My Winter Park Ski Buddies

Winter Park, CO

Jason & Jon in Limon, CO

Josie on Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Random Wierd Picture

Plastic Death heads fall into line - Is this what CPR instructors have nightmares about?

MBC Calendar - Experiment

Christian Worldview Network - Brannon Howse - Is Bernard Madoff Running the Federal Government?

Christian Worldview Network - Brannon Howse - Is Bernard Madoff Running the Federal Government?

This article makes an interesting point - that having congress lecture automakers about poor management, decline into debt, and ridiculous spending practices is a little like having the fox lecture the chickens about their lax security policies.

The Name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run to it, and the are safe. Proverbs 18:10

College Without Compromise

I am very thankful to the authors of this fine book. The foreward by RC Sproul Jr. resounded with me - that many homeschoolers have fumbled when asked about the "college" thing - including myself.

I truthfully had not wanted to ... more » think about college for my kids, because I thought we could never afford it and I was not excited about sending my kids off to an environment that I knew would be negative for them.

I read this book and Accelerated Distance Learning at the same time (I bought them both from Global Learning Strategies.)

While the ADL book was very practical, and overwhelming at times, this book helped me see the big picture of a homeschool family using these principles to see their students through college - and it was more specific in it's practicality. While ADL exploded my vision of my kid's education, CWC refined it. Where were these books 20 years ago?

All the years of youth ministry I spent agonizing about the students I loved and cared for (and attempted to teach and disciple for the Lord) as they spritually withered away at college are bitter memories for me. I will be giving this book as a gift to all those I care about.

What a blessing it is that not only homeschool students but anyone can now receive a great education for a reasonable price in the best way possible - at home at your own pace.

I recommend this book to anyone!

What some others have said about the book:

http://servenclan.blogspot.com/2006/01/spotlight-college-without-compromise.html

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/missouri/135726/

Random posting about this that and the other thing

This is what I have been thinking about/praying about/studying/ and generally being obsessed with lately:

1. College for my children.

Two great books have held my attention lately:

Accelerated Distance Learning & College without Compromise

Click here to see these books at my Google Books library

I suppose it is beyond the scope of this blog to state how amazing these books are - I have written short reviews at the google site.

I had been really struggling with the whole idea of college for the 8 J's - too much money, too many bad influences, too much wasted time, too much opportunity to do all the wrong things.

Since I have read these books, I have learned that there are opportunities to get a degree in and learn the kinds of computery things that Joel is interested in - in an affordable, distance learning system. Everyone needs to get these books and read them.

2. It's the economy, stupid.

Living at and working for a non-profit Christian camp is an interesting adventure. While the government seems to be having a wild spending party right before complete bankruptcy (bailing out this and that and the other thing with money they don't have), it seems like the proverbial light is at the end of the tunnel. The only problem is that the light is a freight train barreling towards us. Here is what I am resolved to do.

• Get out of debt. If anyone has followed my blog at all (Maybe my wife and Janet Stephens - thank you both) in the last few years, you know that I have said this before, but it is getting down to crunch time.

• Be wise in spending and investing. Below is a link to an interesting article. (disclaimer - I certainly do not agree with everything the Christian Worldview Network says) http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/4354/Brannon-Howse/By-Gary-Kah Perhaps if more people would take this guys simple advice (get out of debt, save, invest in hard assets, buy some land and learn how to live/survive without the gov't) -we might all be better off with or without an economic crisis.

• Learn more about how to live and survive independently - After making our "Great Transitions" to the camp over the last several years, we were able to finally reestablish our garden this last summer with some success - we need to do more and learn more.

While I am not scared- because I trust in the Lord - I am greatly concerned how this coming economy is going to cause great harm - with the potential of causing our nation to make even worse decisions than it has.

3. 2 Timothy 3 & 4

I have never read these before in light of family life - I had always thought of them strictly as a church life kind of thing. Read it - thinking about your family, kids, roles of parents, teaching them, etc. "How from infancy you have known the holy Scripture, which is able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." As I memorize Scripture, it immerses me into the thinking and the process of understanding God's truth. Someone said that you can learn God's words by reading the Bible, but that you can learn God's thoughts by memorizing the Bible. That is so true.

4. Woeful Bible teaching and interpretation

I won't go into it too much on this public blog, but my older sons had an interesting Bible class experience (not at our home church - at a different church) - I am sick to death of churches who use secular psychology as a form of teaching -whenever I get to write one of my rants on the blog I will talk about this more.

See my latest sermon posted below for my humble attempt to address this. There has to be some solid answers - people should not be allowed to teach Church classes (especially JH & SH) who simply don't know their way around the Bible. Maybe there is a way to train people better. I guess the problem is that they don't know they need to be trained. I learned so well at Bible College, and I am thankful for that ministry, but Bible college is so expensive now that it is out of reach. I need to look into their distance learning options on interpretation!

5. Chain saw chains don't mix well with rocks.

I should have taken a before and after picture (well, after has still not occured), but I have been working through the "Roman Barricade" (as Jenette called it) behind our house. When the house was built, all the trees were just pushed up in a 60 yard long pile. I have been dismantling that pile, log by log, so that a friend can come and level it out for us. I have already done in several brain new chains by getting them into the rocks mixed up with the rootwads and piles.

In case you didn't know it about me - I am one of those "chainsaw guys" that loves cutting up trees. I even made a little bench for the girls with my chainsaw. Maybe I'll start doing chainsaw art.

6. Poop and pee are common daily central themes of life at our house.

Jenette is working on potty training both Jenna and Josie - it has been, well interesting. She bought them both potty chairs - they're pretty cute sitting together. Jenna has been doing pretty well. Josie, not so much. But hey, she's only one.

7. Thankfulness

I am so thankful to God, for my wife and children, for being able to work here at the camp, for the camp directors being so faithful and flexible, for the wonderful house they decided to build for us, for being able to see my family (especially my grandparents) again, for being able to learn about new educational options for the 8J's and for this, that, and the other thing.

jc

Another Sermon at Oakwood Christian

I guess that is maybe the third sermon I have done at Oakwood this year. This one is "The Sufficiency of Scripture" - and although delivered most imperfectly, is truly one of the dear passions of my heart.

Click on the title link above - then go down to Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008. There is even an outline there.

I am working on reestablishing the wireless internet at the camp so that we can better access it at our house - then maybe more blogging will occur!

jc

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