I am not going to say much. As a matter of fact, it is from a lack of time, not a lack of interest. Emily finished driver's ed this week. We were very happy that she passed this mandatory (and expensive) class.
Speaking of which...
"As many as eighty-five to ninety percent of professing Christians send their children to the government for their education. That is simply an astonishing figure considering the fact that the Christian community fought mandatory government education tooth-and-nail for it’s first fifty years of existence. Since then we have gone from fighting against government schools to fighting for them and implying that those who fight against them are fundamentalists, anti-intellectuals, and racists."
"No academic skepticism, no secularist authors, no blatant materialism can so undermine the spiritual life of the country like the completely secularized training of the child under the authority of the state"
The preceding statements were taken from the following post;
http://www.voddiebaucham.org/vbm/Blog/Entries/2009/6/25_Top_Five_REasons_Not_to_Send_Your_Kids_Back_to_Govt._School.html.
Compelling arguments?
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Creative signatures
Our youngest daughter has gone to camp this week. As is the tradition, my other daughters are sending her mail. I had so much fun reading their letters that I thought I'd share them here...
Click on the images if you would like to read them.
They also wrote to Audrey's best friend...
Please note the signatory of each letter.
The titles that were left out of this post:
"Your pig riding license has expired"
"Pleese join are spellitrite klub"
"Your membership to the lipstick lovers loop is expiring next month"
"Your tennis shoe burning license has expired"
Monday, June 22, 2009
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Friday, June 19, 2009
Catching up
Wow, it has been a while since I have given an update on what is going on in our lives! This has been such a busy couple of weeks that I have not dedicated any time to writing on the blog.
We have just finished up our Vacation Bible School for this summer. The week went well and attendance was good. The last three nights of VBS we had over 80 kids per night, with a total attendance over 150 with the workers and adults added to the count!
Wednesday morning our "Peru mission team" flew out of Omaha, NE. Our family was up at 4:00 a.m. in order to see them off. We were able to pray together in the airport after they had checked in their luggage but before they headed into the terminal. We received a report yesterday afternoon that they had made it safely and would be speaking in a church last night. The team includes Kurt O. (a firefighter that works with me in Omaha) and my brother Chad.
Rob (my business partner) is done teaching for the summer. He will be teaching building construction again in the fall at the local community college but since he has the summer off, we have fired up the cabinet shop again and are building custom cabinets for a house near Sioux City, IA.
Tonight we have a dinner and an interview with a man that has applied to be the Pastor at our church. The deacons will spend some more time getting to know him tomorrow while I am at the station. Sunday afternoon we will have them over to our house so that I can get to know him a little better. Please pray that we will be sensitive to the Lord's leading in this matter. This month makes it three full years without a Pastor.
On July first we will have an all church 4th of July celebration at our house. I hope that between now and then we will have some time to make our place presentable. We have not been able to do much maintenance as we have had so many other commitments that take us from our home. Well... commitments and a family camping trip!
Emily has been taking driver's education this spring. Her final driving test is this Thursday so we are praying that it goes well. She is doing a fine job driving but we are concerned about her nerves. If the pressure doesn't get her, she'll do great.
I know this has been a long update, thanks for hanging in there,
Jon
We have just finished up our Vacation Bible School for this summer. The week went well and attendance was good. The last three nights of VBS we had over 80 kids per night, with a total attendance over 150 with the workers and adults added to the count!
Wednesday morning our "Peru mission team" flew out of Omaha, NE. Our family was up at 4:00 a.m. in order to see them off. We were able to pray together in the airport after they had checked in their luggage but before they headed into the terminal. We received a report yesterday afternoon that they had made it safely and would be speaking in a church last night. The team includes Kurt O. (a firefighter that works with me in Omaha) and my brother Chad.
Rob (my business partner) is done teaching for the summer. He will be teaching building construction again in the fall at the local community college but since he has the summer off, we have fired up the cabinet shop again and are building custom cabinets for a house near Sioux City, IA.
Tonight we have a dinner and an interview with a man that has applied to be the Pastor at our church. The deacons will spend some more time getting to know him tomorrow while I am at the station. Sunday afternoon we will have them over to our house so that I can get to know him a little better. Please pray that we will be sensitive to the Lord's leading in this matter. This month makes it three full years without a Pastor.
On July first we will have an all church 4th of July celebration at our house. I hope that between now and then we will have some time to make our place presentable. We have not been able to do much maintenance as we have had so many other commitments that take us from our home. Well... commitments and a family camping trip!
Emily has been taking driver's education this spring. Her final driving test is this Thursday so we are praying that it goes well. She is doing a fine job driving but we are concerned about her nerves. If the pressure doesn't get her, she'll do great.
I know this has been a long update, thanks for hanging in there,
Jon
Monday, June 8, 2009
Outweighed
As many of you know, our family went camping last week in south western Iowa. I think that we had a great time though there were some trying moments. It started raining on Monday afternoon and didn't quit until the middle of Tuesday afternoon. As you can imagine, this put a little stress on Karen. Sometime around the middle of the night, our tent fly succumbed to the constant barrage of water and started leaking. By the time Tuesday morning rolled around, Karen was on my cot (with me) and two of the three girls had abandoned their bags as well. The floor of the tent was soaked, all of our clothes were soaked (they weren't in water proof bags), and most of the sleeping bags were wet.
Well, if you are wet in the tent, you might as well be outside. If you are outside, you might as well be fishing. This was what Audrey, Emily and I decided anyway.
Karen and Kaylin figured that if it was raining, they might as well be at Wal-Mart. This meant a 70 mile drive so we didn't see them again until lunch time. They came back with a tarp (that we promptly put over the tent) and a screen pavilion that we put our food and our picnic table in.
Tuesday evening was very mild so we were enjoying a campfire and the girls were cooking smores when we had furry guest with a ring tail explore our screen pavilion. One minute I was calmly sitting in my camping chair next to Karen with the girls chatting around us, and the next second Karen was yelling at me from the top of a picnic table 20' away. This caused quite a clamour among the girls and quickly led to a flurry of directives being thrown my way. Apparently each was concerned for the safety of everyone but Papa.
Wednesday evening the same visitor(s) came by for another visit. This occurrence was quite different than the first. This time the visitors were bestowed names. Frank and Francine. It was amazing to hear the way that the raccoons were fawned upon the second evening that they came by.
"Oh, there soooo cute!"
"Let's feed them."
"Emily, give them a marshmallow"
"Don't scare them off. Let's name them."
It is funny how our perspective can change so quickly.
Speaking of perspectives, it is the same fish that Emily and I are holding. I caught him Wednesday morning. The size discrepancy is in the field of view.
Hebrews 12:1-3
1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
II Corinthians 4:17-18
17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Well, if you are wet in the tent, you might as well be outside. If you are outside, you might as well be fishing. This was what Audrey, Emily and I decided anyway.
Karen and Kaylin figured that if it was raining, they might as well be at Wal-Mart. This meant a 70 mile drive so we didn't see them again until lunch time. They came back with a tarp (that we promptly put over the tent) and a screen pavilion that we put our food and our picnic table in.
Tuesday evening was very mild so we were enjoying a campfire and the girls were cooking smores when we had furry guest with a ring tail explore our screen pavilion. One minute I was calmly sitting in my camping chair next to Karen with the girls chatting around us, and the next second Karen was yelling at me from the top of a picnic table 20' away. This caused quite a clamour among the girls and quickly led to a flurry of directives being thrown my way. Apparently each was concerned for the safety of everyone but Papa.
Wednesday evening the same visitor(s) came by for another visit. This occurrence was quite different than the first. This time the visitors were bestowed names. Frank and Francine. It was amazing to hear the way that the raccoons were fawned upon the second evening that they came by.
"Oh, there soooo cute!"
"Let's feed them."
"Emily, give them a marshmallow"
"Don't scare them off. Let's name them."
It is funny how our perspective can change so quickly.
Speaking of perspectives, it is the same fish that Emily and I are holding. I caught him Wednesday morning. The size discrepancy is in the field of view.
Hebrews 12:1-3
1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
II Corinthians 4:17-18
17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Weigh In
I was just wondering how many of you wanted to weigh in on who caught the bigger fish this week?
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