Family Vacation pt9

Isaac had an Ice cream from the Ice cream man, who looked like Rod Stewart, and then Kara and I went out on a date. We wanted to see the X-files movie, but aparently it was not showing within 30 miles of the house, so we went out to eat and walked around Meijers. Then on the way home the next day we stopped and saw Grandma and then we left for home. It was a great vacation, the quiet before the storm as I like to call it. First vacation in three years, probably should not go that long again.

family Vacation pt8

We went fishing, and Isaac caught his very first fish on his own. He casted (with a little help) and reeled the fish in all by himself. Nolan got a picture with the fish that Daddy caught. Oh yeah, Isaac kept swinging the fish on the line and saying, "He's swinging!"

Family Vacation pt7

We went to Pontiac Lake for the day. and hung out on the beach. Nolan liked to explore and find rocks, and Isaac wanted to swim.

Family Vacation pt6

The boys really loved the trampoline. We all player on that till we about passed out from exhaustion. Isaac was getting some sweet vertical on this jump. He is getting so big.

Family Vacation pt5

We visited my parents and played there all day. Here are some pictures of the pool.

Family Vacation pt4

We found a fly swatter gun, and we shot beer cans off the table. Isaac had so much fun. "ready aim fire!" he would say after me as we pulled the trigger.

Family Vacation pt3

Boys on Trikes.

Family Vacation pt 2

Isaac and Kara went tubing on the lake for an hour. Isaac loved the water spraying in his face, and watching the water go by. It was cool to watch. Then he passed out in the van at Meijers. Being on the water makes you tired.

Family Vacation pt 1

We went on vacation for a few days and stayed with Kara's parents. The first thing that we did was to go out on the boat on White Lake. It was amazing. Isaac loved the wind in his hair, and then we stopped by an island and fed some fish.

I ate raw fish

I had sushi and LOVED it. I was unsure if I would like it, but it was the most amazing meal I have ever had.

Thank you to Pam and Luke for treating Kara and I to a night out.

Book Review: Suprised by Hope

N.T. Wright is probably my favorite author currently. He is intelligent, and challenging. This book is by far the best N.T. book I have read yet.

The premise of the book is that we have boiled the Christian Hope down to "going to heaven when you die" when in fact the Bible hardly talks about this subject. He then says that the Christian Hope as taught by the Bible is "God's renewal and healing of this present world" and "the resurrection of Christ is the prototype of what God will to to us and this world at the end of time."

He acknowledges the existence of heaven, but he states that heaven is not the final destination, but that resurrection is the "life after life after death" that we all hope for and all creation is groaning to see. Heaven is a "place of rest and waiting until this time."

He then takes this point and shows how focusing on this hope, the true Christian hope will shape the way you live your life, worship at church, and even how it should shape how a church should operate.

This is a must read for all people everywhere. For Christians, to get our bearings straight and figure out what we believe and let it shape our lives and faith, and for non-Christians who think they know what Christianity is about, but are wrong (by our own fault of poor communication and misunderstandings)

So if your faith is a mere "ticket to heaven for when you die," know that the Christian hope goes far beyond that. We should all grasp this fact, and this book really communicates it well.

Book Review: The Road

I was given this book on the bus ride to Chicago for our missions trip. I read half the way down, and the other half the way back.

This book is about post apocalyptic America. Some great nuclear event has happened and wiped out life as we know it. Now if you are going to write this off as some cheesy sci-fi book, you are wrong. This book won the Pulitzer Prize this year. No cheese here.

The story follows a dad (referred to as "the man") and his young son (referred to as "the boy") as they try to reach the southern coast scavenging for food and dodging the "bad guys" who are along the road as well.

I warn you now, this book is very dark and bleak. It is a picture of what evil humankind is capable of. It shows the very dark side of our sinful and fallen nature. There are the bad guys who have no regard for any one else but self survival. (a great picture of selfishness).

The thing that gets you through the darkness of this book is the wonderful relationship the man has with his son. It shows the very best that humankind is capable of as well. This was the best novel I have read all year. Maybe one of the best books I have read all year. It is far more than entertainment reading, it is a read that inspires and also a read that sheds light on what it means to be truly human, and what it means to be inhuman.

I recommend that you read this book. Go to the library and get it, or buy it from amazon or something, but you really should read this book.

Quiet before the storm

I just got back from vacation yesterday, so today is my first day back in the office. We stayed at Kara's parents house and visited family the whole time. It was relaxing and fun. This is most definitley the quiet before the storm. My Fall schedule is going to be very taxing.

If you do not know yet, the teaching pastor at my church moved to North Carolina with his wife to be close to family and go back to seminary. On top of that the founding pastor of our church retired this year, so we are down to two pastors for a 600- 700 member congregation. So I am moving into the teaching pastor mode and doing the youth ministry.

I am ready for the load, but it is going to be crazy and stressful so I am glad that I got a vacation and family time in before it all starts.

My Fall schedule looks like this so far:
September week 1:

Wednesday night for student ministry
1. writing messages
2. Leading adults
3. writing small group materials
4. planning out the weekly service

September week 2

Wednesday night for student ministry

Speaking in Church:
1. Wednesday night for student ministry
2. I am speaking at the services on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th
3. Weddings: I am performing a wedding in Ada on the 13th, and then I have to speed back to church to speak at the service.

September Week 3

1. Wednesday night for student ministry
2.Missions Trip Planning: I am going to Guatemala to plan out a missions trip from Sept 18th - 23rd

September week 4

1. Wednesday night for student ministry
2. Start the Discsipleship class at church offered after all services

October Weeks 1-3
1. Wednesday night for student ministry
2. Discipleship class after all weekend services continues

October week 4
1. Wednesday night for student ministry
2. Speaking in all services on weekend

November week 1
1. Wednesday night for student ministry
2. Tag team speaking in all services on weekend with Kendall

That is where our fall planning stops for now.

Kara's Broken Finger

Kara broke her finger on our trip. She was pounding a stake in the ground and missed the stake with her sledge hammer and hit it with her finger instead shattering it in 5 places between the two knuckles. The swelling and bruising got much much worse that in the close up pictures. Her ring finger swelled up to the top knuckle.

She did not let it slow her down though. She kept on shoveling.
We went to the ER that night and got X-rays, and we went to the Orthapedic Specialist the next day. We are following up with the Orthapedic Specialist here in GR for therapy and such. She is doing great.

He's Changed so much