A Gem From John Piper

"I confess that I have gotten very excited about being a father as I have been thinking this week about what a family is and what it's for in God's great design for the world. I get excited when I think of the family as:

A breeding ground for children who hope in the triumph of God,

or when I think of it as

A training school for teaching what is true and false about what the world is really coming to

or when I think of it as

A boot camp for fitting out young soldiers of Christ for the greatest combat of the world,

or when I think of it as

A fortress for protection

or

A hospital for healing,

A supply depot for replenishing the troops,

or

A retreat center for R and R,

and I get especially excited when I think of the family as

A launching pad for missiles of missionary zeal aimed at the unreached peoples of the world."

--John Piper