Last night, I slept with a mouse by my side. I don’t own a pet rodent, so it was quite shocking when I heard faint scratching and squeaking coming from a roll of posters beside my bed. As I peered down the vertical tube of Audi posters, I discovered my little friend. He was doing everything within his power to get out of that prison, but to no avail.

At that moment, I was left with a decision. I could spend the effort to eradicate the rodent, but I was tired and could not think of a quick and easy way to exterminate the critter. So, with the rest of the house in bed, I simply put a book on top of the posters and went to sleep. I was comfortable going to bed with a mouse a mere 12 inches away from my head because he was trapped. So I proceeded to fall asleep.

But because he was trapped, he spent the night trying to get out, which means he continued to make noise. He woke me up several times by his squeaking and scratching. Finally, in the morning, I took a small paper plate, slid it under the posters and took him outside where we let him go, only to have him start darting for the house. Then we cornered him and I grabbed his little tail and flailed him over the fence. He flew with all legs outstretched in Stuart Little style to his new home on the other side of the fence.

At the request of his son, a man competed in the Ironman triathlon together with him and this is a video showing how they did it.

Forgiveness is possible only because there has been a real offense, and a real sacrifice to offset that offense.” (D.A. Carson)

“The unvarnished truth is that what we most frequently give thanks for betrays what we most highly value.” (D.A. Carson)

Jeff Lewis, my resident director during my time at TMC, gave this list to us during our last dorm chapel. It woke me in some areas where I was being lulled by the soft lies of my sin.

1. Don’t get lulled into thinking Heaven isn’t real, because it is.
2. Don’t get lulled into thinking Hell isn’t real, because it is.
3. Don’t get lulled into thinking sharing the gospel is a useless endeavor, because it’s not.
4. Don’t get lulled into thinking sexual sin stays hidden, because it doesn’t.
5. Don’t get lulled into thinking God’s Word doesn’t really have the power to change you and those around you, because it does.
6. Don’t get lulled into thinking that you come to God by anything other than the finished work of Christ on your behalf, because you don’t.
7. Don’t get lulled into thinking that you will regret spending your life walking with God, because you won’t.
8. Don’t get lulled into thinking that consistent time with God’s people is not vital to your soul, because it is.
9. Don’t get lulled into thinking that there really isn’t an adversary walking about who wants nothing more than to destroy you, because there is.
10. Don’t get lulled into thinking that the scope of God’s love for you is something you’ll ever be able to fully comprehend, because you won’t.