We live in a Cave

Andy (watching Macy's parade): There's Miley Cyrus singing.

Robin:  Miley Cyrus.  Is she friends with Hannah Montana?

Luke's Obsession with Hamsters

A few weeks again Luke held a friend's hamster for like 3 minutes.  Since then he has been obsessed with hamsters.  He talks about them at night.  When asked what he is thankful for, he says hamsters.  I asked him what he would name a hamster if he got one and he said 'ticklish' which is the name of his friend's.  So I told him maybe he should think of another name so he won't confuse them and he said, "I will call him Luke."

Last night he sat down on his own and colored and created a wheel for a hamster out of paper.  Then he made a paper hamster with wiskers, stand-up feet and tail and put it in a cardboard box creating a hamster diorama.

Okay... okay... we get the hint.  We will get him one for Christmas.  I just hope his obsession continues once he realizes he has to feed him and clean his cage.   

A Day with the Peasants

Yesterday afternoon, we loaded up the van and drove to Platteville where there is a farm that lets people come glean the fields.  I wondered if we qualified since we are neither widows, orphans nor strangers.  But that didn't seem to matter to us and I guess not to others either since there were about 40,000 people looking for free vegetables.  

We parked the van near a potato field.  Seeing other people with shovels and trowels, we suddenly realized we didn't come prepared to break the hard soil.  I kinda of envisioned just picking a few ears of corn at the corners or bending over picking up fruit that had fallen on the ground.

A little dumb-founded at what to do, we spied some other people without shovels improvising with ice scrappers or random sticks.  So we found a row that looked relatively undisturbed, got down on all fours and started digging with sticks.  Luke went crazy digging like a dog especially if Robin or I found the top of a tater, he would take over and dig that sucker out.

It was all rather comical. We looked like peasants.  We had just thought it would be cool to take the kids to a farm and see how many people live and work.  You know some educational experience.  But, we got dirty and the kids had a good time digging in the dirt.  They would get very excited when we'd discover a potato under the hard ground.  Luke said it was like digging for treasure without a map. We managed to get about 10 lbs but probably not all of them were worth keeping.  We decided that was enough potatoes and drove to another area of the farm and did the same routine to find some carrots.  (We first went to onion patch but the cold weather had killed all of them.) One carrot treasure Robin found was the biggest carrot I have ever seen.

Robin and I wondered what the motivation for other folks were. Some looked like they needed some free food.  I thought a lot about maybe my Irish ancestors during the potato famines.  I also thought people in Africa who would have loved to been in this field and might not have even rejected the rotten ones on the surface everyone passed over.

I guess it was a good lesson for us all.

Advent Conspiracy

Convicting especially considering I kidded about my Amazon wish list on previous post...

Homothumadon & The Jesus Way

I just posted another devotion for STINTers titled - Homothumadon.  It's actually a product of my having just finished reading Eugene Peterson's The Jesus Way.   Incredible book!  And two separate conversations the last two days about the need to have a unified respond to the enemies plots.

Man, there is so much that gripped me from that book.  I like Peterson's style - both in the creative way he writes and the way he calls us to follow a Jesus' path that doesn't look like the way we tend to go.   About two years ago, I raved about "Christ Plays in 1000 Places" and I'd place this book on par with that one.  (In between, tried to read "Eat this Book" but always got stuck.  I picked it back up again last night so will give it another go.)

And for those who want to put me on their gift list, I just added his new book to my Amazon wish list.  Which I realize is pretentious especially since no one has signed up to follow this blog.

How are We Doing?

I was having an issue accessing a certain company website that was password protected so I emailed our IT Help @ HQ.  Turns out the reason I could no longer access it was because they changed the domain of my email account without telling me and so they password didn't match the site.  

(They are progressively changing the domains for all of us with CCC and started with those with first names that begin with 'A'.  But again no one was told, I just found out when the OPs Director in my office who also is an Andy figured it out.)

Actually before IT Help responded, a colleague figured out that my problem was the change in the domain and he went in and reset it.  Problem solved.  But the IT person finally got to my issue almost a week later and without asking me even if I was still having issues reset my email password.   They kindly told me by sending me an email telling me.  That was nice.

Of course since they changed my password, I couldn't access my email.  DOH! So not able to get on email all day yesterday, I emailed them  through gmail account. They responded not to my gmail account but to my corporate email account saying again that my password was changed.  I called them today and they said, "we sent you two emails". 

Less than excellent.

The Bias Against Dinosaurs

Okay I know I am a dinosaur and probably not a single person who even knows what a blog is much less might read this one shares my angst.  But I do not have cable nor a satellite dish.  We don't even have an antenna on our roof.  We have rabbit ears... or we did.   Why should I pay for TV?  We get enough channels and I watch too much as it is.  

Forced to make the switch to the Digital TV before February 2009  (how often do they need to remind us ), I bought a converter box the other week.  Oh yes, the government gives you a $40 coupon.  Of course the coupon doesn't cover the full price of the converter so what kind of gift is that when the government is making the switch and forcing you to buy the thing.  And Murphy's Law, my antenna no longer worked so I had to buy a new one of those.  After being set back over $70 for stuff I didn't want, didn't need and couldn't afford in my budget, I have digital channels.  Yippie.  It's no better reception than what I got before and the favorite channel of my kids Rocky Mountain PBS doesn't come in at all.  (And yes, I read the instructions and have searched it both automatically and manually.)  No more Clifford or Arthur for them.

To top it all off we get several channels that I don't want.  I don't need to see (nor my sons see) Spanish-speaking channels of buxom women in videos or lame game shows.  Supposedly, I can block those shows with my new-fangled antenna but it doesn't seem to determine those shows are not suitable for kids.   I guess the only good thing is we get a 9 News Weather Plus Channel that Luke is fascinated by.   

And then I hear the news today that ESPN will alone show the BCS Championship games in a few years.  I guess I will just watch old videos on my VCR or listen to songs on my cassette player in my 93 Camry.

Lessons from the Wildebeest

Yesterday on the "Worldwide Student Network" blog, I posted a little devotion on lessons learned from the Wildebeest.   If nothing, it gives you a few 'bet-you-didn't-know' facts.  Or as I liked to say "Who Gnu?" since wildebeests are also called gnus.

The picture is one I took of a Wildebeest last December at Pilanesberg Game Reserve in South Africa.

Jack's Resolution

Jack (this morning) - "I would never push a train with a face on it if I was a rabbit."

November Letter

One of my heart’s desires to look for places around the globe where the Christ is not known and help mobilize others to take the light of the glorious gospel to these dark places.  And the way God has wired me causes me to think of going to these places in new ways.  Perhaps it’s because of roadblocks to the traditional ways of sending missionaries that are preventing us from getting the gospel to every location. 

This month Robin and I share two “God” stories of the way He is working to make His name known and to send out laborers into new places for our region and also two “out-of-the-box” ways of getting there.  The locations of these places are secure so I can’t write all the details. 

Please click to read more either on-line or download a pdf version.  

If you would like to receive our monthly letter by email or snail mail, please comment and leave an address or email me .

I Resolve

I resolve to...

1. Submit myself to our President's authority and honor and show proper respect to Obama.  Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. ~ 1 Peter2:13-17   (Also Romans 13:1-7)

I resolve to speak well of our President.  To believe the best.  To not adhere quickly to internet rumors nor words of fear.  If my brothers & sisters who lived (and live) under persecution can show respect to their leaders and honor their King, I resolve that I can too.  I know as an American our history is born out of rebellion to authority but I resolved that I am a follower of Christ more than an American and I resolve to follow the one who when beaten spoke nothing in his defense.

2. Pray for our President.  

 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. - 1 Tim 2:1-6.

God our Savior wants Barack Obama, who has said he is not sure where he is going when he dies, to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.  Christ Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all and therefore Obama, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, George W Bush, Osama bin Linden... all.   I resolve to pray daily for Obama that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.    I pray that the Lord will grant us as followers of Christ to have favor with the King and that the proclamation of the true message of hope not be hindered.

3. To Care for and be concerned for the Justice of the Poor, the Fatherless, the Widow, the Foreigneer, and the Oppressed... including the Unborn.

He (Shallum - King of Judah) says, 'I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.'  So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red.    "Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father (Josiah) have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him.   He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well.  Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD.   "But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion." - Jer 22:14-17

My great fear today is that the community of believers will turn their back on their poor and needy as we see government handouts increase.  Our hearts can easily grow cold toward those we perceive as gettingsomething for nothing or we hear myths of the 'Welfare Mother'.   I also know that when times are tough we turn our backs on the poor and needy outsdie our borders too.  Forgetting that we live in unbelievable wealth buying things for ourselves while others suffer in great hunger and need.   May we live as people whodemonstrate that we know Him by defending the cause of the poor and needy.  I resolve to live that way.

I resolve also to pray that, even though his limited voting record does not show it and his party that is in control has never stood for the rights of the unborn, President Obama will awaken to the cries of the unborn and will lead our nation to a common ground in the abortion issue that will limit the shedding of innocent blood.

4. Have Great Love for all.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. - Matt 5:43-48

I resolve to love unconditionally those who might be my enemies:  those on other side of political persuation, those who oppress things I hold dear, those who hate followers of Christ, those who seek an agenda for our nation that is contrary to heart of God, those who openly flaunt their lifestyle that is contrary to God's plan, those outside of our nation who seek to destroy us and on and on.   I know that this love can only come from the covenant loving realtionship with the One who loves the world and gave himself up for all.   So I therefore resolve to seek to understand how God views people and allow His Spirit to change my heart.   For I know that anyone can love those who look like them and think that them... even tax collectors and pagans do that.  I resolve that God is calling me to a higher love of words and action.  

I would have Won But I had a Gorilla Brother on My Back

Drew - Dad, when I get bigger I'm gonna be a 'peed race car driver with my red kitty in my red car.

Jack - When I grow up, I'm gonna be a gorilla.

Robin - You both will make your mother proud.

The Evening Before All Saints Day