issued a statement defending its move against Snowzilla.

"This property owner has repeatedly ignored city attempts to find ways to accommodate his desire to build a giant snowman without affecting the quiet, residential quality of the neighborhood," said the statement from Mayor Mark Begich's office. "This is a neighborhood of small homes on small lots connected by small streets. It can't support the volume of traffic and revelers that are interested in Snowzilla."

The mayor's office says Powers appears to run a large junk and salvage operation from his home. He has violated land use codes for 13 years, the city said. He owes the city more than $100,000 in fines and other assessments.

Powers said it is the city that has been difficult, not him.

"I have tried to jump through every goofy hoop they have sent to me. I have never been confrontational and it goes on and on and on and it is so goofy," he said. "Some of it is unfounded, some is just outrageous."

The city said it did not expect to take any further action until after Christmas.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Can a Christian Deny the Virgin Birth?

Dr. Mohler gives a right-on answer to this question here.

OMGoodness

Thanks to my ski bum friend RJ Luchessi for posting this one. Can you believe this guy is still alive? Total insanity.

Book Recommendation: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

After reading the first chapter of this collection of Christmas messages from the likes of Luther, Edwards and Whitefield, along with Piper, Keller and MacArthur, I want you all to know about it.

From "Contemplating Christmas" by George Whitefield (p.12):

"What can we do to employ our time to a more noble purpose than reading of what our dear Redeemer has done and suffered; to read that the King of kings and Lord of lords came from his throne and took upon him the form of the meanest of his servants; and what great things he underwent. This, this is a history worth reading, this is worth employing our time about: and surely, when we read of the sufferings of our Savior, it should excite us to prayer, that we might have an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ; that the blood which he spilt upon Mount Calvary, and his death and crucifixion, might make an atonement for our sins, that we might be made holy; that we might be enabled to put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man, even the Lord Jesus Christ; that we may throw away the heavy yoke of sin, and put on the yoke of the Lord Jesus Christ."

"Did Jesus come into the world to save us from death, and shall we spend no part of our time in conversing about our dear Jesus; shall we pay no regard to the birth of him who came to redeem us from the worst of slavery, from that of sin, and the devil; and shall this Jesus not only be born on our account, but likewise die in our stead, and yet shall we be unmindful of him? Shall we spend our time in those things which are offensive to him? Shall we not rather do all we can to promote his glory and act according to his command?"

"O my dear brethren, be found in the ways of God; let us not disturb our dear Redeemer by an irregular proceedings; and let me beseech you to strive to love, fear, honor, and obey him, more than ever you have done yet; let not the devil engross your time, and that dear Savior who came into the world on your accounts have so little. O be not so ungrateful to him who has been so kind to you! What could the Lord Jesus Christ have done for you more than he has? Then do not abuse his mercy, but let your time be spent in thinking and talking of the love of Jesus, who was incarnate for us, who was born of a woman, and made under the law, to redeem us from the wrath to come."

Taken from "The Observation of the Birth of Christ, the Duty of all Christians; or the True Way of Keeping Christmas," sermon (16) by George Whitefield, in Selected Sermons of George Whitefield.

Merry Christmas!