So, even though I am melancholy today - this post is a test to see how this blog imports into facebook. This is also the first day that I am able to blog at my home at Maranatha Bible Camp - our wireless internet seems to be working - the guy must have come to fix it yesterday, or it was miraculously resurrected. (The guy pronounced it dead!)
How wonderful to have internet access at home again after 11 months of exile - Jenette will be thrilled - she has been waiting for this!
jc
Sunday, August 26, 2007
End of an Era
This has been a day that included a kind of emotional drain - not just for myself personally, but for our church, because this was our preacher's last Sunday. I guess I have never experienced this in my entire life - hearing the last sermon of a dear friend and mentor.
Being at the camp, I am sure that it won't be the last time I will hear him preach or get to spend time with him; in fact I asked him to speak at a retreat here at the camp next spring. Having said that, after working under him for the past 10 years (nine years actually working there under him as youth, children's and family minister), it is a little hard to take.
My kids have listened to so many of his sermons that they are very comfortable with him, and they listen well. While most of the other kids go off to children's church, all of ours age 5 and up sit and listen to the sermon.
The kids asked me this morning who would be preaching next week, and I had to tell them that I had no idea. I hope that it will be someone as honorable, and God honoring, as BA Austin.
jc
Being at the camp, I am sure that it won't be the last time I will hear him preach or get to spend time with him; in fact I asked him to speak at a retreat here at the camp next spring. Having said that, after working under him for the past 10 years (nine years actually working there under him as youth, children's and family minister), it is a little hard to take.
My kids have listened to so many of his sermons that they are very comfortable with him, and they listen well. While most of the other kids go off to children's church, all of ours age 5 and up sit and listen to the sermon.
The kids asked me this morning who would be preaching next week, and I had to tell them that I had no idea. I hope that it will be someone as honorable, and God honoring, as BA Austin.
jc
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Flash flood trashes MBC bridge!
The west end of the bridge got tossed downstream about 10 yards. It's crazy to think of the sheer force that would be required to make this happen. From looking at the ground around the creek, the water must have been at least 10-12 feet high.
This view is from the east looking back west toward the ampitheater. This end only moved a few feet downstream.
Looks like we have another MBC project to tackle this fall! Does anyone have a crane?
More Vacation Pictures
We saw some awesome sunsets!
Six kids - one banana - lots of fun!
The boys enjoyed wakeboarding.
A happy baby Josie in her playpen on the dock!A few Vacation Pictures
Nice fish, Jason!
The tire swing was a big hit.
Three big boys, two little girls, all having fun together!
We spent a lot of time swimming off the dock!Back on the Blunderblog
It's time to saddle up again and do more blogging. I know the rest of the world is using facebook, because they like the personal interaction and the size .02 fonts, but I am just a little bit old school sometimes and I kind of like blogger. I also like to see pictures that are bigger than a literal thumbnail.
I'm going to put on a few new pictures, and I am going to be blogging more on a regular basis, now that the camp schedule is not so hectic.
jc
I'm going to put on a few new pictures, and I am going to be blogging more on a regular basis, now that the camp schedule is not so hectic.
jc
Friday, March 09, 2007
Thursday, March 08, 2007
House Construction 6
I missed a few steps here, but the roof is on, and the whole thing is wrapped. Inside, the plumbing and wiring are starting to go in, along with the heat and air.
House Construction 4
They sure put the trusses on quickly - they had the whole thing done before 8:30 AM that morning.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Stranded on the ice planet - Day 13
Ok, so I know that everyone in the area was out of power for a long time and everyone has had some bad times recently, and I know that griping and complaining doesn't help anything, but it still stung a bit today as I drove down Highway WW by the camp and saw all the fresh new power poles and power lines and found out that the camp still did not have power!
I know the power company is doing all it can. I was reminded today by someone that the real power comes from God, and his lines never go down. For that I am deeply grateful.
Check out some of the pictures Jenette took - it is yet another example of beauty and destruction in a beautiful, yet imperfect world. I couldn't help but think of C.S. Lewis' idea of "Always Winter and Never Christmas" in the Chronicles of Narnia. What if we always had winter, but never had any hope? These pictures represent a moment literally frozen in time. Yet in a few months, the kids at camp will be complaining about how hot it is.
I am so thankful that God, the ultimate source of power, knows the future and knows how to take care of his children. (And all the little critters as well.)
I am thankful that our family has had a place to stay during this time of exile. I am thankful that we did not get hurt in our mad dash out of the camp, crammed into two pick up trucks (we stuffed three kids, a dog, and myself in the two seat Ford Ranger that night!)
I am thankful for all the friends and family who have helped us so much through this.
And I am thankful for electricity. Especially when it works.
I know the power company is doing all it can. I was reminded today by someone that the real power comes from God, and his lines never go down. For that I am deeply grateful.
Check out some of the pictures Jenette took - it is yet another example of beauty and destruction in a beautiful, yet imperfect world. I couldn't help but think of C.S. Lewis' idea of "Always Winter and Never Christmas" in the Chronicles of Narnia. What if we always had winter, but never had any hope? These pictures represent a moment literally frozen in time. Yet in a few months, the kids at camp will be complaining about how hot it is.
I am so thankful that God, the ultimate source of power, knows the future and knows how to take care of his children. (And all the little critters as well.)
I am thankful that our family has had a place to stay during this time of exile. I am thankful that we did not get hurt in our mad dash out of the camp, crammed into two pick up trucks (we stuffed three kids, a dog, and myself in the two seat Ford Ranger that night!)
I am thankful for all the friends and family who have helped us so much through this.
And I am thankful for electricity. Especially when it works.
Amazing Ice Picture
Only the combination of a blue sky, the blue steel playground structure, and huge icicles could come together to make this awesome picture that Jenette took.
Icicles going up and down
The ice on the grass sticking up was almost as tall as the icicles hanging down!
Picture from Ozark Elec. Website
Thought this was pretty cool - the ice is from power lines. One such ice chunk fell on our truck while Jenette was driving. It hit the windshield and knocked the rear view mirror off!
Ice Pictures
Jenette took a hundred such pictures - these leaves were encased in several inches of ice.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
I've been Elfed
Check this out to see my Elf - self. Just in case anyone wanted to ever see me as an elf in striped tights doing the Macarena.
http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=4ddf9ae34e141fde2911760G06122910
And no, I did not waste my precious time making this - someone else did!
jc
http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=4ddf9ae34e141fde2911760G06122910
And no, I did not waste my precious time making this - someone else did!
jc
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Memorized Today
1 Peter 2:13-25
13Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
18Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
13Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
18Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Chaotic Dreams and Secular Humanism
I've had a wierd combination of places I have been over the weekend, discussions with people, doing ministry to a kid, and a goofy dream that have come together in a sort of coherent way.
The dream was that I was driving down the interstate, and I looked ahead of me and saw people walking cows across the road - that seemed strange, so I slowed down and was stopping when I noticed that the people and cows were on the other side of a big river that went under the interstate, except that there was no bridge. The bridge was completely out - in fact, it seemed like the bridge was just gone - like it had never been there. I pulled over to the left - there were cars on the other side still coming this way - I guess they had a bridge.
To my right a big truck slowed down to avoid falling into the river. It went off the edge of the highway, but it turned around somehow and avoided the plunge. Then the dream did one of those fast-forward kinds of things that dreams do. Then I was standing on the side of the road, watching all the cars stopping and trying to figure out how they would go on. About 100 cars or so at one time were trying to push the cement median wall out of the way so they could go onto the other side to keep going. All the cars were pushing in a continuous motion, kind of like a bunch of guys using their shoulders to move somethingtogether. The cars all busted down the wall and they started driving this way and that, scrambling to get out of the stopped up jam of traffic.
Some people had got out of their cars to wait for the traffic to clear, and when the cars started their frenzied motion, cars started wrecking into each other. I watched helplessly as cars smashed over people - adults and kids. Whole families were mowed over as one car crashed into another and pushed into another. A little child holding a teddy bear was smashed between the bumper of one car into the next.
It was total chaos and mayhem - the kind that made my stomach turn.
This dream came alive in application as I talked to a friend about college ministry. So many churches are doing nothing to try to re-evangelize (Have I done a post on "re-evangelism? - I'll check, but if not, I'll put that on the to-do list) college students. They are growing up in a world that is crazy and stupid - like all the cars trying to bust their way out, just so they could move. One of the greatest griefs I have is for all the students that I have worked so much with - kids who grew up in church and in supposedly Christian families, who have gone spiritually south when they graduated from High School. I can see them crashing into each other, ruining their lives, scarring themselves with destructive stuff, and I'm watching on the sidelines.
It seems like too many churches are sitting there also, watching it all, saying, "What do we do?"
I also ministered to a kid that was having some family issues - I won't go into it on this public blog, but it was another one of those things like watching the cars crash into the kids.
I guess the real issue is that I don't want people to raise their kids like humanists, but call themselves Christians. If being lukewarm would cause God to spew us out of his mouth, then surely we need to throw up at the thought of chasing after the world. I want to throw up at the thought of watching people hurl themselves at the world, while they crash their lifestyles and their ambitions into the hearts and lives of kids. I want to throw up at all the years of my life I wasted, calling myself a Christian but thinking like a secular humanist.
I think one of the blessings and the curses of doing camp ministry is that kids can be removed from the world and its garbage - they can focus on God and hear his voice here. It's awesome that God can speak to them here, but why does it have to just be here? Shouldn't God be speaking to them in their Christian homes? When they leave here, they just go back into the cultural muck. I am on the side of the road watching it happen. I wish Godly families would exalt the ways of God and not the world. Alas.
Yes, I am meloncholy today, but that is ok, and right, and good, because we need to mourn over the things that break the heart of God.
jc
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
James 4:7-10 ESV
The dream was that I was driving down the interstate, and I looked ahead of me and saw people walking cows across the road - that seemed strange, so I slowed down and was stopping when I noticed that the people and cows were on the other side of a big river that went under the interstate, except that there was no bridge. The bridge was completely out - in fact, it seemed like the bridge was just gone - like it had never been there. I pulled over to the left - there were cars on the other side still coming this way - I guess they had a bridge.
To my right a big truck slowed down to avoid falling into the river. It went off the edge of the highway, but it turned around somehow and avoided the plunge. Then the dream did one of those fast-forward kinds of things that dreams do. Then I was standing on the side of the road, watching all the cars stopping and trying to figure out how they would go on. About 100 cars or so at one time were trying to push the cement median wall out of the way so they could go onto the other side to keep going. All the cars were pushing in a continuous motion, kind of like a bunch of guys using their shoulders to move somethingtogether. The cars all busted down the wall and they started driving this way and that, scrambling to get out of the stopped up jam of traffic.
Some people had got out of their cars to wait for the traffic to clear, and when the cars started their frenzied motion, cars started wrecking into each other. I watched helplessly as cars smashed over people - adults and kids. Whole families were mowed over as one car crashed into another and pushed into another. A little child holding a teddy bear was smashed between the bumper of one car into the next.
It was total chaos and mayhem - the kind that made my stomach turn.
This dream came alive in application as I talked to a friend about college ministry. So many churches are doing nothing to try to re-evangelize (Have I done a post on "re-evangelism? - I'll check, but if not, I'll put that on the to-do list) college students. They are growing up in a world that is crazy and stupid - like all the cars trying to bust their way out, just so they could move. One of the greatest griefs I have is for all the students that I have worked so much with - kids who grew up in church and in supposedly Christian families, who have gone spiritually south when they graduated from High School. I can see them crashing into each other, ruining their lives, scarring themselves with destructive stuff, and I'm watching on the sidelines.
It seems like too many churches are sitting there also, watching it all, saying, "What do we do?"
I also ministered to a kid that was having some family issues - I won't go into it on this public blog, but it was another one of those things like watching the cars crash into the kids.
I guess the real issue is that I don't want people to raise their kids like humanists, but call themselves Christians. If being lukewarm would cause God to spew us out of his mouth, then surely we need to throw up at the thought of chasing after the world. I want to throw up at the thought of watching people hurl themselves at the world, while they crash their lifestyles and their ambitions into the hearts and lives of kids. I want to throw up at all the years of my life I wasted, calling myself a Christian but thinking like a secular humanist.
I think one of the blessings and the curses of doing camp ministry is that kids can be removed from the world and its garbage - they can focus on God and hear his voice here. It's awesome that God can speak to them here, but why does it have to just be here? Shouldn't God be speaking to them in their Christian homes? When they leave here, they just go back into the cultural muck. I am on the side of the road watching it happen. I wish Godly families would exalt the ways of God and not the world. Alas.
Yes, I am meloncholy today, but that is ok, and right, and good, because we need to mourn over the things that break the heart of God.
jc
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
James 4:7-10 ESV
Memorized Today 1 Peter 2:4-12
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it says:
9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone,They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame." 7Now to you who
believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone,"
8and, "A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall."
9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Managing the Chaos
It seems like the time around Christmas is one of the most busy times of the year for many people. I heard a friend tell me the other day that he had something happening every single night up until Christmas. Now, I hope that I don't make life busier for people by the things I do. We just finished up the kids Christmas program at Church, which is an effort that few people understand, but it basically took about six months.
Six months, and within those six months, we have changed jobs, moved, cleaned out an old house, cleaned out a camp (still working on that, actually) and have tried to adjust to a new schedule, pace, and lifestyle. I enjoy the Christmas program work so much, and I had thought that maybe I would take a break from that next year (Since I would be a church volunteer!), but last night I learned something interesting.
I was talking to the kids last night about the whole celebration of Christmas. I asked them what was important to them, and they said, "going to Grandma's" and the Christmas program. Those two things are what they think of when they think of the celebration of Christmas. It hit me at that moment that the reason I haven't been real excited about decorations and trees and lights and all that jazz was that the Christmas program was over, and I was ready to move on. And the kids kind of think the same way.
I knew they enjoyed working on the program, but I didn't realize how important it was to them.
BA did a sermon Sunday about the question, "Are you ready for Christmas?" His point was that it is much more important to be ready for the Day of the Lord. I have spent so much time obsessing about "being ready for Christmas" that I missed the importance of prayer and Bible study - listening to the voice of God.
I have been studying and memorizing 1 Peter - I've got chapter 1 and 3 verses of chapter two as of this morning. 1 Peter is our text for camp this summer. 1 Peter 1:3 says, "In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope that can never perish, spoil, or fade - kept in heaven for you..."
Life with Jesus Christ is a living hope - not a dead hope. Putting all your stock in the business and glories of Christmas is a dead hope. The Christmas tree, with all it's beauty, after it is cut and stuck in a stand in your house, is a dead tree. It will be thrown out and it will decay. Now, I am certainly not against decorating or having Christmas trees, but I wonder how many people misplace their Christmas "hope" into something that is a dead hope, and not a living hope.
God loves beautiful things - even decorated, pretty, wonderful things. Surely heaven is not built out of ugly concrete blocks. The Tabernacle was one of the most wonderfully beautiful things that God's people put together, all under God's careful instruction. The temple that Solomon built was glorious and beautiful beyond description. But when God's people started worshipping idols and turning away from God, God allowed that beautiful building to be destroyed. Even the temple during the time of Jesus was beautiful, but horrible and disgusting things were done there, and God again allowed it to be destroyed.
If anyone ever asks me again, "Are you ready for Christmas?" I will ignore the fact that it is a dumb question and ask myself, "am I ready to face God?" So, I will hopefully answer YES!
Six months, and within those six months, we have changed jobs, moved, cleaned out an old house, cleaned out a camp (still working on that, actually) and have tried to adjust to a new schedule, pace, and lifestyle. I enjoy the Christmas program work so much, and I had thought that maybe I would take a break from that next year (Since I would be a church volunteer!), but last night I learned something interesting.
I was talking to the kids last night about the whole celebration of Christmas. I asked them what was important to them, and they said, "going to Grandma's" and the Christmas program. Those two things are what they think of when they think of the celebration of Christmas. It hit me at that moment that the reason I haven't been real excited about decorations and trees and lights and all that jazz was that the Christmas program was over, and I was ready to move on. And the kids kind of think the same way.
I knew they enjoyed working on the program, but I didn't realize how important it was to them.
BA did a sermon Sunday about the question, "Are you ready for Christmas?" His point was that it is much more important to be ready for the Day of the Lord. I have spent so much time obsessing about "being ready for Christmas" that I missed the importance of prayer and Bible study - listening to the voice of God.
I have been studying and memorizing 1 Peter - I've got chapter 1 and 3 verses of chapter two as of this morning. 1 Peter is our text for camp this summer. 1 Peter 1:3 says, "In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope that can never perish, spoil, or fade - kept in heaven for you..."
Life with Jesus Christ is a living hope - not a dead hope. Putting all your stock in the business and glories of Christmas is a dead hope. The Christmas tree, with all it's beauty, after it is cut and stuck in a stand in your house, is a dead tree. It will be thrown out and it will decay. Now, I am certainly not against decorating or having Christmas trees, but I wonder how many people misplace their Christmas "hope" into something that is a dead hope, and not a living hope.
God loves beautiful things - even decorated, pretty, wonderful things. Surely heaven is not built out of ugly concrete blocks. The Tabernacle was one of the most wonderfully beautiful things that God's people put together, all under God's careful instruction. The temple that Solomon built was glorious and beautiful beyond description. But when God's people started worshipping idols and turning away from God, God allowed that beautiful building to be destroyed. Even the temple during the time of Jesus was beautiful, but horrible and disgusting things were done there, and God again allowed it to be destroyed.
If anyone ever asks me again, "Are you ready for Christmas?" I will ignore the fact that it is a dumb question and ask myself, "am I ready to face God?" So, I will hopefully answer YES!
Monday, December 11, 2006
Turkeys in the Yard
These turkeys were literally right outside our back door. This is one of the reasons why Maranatha Bible Camp is so awesome. We saw a bald eagle fly over the other day. God is so good!
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matt. 6:26-27
Back on the Blunderblog
Just the first of many more blog postings to come - oh how things have changed since my last posting.
Back in the Blunderblog again!
jc
Back in the Blunderblog again!
jc
Friday, September 22, 2006
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Friday, August 04, 2006
Monday, July 31, 2006
Has the Bible Been Changed? - CWN
Has the Bible Been Changed? - CWN
This should be required reading for all Christians - hey, don't make me boss of the world.
jc
This should be required reading for all Christians - hey, don't make me boss of the world.
jc
Monday, July 17, 2006
I don't believe that anyone can believe in a non-belief system
I don't believe that anyone can believe in a non-belief system
This is a great article from a clever and funny Christian website. It shows how a "non-belief" system falls apart on itself.
jc
This is a great article from a clever and funny Christian website. It shows how a "non-belief" system falls apart on itself.
jc
Friday, July 14, 2006
The whirlwind
Well, the last two weeks have been a blur. I was at the Maranatha Bible Camp last week, leading worship, doing lots of video and photography, and generally having a great time with the 5th- 6th grade campers from our Church. Jenette and I have led worship many times with many kids, but these kids really were excited about worshipping God. We were both overwhelmed at just the sheer volume of the kids as we sang "I Belong to a Mighty God." I told Jenette that this camp had some of the most "singin'est" kids we had been around in a long time.
It was truly a blessing and a privilege to be involved with the camp. This week, I finished recording the music and my voice on a practice CD for our VBS program. I have also finished two DVD projects that I needed to finish, and have done many other things that I have already forgotten.
Being at the camp for two weeks in a row reminded me that perhaps one of the greatest enemies of pursuing a relationship with God is the busyness of our culture. At camp, with few distractions and the time to really think about the Lord and His Word, kids really are impacted by how wonderful God is and how powerful His Word is.
Since I have come back from camp and have been busy again doing everything I am supposed to be doing, it has left me with at least a small sense of grief. In my mind, I can see the faces of the kids at camp: worshipping, memorizing the Bible, and carefully listening to Bible teaching. I can also see the same kids coming home and watching incredibly stupid TV shows for hours on end on the Disney Channel. Someone once said that stuff like that was "chewing gum for the eyes." Alas.
I spent some time today talking to one of my dear Christian brothers about grieving over the things that grieve God. Sometimes, it takes time away from the cultural whirlwind to recognize that some mourning might be in order. I think many urban Christians don't want to slow down long enough to grieve.
Someone also said that when it comes to kids, "he who spends the most time wins." Whether its the TV or the friends or the parents, time is the key to teaching kids, training kids, loving kids, and raising them to be a Godly generation. Check out my last post to read an article about why generational Christianity is dying in our world.
Thinking about all this led me to play spades with the boys tonight, even though it was late. We had a great time. Tomorrow we will spend some more time together.
Along all the other stuff going on this week, I have started to remake my website from homeschoolbiblestudies.com to studentbiblestudies.com. Both addresses will still work, but I am trying to appeal to a church youth ministry crowd as well. Plus, I'm not sure that most home schoolers are looking for the type of booklets I am offering. I think that perhaps Churches or parents that are doing some kind of small groups for their teens will find my books most helpful. We'll see.
I did get an order for 8 booklets from Maryland! How exciting that God could use my feeble attempts to write Bible studies for teens to glorify Himself through His Word to kids in Maryland! I've never been to Maryland! This kind of stuff excites me and makes me want to keep this little business going.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)
jc
It was truly a blessing and a privilege to be involved with the camp. This week, I finished recording the music and my voice on a practice CD for our VBS program. I have also finished two DVD projects that I needed to finish, and have done many other things that I have already forgotten.
Being at the camp for two weeks in a row reminded me that perhaps one of the greatest enemies of pursuing a relationship with God is the busyness of our culture. At camp, with few distractions and the time to really think about the Lord and His Word, kids really are impacted by how wonderful God is and how powerful His Word is.
Since I have come back from camp and have been busy again doing everything I am supposed to be doing, it has left me with at least a small sense of grief. In my mind, I can see the faces of the kids at camp: worshipping, memorizing the Bible, and carefully listening to Bible teaching. I can also see the same kids coming home and watching incredibly stupid TV shows for hours on end on the Disney Channel. Someone once said that stuff like that was "chewing gum for the eyes." Alas.
I spent some time today talking to one of my dear Christian brothers about grieving over the things that grieve God. Sometimes, it takes time away from the cultural whirlwind to recognize that some mourning might be in order. I think many urban Christians don't want to slow down long enough to grieve.
Someone also said that when it comes to kids, "he who spends the most time wins." Whether its the TV or the friends or the parents, time is the key to teaching kids, training kids, loving kids, and raising them to be a Godly generation. Check out my last post to read an article about why generational Christianity is dying in our world.
Thinking about all this led me to play spades with the boys tonight, even though it was late. We had a great time. Tomorrow we will spend some more time together.
Along all the other stuff going on this week, I have started to remake my website from homeschoolbiblestudies.com to studentbiblestudies.com. Both addresses will still work, but I am trying to appeal to a church youth ministry crowd as well. Plus, I'm not sure that most home schoolers are looking for the type of booklets I am offering. I think that perhaps Churches or parents that are doing some kind of small groups for their teens will find my books most helpful. We'll see.
I did get an order for 8 booklets from Maryland! How exciting that God could use my feeble attempts to write Bible studies for teens to glorify Himself through His Word to kids in Maryland! I've never been to Maryland! This kind of stuff excites me and makes me want to keep this little business going.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)
jc
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Can “Old Europe” Be Reclaimed for Christianity?
The Chalcedon Foundation - Faith for All of Life
Interesting article - it shows how the lack of Christian families raising Christian children to be Christian adults results in nations that turn away from God.
A question in the article asks "can this happen in American?"
It already has.
jc
Interesting article - it shows how the lack of Christian families raising Christian children to be Christian adults results in nations that turn away from God.
A question in the article asks "can this happen in American?"
It already has.
jc
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Defilement, the death of Chucky, and Fireworks
(Proverbs 27:17 - "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." ESV)
Well, the title seems sort of random, and it is, but that's kind of where I'm at tonight. Poor little Chucky the (un)lucky Ducky died last night. He didn't get pecked or anything, so I don't really know what happened. One of the kids gave him a cherry last night - maybe that killed him. Of course, my tender hearted 7 year old daughter cried when she heard of Chucky's demise. I have to say, it made me sad as well, partly because we tried so hard to keep him alive.
Camp for the kids was a great success this last week - it was truly a privilege to minister to over 200 kids and the adults that came with them. I did a lesson about Daniel 1 - particularly Daniel 1:8:
It is amazing that Daniel and his friends resolved not to defile themselves with the king's food and wine. It is amazing to me because in this day, we seem to go out of our way to blend in with the culture instead of going against it. Most Christians today are "thermometers" - they measure the culture and they adjust themselves to it. Daniel and his friends were "thermostats." They let the standard of God's Word establish their baseline and they challenged the culture to rise up to that standard.
I wanted to explain to these kids (3rd & 4th graders) what it meant to "defile" yourself. I really struggled with this because I knew that this was very important, yet needed to be handled in a way the kids could deal with it. So I talked about how, when I was that age, I wanted to be "cool" and fit in with my friends. I "defiled" myself by talking the way they did, and I knew it was wrong. As I starting telling the kids how I "dirtied" myself with "dirty" words, I smeared chocolate pudding all over myself. I put it all over my shirt, my face, and even dumped the rest of the bowl on my head.
I went on to tell them how we all need the cleansing grace of God through Christ to clean up our dirtiness. I used a red towel to wipe off my face to symbolize the blood of Christ.
I don't think those kids will ever eat pudding again without thinking about their lesson at camp. Hopefully they will apply God's truth and follow the example of Daniel.
The kids and I shot off some fireworks tonight - what a great time with some great kids. I truly pray that they will be Daniel-like "thermostats" in this wicked and decadent culture.
jc
Well, the title seems sort of random, and it is, but that's kind of where I'm at tonight. Poor little Chucky the (un)lucky Ducky died last night. He didn't get pecked or anything, so I don't really know what happened. One of the kids gave him a cherry last night - maybe that killed him. Of course, my tender hearted 7 year old daughter cried when she heard of Chucky's demise. I have to say, it made me sad as well, partly because we tried so hard to keep him alive.
Camp for the kids was a great success this last week - it was truly a privilege to minister to over 200 kids and the adults that came with them. I did a lesson about Daniel 1 - particularly Daniel 1:8:
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. (Daniel 1:8 ESV)
It is amazing that Daniel and his friends resolved not to defile themselves with the king's food and wine. It is amazing to me because in this day, we seem to go out of our way to blend in with the culture instead of going against it. Most Christians today are "thermometers" - they measure the culture and they adjust themselves to it. Daniel and his friends were "thermostats." They let the standard of God's Word establish their baseline and they challenged the culture to rise up to that standard.
I wanted to explain to these kids (3rd & 4th graders) what it meant to "defile" yourself. I really struggled with this because I knew that this was very important, yet needed to be handled in a way the kids could deal with it. So I talked about how, when I was that age, I wanted to be "cool" and fit in with my friends. I "defiled" myself by talking the way they did, and I knew it was wrong. As I starting telling the kids how I "dirtied" myself with "dirty" words, I smeared chocolate pudding all over myself. I put it all over my shirt, my face, and even dumped the rest of the bowl on my head.
I went on to tell them how we all need the cleansing grace of God through Christ to clean up our dirtiness. I used a red towel to wipe off my face to symbolize the blood of Christ.
I don't think those kids will ever eat pudding again without thinking about their lesson at camp. Hopefully they will apply God's truth and follow the example of Daniel.
The kids and I shot off some fireworks tonight - what a great time with some great kids. I truly pray that they will be Daniel-like "thermostats" in this wicked and decadent culture.
jc
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