Welcome, from a Reformed Liberal

This blogging thing is a bit new to me, but after spending the last couple of weeks scouring the web for everything I could find about family reformation, family integrated churches, Voddie Baucham, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Vision Forum, Boerne Christian Assembly, Quiverfull, the Phillips, the Botkins, the McDonalds, and so many others, I felt compelled to start sharing some thoughts, hopefully to help myself crystallize what I've been learning, and even more hopefully to encourage the dear saints and godly families about whom I've been reading.

Aside from the Bible and certain other great scholars of the Reformed faith, the writings I've recently read, from so many different leaders, bloggers and visionaries, have been among the most educated, sanctified, intelligent and inspiring that I've ever had the privilege of examining. And I have the increasing conviction that living in this manner is perhaps the best way we have of walking our Christian walks.

If I had to pick one thing that has been the most convincing to me, it is the children of these godly families. Bold, intelligent and trailblazing sons. Feminine, dutiful and loving daughters. I know a lot of Christian parents, even though I'm not one myself (yet), and without fail, their biggest and most common prayer request is for the salvation of their children.

I know that family reformation (which I'm using as a shorthand term for the overall synthesis of the concepts I've been reading about lately... and if I'm using a wrong term, please correct me) is not a panacea, and it is not a magic bullet. I know the Lord is sovereign, and He will save who He will save. But there is Scriptural merit to the concept of generational faithfulness, just as the consequences of sin can reverberate down the line for three and four generations as well.

I know that I'm dealing with a limited sample size, I know that there are tragedies and failures in every group, and I know that there is still so much to learn and discover. But the fruit I'm witnessing from family reformation is simply undeniable to me. The things I'm reading resonate in my soul, and much more importantly, conform to Scripture. And if my primary concerns as a future husband and parent -- Lord willing -- are the sanctification of my future wife and the raising up of godly children who fear the Lord, then it almost seems an abuse of stewardship to spurn this path, especially after learning so much about it.

Especially when comparing this path to the paths taken by certain other dear saints and parents, many of whom I pray for regularly.

Some introductory thoughts, from a Reformed liberal. And by the way, the title of this blog is intended as a play on words in two different ways. Long ago, I was once liberal politically, a Marxist, a radical socialist, and now I'm definitely not. And long ago, I was once an atheist, a stingy miser, a "free will" individualist, and now I adhere to the Reformed Christian faith and I'm much more generous -- one might even say "liberal" -- with the money God has given me, thanks to the Spirit.

All praise to God and God alone for changing my heart of stone, certainly I was incapable of doing anything good on my own.