Same Journey – Different Results. They left at the same time, but one would return and the other would perish. This is the story of personal life, family life, church life, and business life. It matters how you proceed. Here is a dramatic example: the 1911 Antarctic expedition led by Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott. The destination of both men was the South Pole, but the results of their two journeys were radically different.

In their book Great by Choice, Jim Collins and Mortin T. Hansen give a side-by-side comparison of the two men and their expeditions. They were very different, and they had very different results. Here’s some of their findings:

Roald Amundsen		Robert Scott
• Methods: Learned proven methods from the Eskimos.		• Methods: Used methods that were not fully tested like “motor sledges.”
• Preparation: Rigorously prepared for his expedition by training and even experimenting with “raw dolphin meat.”		• Preparation: Did not prepare well during the years approaching the journey.
• Tools: Used dogs in the Antrarctic.		• Tools: Brought ponies which to do not work well in freezing conditions.
• Disaster Ready: Prepared for unseen events with food, by using flags, and even by bringing extra thermometers.		• Disaster Ready: Did not use flags to remember the way back, didn’t have large amounts of extra food, only brought one thermometer.
• Steady Progress: Averaged 15.5 miles/day no matter what the weather was.		• Steady Progress: Would sometimes drive hard on good days and sit on bad days.

Even though they started the journey “within days of each other,” Amundsen arrived at the South Pole on December 15, 1911, 34 days earlier than Scott did on January 17, 1912.

In the end, God brought Amundsen and team back from his journey, but Scott and his entire team died frozen in Antarctica.

Great by Choice then gives an analysis of people whom the book terms “10Xers” or (“people who built the 10X companies”). The authors say that it is not the basic ideas of more or less creativity, vision, etc. that made some people stand apart but rather what the authors describe as “a triad of core behaviors: fanatic discipline, empirical creativity, and productive paranoia. Animating these three core behaviors is a central motivating force, Level 5 ambition.”

God raises up men and sets them down. However, we are to use the gifts of mind, body, strength, and soul that God has given us to act with discernment and preparation.

Proverbs 22:3 says, “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.”

The NCFIC is now releasing two new product sets on one of the most sound confessions of the Christian faith — the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 (SLBC). This confession forms a rockbed of Christian doctrine that helps to establish an unshakeable faith upon the Word of God.

The first of these products is Family Foundations in Sound Doctrine. This set contains 16 DVDs of pastoral application on the SLBC, a re-published SLBC + the Baptist Catechism, a study guide to solidify the doctrines, and an MP3 recording of the reading of the SLBC by Bill Brown.

You can buy portions of the set, but if you buy the whole set, you save over 20% on the total value!

The second product is FOUNDATIONS in Sound Doctrine. Containing about 40 hours of teaching by seven church elders and teachers, this audio teaches you how to defend biblical doctrine.

We are excited about these products at the NCFIC, because they are timely and needed to establish Christians (by the grace of God) in the firm foundation of the Word of God.

Titus 1:9 says, “Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”

Get these products and seriously seek to establish your family and churches in sound doctrine.

Quote of the Day

“I had a vehement longing of soul after God and Christ, and after more holiness, wherewith my heart seemed to be full, and ready to break… I spent most of my time thinking of divine things, year after year; often walking alone in the woods, and solitary places, for meditations, soliloquy, and prayer, and converse with God; and it was always my manner, at such times, to sing forth my contemplations. I was almost constantly in ejaculatory prayer, wherever I was. Prayer seemed to be natural to me, as the breath by which the inward burnings of my heart had vent.

~ Jonathan Edwards (“Personal Narrative” in Jonathan Edwards: Representative Selections)

This quote came from John Piper’s book Desiring God.

Also, please read this special Memorial Day note from my friend Doug Phillips:

	On behalf of the the children of America whose future was purchased through your sacrifice more than half a century ago, we honor you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and purpose to pray for you throughout the year that the Lord would bless you and cause His face to shine upon you and all your progeny. At this crucial moment in American history, when the hope of our nation rests upon the mercy of the Lord, we stop to give thanks for you and all the fathers through whom the Lord worked to secure our liberties. —From the Awards of Honor, The League of Grateful Sons of 2012 The Story of Liberty and the Veterans of WWII For just under a year now, amazing letters and packages have been showing up at the home of Liberty Phillips. Some include beautiful notes written by hand. Others not only contain letters, but photos and memorabilia from more than half a century ago. The common denominator is that the senders are aged veterans who served close to seventy years ago during the Second World War. And they are writing to Liberty because she first wrote to them. In the twelve months since Vision Forum Ministries travelled with these veterans to the beaches of Normandy to produce Normandy: A Final Farewell and D-Day and the Providence of God, Liberty has sent just under a hundred communications of personal and Gospel encouragement to them — and the responses have been profound, touching, and a present reminder of the importance that we honor our fathers while there is still time. One veteran wrote: “I have a huge smile on my face, knowing that we are going to write to each other.” Another who included a beautiful keepsake for Liberty wrote: “Sending a gift from your Dear Olde Grampa.” And one man enthusiastically wrote: “My one-finger typing will make my right forefinger shorter than the others! Bye for now, your English Grandpop!” Here is what Liberty’s experiment in letter-writing has revealed: These dear and heroic men need encouragement. They are largely unappreciated. They have been forgotten by many. Their stories are being lost. Each one has spent their lives dealing with the implications of their experiences in the Second World War, and yet today many are spending their final years alone and lonely. This is one reason we are asking you join us by working to make this Memorial Day meaningful for the generations — for the present generation and for some of our surviving World War II fathers. Here are our recommendations for you: Our Five Recommendations 1. Take Your Children through ‘WWII: D-Day and the Providence of God’ History teaches us to hope. Providential history teaches us to have hope in God. To understand their fathers, our children must connect with their history and understand both the heroism of those who came before and the mercies and providences of God. That is why it is so important that you watch WWII: D-Day and the Providence of God. This is the first seven-part, made-for-television series and curriculum set which allows you to study and appreciate the epic events of the Second World War and D-Day from a distinctively Christian perspective. This homeschool study course is delightful, inspiring, and critical for your family to understand the lessons of our fathers’ generation and to speak intelligently to one of the greatest events of the last millennium. Learn about the “good guys” and the “bad guys” who made up the officer corps for the Allies and Axis powers, and compare their philosophies of leadership with that taught in the Bible. Investigate the spy tactics, technologies, strategies, and training surrounding the greatest war of the century. Join the thousands of Christians who have benefited from this exciting and entertaining teaching tool. As a special bonus, everyone who purchases this set will receive a free DVD of our tribute film to D-Day’s heroes, Normandy: A Final Farewell — a $16 value. Read more about this important film in Recommendation #2 below. Purchase ‘WWII: D-Day and the Providence of God’ and Receive ‘Normandy: A Final Farewell’ for Free   2. Watch ‘Normandy: A Final Farewell’ as a Family Make sure to sit down for an hour with your family this Memorial Day weekend to hear the story of a group of amazing veterans documented in Normandy: A Final Farewell. For the 67th anniversary of D-Day, Vision Forum Ministries journeyed with veterans back to the beaches where they fought nearly seventy years ago and hosted an unforgettable one-of-a-kind celebration that recreated a taste of life just as it might have been in the 1940s, singing the music of their generation and donning the uniforms of their youth. The three-day commemoration was solemn and celebratory, with special ceremonies on the beach fronts, visits to the cemeteries and battlefields, and a historic night in a Normandy chateau with awards given to British, French, and American warriors. This film captures the excitement of this unforgettable week and offers a clear proclamation of the mighty deeds of God at Normandy. Purchase ‘Normandy: A Final Farewell’   3. Write a Letter of Encouragement to One of the Veterans Featured in ‘Normandy: A Final Farewell’ Whether you have a special WWII veteran in your life, or you would just like to send a message of encouragement to one, we are recommending that you take time this week to draft a meaningful, encouraging handwritten letter to one or more World War II veterans. For those of you who have watched or will be watching Normandy: A Final Farewell, please write a letter to one of the veterans featured in the documentary and send it to: Vision Forum Ministries Care of Liberty Phillips 4719 Blanco Rd. San Antonio, Texas 78212. Liberty will compile the letters we receive from all of you and send them to the veterans as a special offering of love and gratitude.   4. Send Veterans and Veteran Families a Love Gift: Announcing Two Special DVD Five-Packs Over the years, we have received many reports that Vision Forum Ministries’ documentary films like Normandy: A Final Farewell and The League of Grateful Sons are wonderful tools for encouraging veterans and veteran families. For this Memorial Day, we want to make it easy for you to pass these videos out as gifts of generational and Gospel encouragement. Through May 31, both Normandy: A Final Farewell and The League of Grateful Sons can be purchased as giveaway 5-packs for the super-reduced price of $40 each. Take these films and send them to friends, families, and veterans in your community. Plus, as a Memorial Day bonus, everyone who purchases either of these 5-packs by May 31 will receive a free access code in their order confirmation e-mail to watch our “D-Day and the Providence of God” online tour. You can learn more about this fascinating virtual tour and study course here.   5. Be Part of The League of Grateful Sons 2012 — Join Us in a “Thank You” to Some Special Veterans This year, Vision Forum Ministries will be sending a special “thank you” plaque to the veterans featured in our 2011 film Normandy: A Final Farewell and our 2005 film The League of Grateful Sons, and we want to invite the children in your family to join us in this mission. Make an online, tax-deductible donation of at least $1 per child by May 31, and your child will become part of The League of Grateful Sons 2012, with its mission to send a plaque and gratitude scroll to the surviving veterans featured in our films The League of Grateful Sons and Normandy: A Final Farewell. To donate, select the “Faith of Our Fathers” fund from the list of fund options on our Donations page, and then in our “Optional Comment” field provide the name of each child who wants to be included on our gratitude scroll that accompanies the plaque. We hope to hear from many children from across the United States. Make an Online Donation Today

A Special Message from Joaquin Fernandez, producer of the film “IndoctriNation: Public Schools and the Decline of Christianity in America”

This weekend, Florida’s FPEA, who hosts the largest homeschool convention in the world, has made special, last-minute arrangements to add IndoctriNation to their program. IndoctriNation was added after the convention’s program was published. As a result, some 15,000 to 18,000 attendees will converge at the Gaylord, but few will know of their opportunity to watch IndoctriNation for free. Parents who are considering homeschooling need to know the severity of the risks of public education and the importance of not handing their children over to the state for their training.

Will you please help us raise awareness? We’re asking you to use whatever means available (e.g., phone, email, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blog, etc.) to shout from the housetops about this film’s availability.

The FPEA graciously assigned the “Naples” conference room to us for Friday and Saturday.  The film will play four times each day, at 10 AM, 12 NOON, 2 PM and 4 PM. Deep DVD discounts will be available.  Our potential viewing audience is 2,176.  Please help us share the piercing warnings of IndoctriNation.

In this video clip, “The age of the involved dad has arrived.” There is a cultural sea change…they are children of the women’s movement and the culture of divorce. She says, “There used to be a difference between father and mother…now they are morphing into a unisex/spouse/parent.”

Same Journey – Different Results. They left at the same time, but one would return and the other would perish. This is the story of personal life, family life, church life, and business life. It matters how you proceed. Here is a dramatic example: the 1911 Antarctic expedition led by Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott. The destination of both men was the South Pole, but the results of their two journeys were radically different.

In their book Great by Choice, Jim Collins and Mortin T. Hansen give a side-by-side comparison of the two men and their expeditions. They were very different, and they had very different results. Here’s some of their findings:

Roald Amundsen		Robert Scott
• Methods: Learned proven methods from the Eskimos.		• Methods: Used methods that were not fully tested like “motor sledges.”
• Preparation: Rigorously prepared for his expedition by training and even experimenting with “raw dolphin meat.”		• Preparation: Did not prepare well during the years approaching the journey.
• Tools: Used dogs in the Antrarctic.		• Tools: Brought ponies which to do not work well in freezing conditions.
• Disaster Ready: Prepared for unseen events with food, by using flags, and even by bringing extra thermometers.		• Disaster Ready: Did not use flags to remember the way back, didn’t have large amounts of extra food, only brought one thermometer.
• Steady Progress: Averaged 15.5 miles/day no matter what the weather was.		• Steady Progress: Would sometimes drive hard on good days and sit on bad days.

Even though they started the journey “within days of each other,” Amundsen arrived at the South Pole on December 15, 1911, 34 days earlier than Scott did on January 17, 1912.

In the end, God brought Amundsen and team back from his journey, but Scott and his entire team died frozen in Antarctica.

Great by Choice then gives an analysis of people whom the book terms “10Xers” or (“people who built the 10X companies”). The authors say that it is not the basic ideas of more or less creativity, vision, etc. that made some people stand apart but rather what the authors describe as “a triad of core behaviors: fanatic discipline, empirical creativity, and productive paranoia. Animating these three core behaviors is a central motivating force, Level 5 ambition.”

God raises up men and sets them down. However, we are to use the gifts of mind, body, strength, and soul that God has given us to act with discernment and preparation.

Proverbs 22:3 says, “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.”

Don’t Worry Be Happy…Someone sent me a link to this video and it brought back a flood of memories. Many years ago when I was a young father going through huge financial challenges, I would crank up the stereo on Saturday mornings and play this song, with all my children sort of dancing around the house going about their Saturday chores and singing with their daddy. While I can’t vouch for Bobby McFerrin’s depth of sincerity or true understanding of what “being happy” meant to him, for me this was one of the things I used to teach my children the sovereignty of God and remind myself to stop worrying, trust God, and be happy! Notice in the early part of the clip how they are “walking” in front of the fireplace. Thats pretty much what we did…Don’t worry be happy!

On Cinco de Mayo, the NCFIC is launching the NCFIC and Divided websites in Spanish!

To view the NCFIC Spanish website, click here.

To view the Divided Spanish website, click here.

Divided has been fully subtitled in Spanish and is available online with many of the bonus features actually dubbed in Spanish. Please share this with your Spanish neighbors and friends.