Jewel

Jewel at Grandma's for Christmas

Jewel at Lowe's

I've been experimenting with posting pictures from my phone to blogger.

Here's one!

Joy Daisy

More phone pictures!

Fear Not the Compass | Christianity Today Movies

Fear Not the Compass | Christianity Today Movies

I like this article a lot. Click on the link above or on the title. The main thing that troubled me about the Golden Compass movie was how many emails that I received that sounded like the Antichrist had arisen and was jumping out of movie screens everywhere.

I love the first line of this article: "Should Christians be afraid of The Golden Compass? Mercy, no. Let's not be afraid. Discerning, yes. But not afraid."

For all those who think that the movie should be boycotted, that is fine, but please don't tell anyone. Have Christians not learned anything in the past 25 years of media "badness?" When was the last time that a Christian "boycott" ever resulted in anything but more hype and interest in the thing being boycotted? Let's not be afraid. Discerning, yes. But not afraid.

Of course Christians should not be a part of worldly things - that is the command of Scripture. You can't be a friend of the world and a friend of God, according to the book of James. So that means that you will have to "boycott" certain things or movies or music or places or words or thoughts or actions. But the minute 3 million emails go out advertising the "boycott," or the minute that the Facebook friends list gets 30 invites to the "boycott The Golden Compass Group," it changes from the personal choice (Maybe shared by friends and family) to advertising.

I have to admit, I was out of the loop on this one, and I hadn't heard about it before. As soon as I heard about it, I wanted to find out more. I would like to think that I have some wisdom and Christian discernment, but I know that many people who received those messages don't have much discernment. They may want to go see the movie even more because of the negative publicity about it.

Besides all that - it sounds like The Golden Compass has been a dud at the box office. They are talking about not making the sequels, which is a good thing. They are now talking about making The Hobbit, which is also a good thing. Check out this link about The Hobbit Movie.

Now don't get me wrong - from what I know about the Golden Compass, I won't go see it, and I wouldn't let my kids see it, nor would I let them see 98% if the movies that are available to see.

So rest easy, The Golden Compass is yet another minor pathetic hiccup in the constant attempts to erode the Christian message and the Word of God. It has already failed, just like all the others. So, smile, praise God for His almighty power, and go forth, sharing boldly the Word of life. Some will listen, some will scoff, some may want to kill you, but hey, with God on your side, it's all good.

My prayer for anyone who reads this, my friends, family, and Christian brothers and sisters all over the world is this...

"...I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil" Romans 16:19

I am now getting off the soapbox.

jc

Duck Tape brand Duct Tape and More! Duck Products Home

Duck Tape brand Duct Tape and More! Duck Products Home

The picture of the couple who made duct tape outfits for the prom is priceless. They even won a scholarship!

jc

Girls Birthday Special Time

These happy little girls are dressed up for the Dixie Stampede. This was a special birthday thing that we did for Joy and Jewel's Birthday with Jordan coming along. This was a blast - everything that little girls like. Horses, pretty girls in pretty dresses, lots of animals, singing, dancing, and even more horses. You can't see it in the background of this picture, but there is a horse there that the girls are standing in front of. They liked the food, but they didn't care about eating with just their fingers. We had a great time!

jc

The Word "Maranatha"

I was doing a little research into the word "Maranatha," and I found out I was partly right about what I thought about it and partly wrong. Many people ask me what "Maranatha" means, and I have always told them that it was a Greek word found at the end of Revelation that means "Lord, Come." Well, I guess having one thing right out of three is not that great, so I am setting the record straight. "Maranatha" is Aramaic, not Greek. It is found only at the end of 1 Corinthians, not Revelation (See 1 Corinthians 16:22). (To my credit, the Greek equivalent of "Maranatha" is found at the end of Revelation, so I guess that part of my answer was at least good enough to pass a small amount of scrutiny.) The part I was correct about was that it means "Come, O Lord."


1 Cor. 16:22 is translated in the NIV as "If anyone does not love the Lord-a curse be on him. Come, O Lord!" However the KJV doesn't translate the last two words - "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha."

To quote from the Wiki (see Link above):

The phrase seems to have been used as a greeting between Early Christians, and it is probably in this way that it was used by the Apostle Paul. However, the preceding word is the curse "anathema", and because the original texts of the Greek New Testament contained no punctuation at all, or indeed any word or sentence separation, early readers took the two words together and construed the passage as, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha". It was therefore believed that "anathema maranatha" must be some exceptionally severe kind of curse. The phrase was in use in this sense at least by the 7th Century, when Pope Silverius pronounced anyone who deceives a bishop as "anathema maranatha" (see the Catholic Encyclopedia article referenced below). One possible understanding of this is that the offender would be excluded from communion with the Church until the return of Christ, tying the punishment to the term Maranatha. John Wesley in his Notes on the Bible comments that, "It seems to have been customary with the Jews of that age, when they had pronounced any man an Anathema, to add the Syriac expression, Maran - atha, that is, "The Lord cometh;" namely, to execute vengeance upon him." The negative understanding of maranatha began to die out by the late 19th Century; Jamiesen, Fausset and Brown's commentary of 1871 separates Maranatha from anathema in the same way as modern scholars.

So, there is some debate about whether the early use of this word was used only as a greeting or whether it was used in the process of Church discipline. Either way, it is little wonder that this Word is "Greek" to our culture today. First of all, the culture, including many people in our churches are Biblically illiterate. They don't know how to study the Bible and apply it to their own lives. Even Church leaders think the only way to "study" the Bible is to get the class in a circle, read a verse, and then ask everyone, "What does this mean to you?" Is it any wonder that our Churches are so messed up and have such a lack of discernment? Is it any wonder that the Spiritual growth and maturity of adults in Churches (not to mention youth) is so woeful? If any verse could mean anything to anyone, then by that logic, "Maranatha" could mean magnetic monkeys driving BMW's.

Second, the idea that there might be an "Anathema" attached to the "Maranatha" is almost considered a hate crime. Maranatha is certainly a word filled with hope in the coming of the Lord, but like so many Biblical truths, it is hope with an edge. The phrase "Come, O Lord" is wonderful if you are looking forward to His return, but if you live for yourself and choose to reject God's plan for your life, then you are not going to be praying "Maranatha." In fact, "Anathema" would be a better word for you.

Now, I am not suggesting that we rename the camp "Anathema Maranatha Bible Camp" - that would indeed be a mouthful. (I can imagine the telemarketers just trying to say that name.) But we, and all of God's Churches that truly want to follow Him, need to give the full message - there are blesssings for those who love and obey the Lord, and curses for those who don't. That's the hard truth. I choose blessings!

jc

MBC Critters and the Sovereignty of God

So Jonathan has been into photography lately. He has been taking pictures at Church for the Christmas program and he has really enjoyed it. He took this picture of a squirrel in our front yard - its a pretty good picture considering the subject and the photographer. We have been feeding a tremendous amount of squirrels and birds lately - I guess it's the weather. There were nine of them out there this morning with twice as many birds there at once. They come in, eat all day, then leave. They fight and quarrel and fuss with each other. They push to get ahead of all the others and they don't want to share. I watched a squirrel eating sunflower seeds from our bird feeder chase a nuthatch away from one side of the feeder while another nuthatch or chickadee came to the other side. The squirrel must have chased 5 or 6 birds away before he gave up. We have really enjoyed watching the birds and the squirrels. It's funny how they are kind of like people - they are extremely selfish, they eat like hogs, and they don't want to share, They run when they shouldn't be afraid and they stay right there when danger comes along. Most importantly, they don't realize that there is someone watching them. They don't know or care that I am trying to feed them. They are impatient, indecisive, and always hovering on the brink of disaster. I am amazed to think that God knows even when a sparrow dies (Matt. 10:29). How many tiny birds die every single hour? How can God have that much awareness and wisdom? We had a bird crash into our window and die with a loud "clunk" a few weeks ago. Was that God's plan? Matthew 10:29 says it was clearly. I don't understand that, but in many ways. Maybe His glory is magnified by our considering that we aren't that different from them, and we are desperately in need of God to take care of us. Just like birds. And squirrels.

Did I mention that people are also "squirrelly?"

"Consider the birds of the air...." Matthew 6:26. (Squirrels too.)

jc

Here's Hoping

So much to write about - so little time. I really do like to blog - and I like to see the occassional comment that a blog produces, and it is interesting to see who responds. I have worked all day today trying to finish a hundred things so we can leave tomorrow. We are going to visit Jenette's brother in Indy and we are going to visit 4 different camps on the way and while we are up there.

I'm hoping that the kids have a great time in the van (I have put at least 30 hours of books on the MP3 player to listen to). I hope that I learn a lot from our visits to the camps. And I hope that our family has the opportunity to experience some new and fun things together.

It is hard to leave this camp - with so much to do, and so much undone, yet I am trying to look at the bigger picture. I suppose that is a good thing.

I will try to blog when I have internet access - to log my learning and our experiences.

Two Very Happy People that the OU Sooners won 79 - 10

MBC Tree Frog

Another MBC Critter created to bring praise and glory to God, the creator.

Reflecting on two days of planning and dreaming

Today completed two days of meeting with our camp directors - planning, dreaming, prioritizing, etc. I can truly say that in all my years of ministry, I have never been involved with such an intense time of looking ahead at the big picture. I feel that there are many areas that we need to improve here at the camp, but I am excited to see the beginnings of a long range master plan in all areas.

I still can't believe that God has allowed me the privilege to be a part of this, and to be a leader in this ministry.

We were sitting on the Retreat Center deck last night in the dark, with the full moon shining on us, and I couldn't help but think of my life and ministry in analogy to the moon. I am to be a reflecting the glory of God to my family, my friends, my whole circle of influence - and it is not to be the light or wit or glory of myself, but the light and the glory of God.

I am reading a book called "Cat and Dog Theology" which has challenged me to make God famous in everything that I do and everything that I am a part of. That is hopefully what I will do more and more in my own family and in my ministry here at MBC.

I also love the quote from John Piper that says that if anything makes us more content than God, then we need to fast from it. That is exactly what we want people to do when they come to camp - to fast from the things that not only bring them more contentment than the Lord, but also all those things that distract them from listening to and obeying His Word.

Maybe we should start a class at church called the "Moonshiners" - maybe that would be misunderstood.

jc

The Beginning of an Era of Blunderblogging

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

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

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

House Construction 7

Looks a lot better with doors and windows!

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 5

This is the side facing the highway, and where a garage will be in the future.

House Construction 4

They sure put the trusses on quickly - they had the whole thing done before 8:30 AM that morning.

House Construction 3

This is the back side!

New House Construction 2

The subfloor is on and the basement is totally framed in.

New house Construction

These guys got after it in very cold temperatures.

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.

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.

The effects of the ice bomb

The entire camp looks like this!

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.

Chains made of ice

Ice chains on the camp swing set - not something you see every day!

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

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.

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