Watchman of Six

Reunion!

2010-08-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

Air Force Life

2010-08-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

Ok so for those of you who know us you know that I joined the Air National Guard last Sept. and this past March I left my wife and kids at home while I went off to boot camp. After 8 and a half weeks of almost no contact with them I graduated and moved on to technical training to learn my trade. Things improved dramatically when I got to tech school. More freedoms and a lot more contact with my wife and kids. I learned just a couple of things in basic. Some of the stuff I already new, like respect for authority, discipline, and how to follow directions. One of the things that I learned was how much I depend on my wife for comfort and strength. I spent 8 and a half weeks being "broken" and "molded" to be an American Airman and the thing that bothered me the most was being separated from my wife. I was allowed a total of 4 phone calls, the longest being 20 minutes long, while there. Every night I would think about what I would say to her if I could, or what I never said that I should have. I know it sounds cheesy but I basically went two months with no contact with the one person on earth God gave me for an help meet, fit to help me through all of life's trials as a team. I just wanted to post this because I don't know if I would have ever gotten to the point that I'm at with how I feel about our relationship had I not gone that long with it. Kinda like that "you don't know what you have till it's gone" except it's not gone I just kinds got to see a glimpse of what it would be like... I didn't like it. I don't want to leave anything unsaid, I don't want to leave anything UNHEARD. I don't want only know my half of the story. I want to be so connected that the two can't be distinguished from each other. I still have 2 months to go before I can be home with my bride... It's easier now but it's still lonely with out her by my side. I don't suggest that everyone go off to boot camp to boost their relationship with their spouse, actually I would discourage most from it. I couldn't have done it had it not been for my wife's strength and encouragement before hand and knowing that she would be there praying for me. I do suggest that everyone take stock of what they have though. Don't take it for granted, and don't assume that everything is as good as it gets just because the ride is smooth at the moment. Don't stop growing together and towards each other.

St. Louis Coffe Shop "Foundation Grounds"

2010-05-14T10:41:00.001-07:00

It was harder than you would think to find a good coffee shoppe in St. Louis! We drove around all morning looking for a place. Down town was too cookie cutter, just a star bucks that we could find. The outskirts of the business district were... less then hospitable... We had to go to the outer metro area... really like a 10 min drive from downtown. We found this one in Maplewood. This place offers organic grown coffee and coffee drinks. Decently priced and a great cup of coffee, this place was well worth the search.

Imaginative decoration, and plenty of seating.. Unlike a lot of places we've been they aren't trying to sell you a bunch of junk before you get to the counter.

http://www.foundationgrounds.com/

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2010-05-13T09:40:00.001-07:00

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2010-05-08T13:58:00.001-07:00

President issues Military Spouse Appreciation Day proclamation

2010-05-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

President issues Military Spouse Appreciation Day proclamation

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2010-05-07T09:32:00.001-07:00

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2010-05-06T16:22:00.001-07:00

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2010-05-06T15:15:00.001-07:00

I dont know if u can tell but his bottom lip is stuck to his chin... What is in a gummy bear?

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2010-04-12T16:59:00.001-07:00

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2010-03-22T09:33:00.001-07:00

15 hundred dollar paper weight

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2010-03-20T13:06:00.001-07:00

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2010-03-20T12:36:00.001-07:00

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2010-03-20T12:31:00.001-07:00

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2010-03-20T11:48:00.001-07:00

We love us some coffee! The Java Joint in Bardstown Kentucky

Prom a constitutional right?

2010-03-11T06:33:00.001-08:00

According to the ACLU a high school student in Mississippi had her constitutional rights violated when she was denied a ticket for prom. The school denied her tickets after she told them she planned to go in drag with a member of the same sex. The schools prom policies state that students can only bring dates of the opposite sex. Now before you get all worked up thinking this is an anti gay rule the purpose of this policy is to prevent students from bringing friends of the same sex who otherwise don't qualify. i.e. underclassmen or students from another school. apparently the prior applies to this situation because the date was a student at the school but couldn't get her own ticket. Well, the ACLU went after the school board and demanded special concessions for gays and lesbians... The schools response... No, and to avoid more harassment the school board canceled prom this year. Prom a constitutional right?

Deacon Loves Some Chocolate

2010-03-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

Deacon likes dove dark chocolate too.

Wish I Was There

2010-03-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

the weather is nice, and I have bike envy. Mine is still down for repairs.

Production is Up

2010-03-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

The warm weather is bringing in the eggs.

Tatter Duty

2010-03-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

Kids helping mommy with supper.... I should probably be peeling the potatoes.... I'll need the practice

2010-01-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

Wow. . . This is gonna be like starting all over again. Well what's new with the Stroupe family in the six months. Well the biggest thing is I joined the Illinois Air National Guard. Jamie and I had been talking about it for some time and we both agreed that this would be a awesome opportunity for us. I've always wanted to join the service but the years passed by so quick that I thought that I had gotten too old for something like this. What really encouraged me was a co-worker of mine who's in his mid thirties was considering joining as well. I went down to St. Louis to take my ASVAB and get cleared by medical in late September. Scored a 97 on the ASVAB! They offered me a great job and I took it. Swore in Sept. 30. The worse part according to my wife is that I had to shave my beard. I hadn't been clean shaven in about five years.

This photo brings me to my next point. . . Dieting. The max weight for my height to get into the Air Force was 197, I weighed 196 at MEPS. My ideal weight is 174. To get ready for Basic Training I've been running about every other day, a mile and a half each time. That with dieting I've lost about ten pounds!

Here's some random photos of what we've been up to the past several months.

My bride at the ANG Christmas Party.

Chessy laying lazy in front of the fire.
Me rocking it on a kiddy ride at Kentucky Kingdom.
Oh yeah. . . and me with chicken pox.

Father and Son bonding..... On Rollercoasters!

2009-08-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

This past Monday I took my eldest son Gage to six flags for some one on one time. We had a blast. He loved the rides and we had a good time together. I borrowed my sister in-laws camera to capture the moments.... and I got one photo of Gage.... Oh well. It's the memories that count.

Christian Law Association/ Homeschool Legal Advantage

2009-06-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

I know that I haven't been the best at keeping up on my blog lately... I can make an excuse if you want one. Tonight though I just wanted to share a link to something I think many may be interested in. I'm sure many of you have heard of the Christian Law Association started by Bro. David Gibbs. They now have an off shoot specifically for Homeschool defense. My pastor shared this with us and we are going to look further into it.

www.homeschoollegaladvantage.com

"HLA is an outreach of the Christian Law Association (CLA). We are an organization of experienced attorneys who are only a phone call away. Our attorneys provide your family with legal representation and practical advice regarding home education and compliance with homeschool laws. The CLA has served families since 1969 with resources and information. We have successfully defended over 8,000 educational freedom related cases. CLA has assembled a dedicated team of educators, experienced homeschool parents, attorneys and homeschool graduates to form a division specifically charged with protecting the rights of homeschoolers."

Kickapoo Park Lincoln Illinois

2009-05-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures of the kids after a sunday picnic between services.

Bear trying to find the perfect skipping stone.

Rissy walked clear to the tall grass on the other side of the field. Her curiosity is fearless, or she's sure her daddy can rescue her if anything does happen.

Four Wheeler Fun

2009-05-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

Picassa Collage

2009-05-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

Hannibal Missouri

2009-05-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Overlook view of Hannibal Missouri, we went camping this weekend and had a great time. Here are some Pics

Gage and Chester

2009-05-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

This is a really good picture, I know that I have a lot of pics posted. I'm trying to get as many pics of our trip to Hannibal up as I can, and I'm gonna try using picasa for it.

Riverview Park

2009-05-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

The kids taking a break from walking the trails

Gage, Chloe, Hunter, and Clarissa

2009-05-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

The kids looking out at the Mississippi river

Chloe in Hannibal Missouri

2009-05-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

Chloe posing on a rock at the base of Hannibals Light house.

2009-05-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

The city of Hannibal from Lovers Leap

View off of Lovers Leap

2009-05-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

A view off of Lovers Leap in Hannibal.

Lovers Leap

2009-05-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

These two needed to hear my pastor's messages on the dangers of dating....

Java Jive the first coffee shop west of the mississippi

2009-05-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

My wife and I are huge fans of coffee, we like to try coffee shops everywhere we go. You may have read our post on that really good shop in Davenport. This lil' shop is in Hannibal Missouri just yards from the Mississippi river in Hannibal's historic district. We stopped there this morning for a cup of coffee... well latte, before we started our day of site seeing.

This was a very comfortable sitting, lounge like atmosphere.

The owner of this shop is from Springfield Illinois.... and a guy I spoke with at the counter comes here often to sell antiques.

Long time no post

2009-04-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

I have more time now than ever and am posting less than ever. Thankfully I am a master of excuses and can justify just about anything. Ok here it goes. My laptop was down for about a week and a half, charger died. Then this week I got a new charger and now the battery wont charge, My dad showed up and is visiting for a couple of weeks.

The weather is starting to make up it's mind that it wants to be warm. So we're doing more out doors stuff as a family. We were wanting to go camping in Missouri this weekend but the rain stopped that. My wife and I are now officially hooked on an online farming game called Farm Town.

Here's some pics.
Me and Grandpa went in on some outdoor fun for the kids, a go-cart and a mini dirt bike.... look closely and you can see that the "new" go cart is being pulled with a rope... good investment.
Gage Chloe Hunter and I planting the first apple trees of our wannabe orchard. Lord willing one day we'll have the land for a real one with room for some animals.
Rissy enjoying something fruity!
Jamie today, we went bowling at a Christian Center in Peoria, we were the only ones there. It was great!

I'm this April's fool

2009-04-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I haven't been updating this thing very often. I had an excuse for the past few months, I was working overtime almost every night at work. Well it's spring time and I'm done with OT until it gets really hot out so now I must get back to this.
I'll start with an update on my chickens. I've been selling our eggs just as fast as my girls will lay em'. On a good day I'll get 18 out of them. I ordered fifteen more and am hoping to buy 30 more before the year is out, just have to find a place to put them. I picked up a tip from another blog about increasing the size of my chickens eggs. The secret... Peanuts. I guess it's the extra protein. I buy a five pound bag of crushed peanuts from a feed store I go to and use it as a "treat". I throw a handful or two in every night and my customers have already noticed a difference.
Now to the part about me being the fool this April first. I've been sick for the past couple days with the flu or something, so I've been in a funk. Well this morning I started out the door 15 minutes later than I should have and in a hurry. To make things worse the I get stuck behind 3 cars, of which the lead car can't decide whether to drive 60 or 45 so tries them out over and over again. The car in front of me leap frogs around the two and makes it safety, godspeed friend, I on the other hand didn't want to pass two cars at once and didn't want to leapfrog when the lead driver was so erratic. So for the next ten miles I waited patiently, accepting that I was just going to have wait for the interstate. Well that didn't happen. The lead car decided she wanted to turn... like right now, so she slams on her brakes and that makes the guy in front of me slam on his and swerve to the right, half way on the shoulder and half way in the lane. Oncoming traffic kept me from moving left and the car in front of me kept me from moving right, so I slammed on my brakes and hoped for the best... I didn't get the worst at least. I was in my "first" accident today. I've been in plenty before but I was never the driver. I lost two dozen eggs and cracked the grill on my minivan.
There's more, so I get to work (late) to find out that there has been a sewer back up on half the first floor. I had to shampoo the carpets, which is no big deal but first.... The sewer in the kitchen backs up sending hundreds of gallons of greasy, smelly, and chunky water ( not toilet water) all over the kitchen and dining room. Did I mention that I'm sick. I think all the maintenance men are taking next April 1st off...

Everyone says I'm trying for a football team!

2009-03-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

Potty Training

2009-03-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

This girl makes potty training look good.

Romantic Getaway of Two ..... Plus one

2009-02-17T17:47:00.000-08:00

So this past weekend was my wife's birthday on the 13th, valentines day on the 14th, and our anniversary on the 15th.... and I didn't do a thing for her! I barely even said happy birthday or happy anniversary. Usually I get her a collectible thingy (willow tree) or flowers or something, and we usually at least do dinner somewhere. I didn't get her a thing. We couldn't really afford much this year anyway, we have to wait a few more weeks before we can even file tax returns, and we have doctor bills to pay. So she wasn't expecting much.

But.....
I did have a lil' extra money on this check from some overtime. So I asked her mom to watch the kids yesterday through today and I snuck her off. It was neat she didn't even know what was going on really. She thought I was taking her out for a date, we made it to the Library, where I pulled up a map on my laptop and asked her where she wanted to go. I had four or five spots picked out all within 3 hours or so from the house. She picked the Quad Cities. We'd never been there before. The city you might know there is Davenport Iowa, the others are Rock Island, Moline and Bettendorf. We stayed in Rock Island right off the river. Our hotel had a great view of the Centennial Bridge crossing over into Iowa. There was a really nice little coffee shop right across from the hotel called Theo's Java Club that we went to this morning. Cool thing was that all the postings in the shop were... conservative! Like the bulletin board had news clippings that talked good about America and bad about socialism. I was pleasantly shocked.
There was quite a bit of sites to see but I took the advise from a friend and just planned on one or two things. My wife and I both love to just drive around and look at new places, as in places we've never been. We just drove around the city for at least 2 hours, taking pictures along the way. The kinda big thing we did that took up about 3 hours was the Putnam Museum and Imax theater in Davenport. For twenty bucks even we got to watch a 3D show on a screen that was over 70feet high by 100 feet wide. It was Deep Sea 3D or something like that. Worth the money and I plan on taking my kids to see it but be sure to debrief your kids if you do. The show is laced with subtle liberal propaganda and some very blunt liberal propaganda. Lets put it this way, Al Gore would give this movie one thumb up for effort. It was neat though, 3D done right. After the show we walked around the museum, there was maybe 30 people in the whole place counting staff.
I love this picture, there were lots of animal displays like this through out the museum.

This one I'm not quite sure how to take.. I want to know how they booked the Apostle James to speak at their church!

A brother lost....

2009-02-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

I wish I had time to post this sooner. A friend of mine did a post on this as well. (Click Here)
As you may know I work for a drug and alcohol rehab center. I am thankful for the opportunity it provides to witness and counsel with young men in need. Since I've been there I've made friends with several of the clients, some because of our common bond through Christ and some because of the burden Christ laid on my heart for their salvation. The very first person I came to call friend was a young man by the name of Jacob. He was 19 years old when I met him. A friend of mine was able to lead him to Christ while Jacob was in treatment. I talked with Jacob daily while at work, fellowshiped and decscipled the best I could. He had to go two rounds with treatment before getting a good start on a successful life. I saw him a few times at church after he left. But due to company policy restricting communication with ex-clients I couldn't have any other contact with him, (couldn't have him over for supper, or hire him for work). I would have to wait two years after a client completes treatment before I could have a friendship with them. Jacob did wonderful though, he became president of a recovery home and finished a trade school. He got HVAC certified.... (While he was in treatment I convinced him that it would be a wise move. I even showed him how to work on small air conditioners) This past sunday my wife asked me if the two years was up. I had made plans of hiring him for AC jobs. It wasn't. Tuesday I went back to work and late into my second shift a coworker out of the blue says "hey do you remember Jacob?" I lit up and started to talk about how much I liked the kid. The man got sober and told me that he had died just last friday... I believe that he was saved, so I rejoice that he has recieved that inheritance, but mourn the fellowship lost and the short life that has his. He was 22 when he went home. He had more than 2 years clean and sober, then when a moment came when no one around him could help him satan tempted him with quick relief. He overdosed. March would have been his two years out of treatment...

Prayer request

2009-02-03T18:38:00.001-08:00

I received a call from my wife today at about noon, she said she felt like her sides were cramping. By one o'clock she couldn't hardly walk because of the pain. I rushed home (I do mean rush.... If I was a catholic I'd have to go to confession...), picked her up and rushed back to the hospital. Jamie called her midwife at first because she thought it had something to do with her nursing, and the new lil' one ( uterus cramps). The midwife, along with a few other people thought it was her Appendix. I haven't seen her in so much pain... ever. Remember she just had her fifth baby. It was constant and severe and lasted four hours before she got any relief. We got to the ER and had to wait 45 min to get back to the Doc. They ran some test, did a CAT scan, gave her an IV. Kidney stones. She had them once before, about 6 years ago. This time around was a lot worse. Poor girl. She still hasn't passed them and is in horrible pain still. Please pray........
I think she kinda wishes it was her appendix, so they could just take it out and get it over with.

How to make bunk beds.

2009-01-26T12:35:00.000-08:00

Ok here we go, I'll try to explain how I did it but keep in mind I kinda just shot from the hip when I built these.
First you need a mental picture or physical picture of what you want. In my case I just Googled bunk beds and looked around at how other people did it. I just wanted an idea of what it should have. After I was done I sat down and stick figure drew out a design that I liked. Added ruff measurements and then went shopping.

For ours I knew a couple of things. First that we wanted to have 12" under the bottom bunk for storage and maybe a trundle bed later. Second that the measurements of the beds were about 37" by 74".
From there I worked out some measurements for the bunk.
All lumber was purchased in 8' lengths

38x75 inside measurements for the matress boxes. You'll need 6 2x6's for this. The cuts will be 4 41" pieces and 4 75" pieces.
70" for four corner posts. These are 2x 4's
8 mattress supports at 38" lengths, I used 2x4's.

6 roll out guards. Obviously we don't want the lil' ones rolling off the top bunk, so I used 2x4's for guard rails, I seen some use other things but I just kept it simple. For the top bunk you'll want to have a roll guard on either side and a roll guard at the head of the bed. The side guards are 75" lengths and the head guard is 41". For the bottom bunk you will want one for the head one on the side facing the wall and one at the foot of the bed ( that one doubles as a rung for the ladder). Again the side rail is 75" and the head and foot rails are 41"------ This equals 5 2x4's. The cuts will be 3 75" cuts, three 41" cuts.
You will be left over with one large piece that we'll use for a second rung in the ladder up the bed. Also a 41" cut.

You will definitely need 16 carriage bolts along with 16 washers and nuts. I used 5/16 bolts, at 3.5" lengths.

In total I believe I purchase 13 2x4's and 6 2x6's along with 16 bolts, my total was around 46 bucks at Lowes. Build time by myself about and hour, with help from the kids... maybe three hours. But worth it.

Step one:
Cut Lumber to lengths desired. I already gave you my measurements but do what ever you want with yours, if you a 12" clearance from the floor like I did keep in mind that the child's mattress will keep them about 16 to 18 inches off the ground, that kinda hurts if they roll out. Plus if you have ceiling fans the top bunk will set a little closer to the ceiling and you may want to watch where you put the bed.

Step two:
Assemble the mattress boxes. I did this first because it seemed to make since, plus this is my project. You want to have your two by sixes laid out with the 41" lengths on the outside and the 75's on the inside. I used nails this time but screws work better. I used 3.5" wood screws and pre drilled the holes the first time. I also counter sunk and used wooden studs to fill the holes. (not needed) 2 screws per corner is fine.
Sorry, I didn't have any good pics of the assembling of the beds. Obviously this is supposed to be a diagram looking straight down at the 2x6's, with the 1.75" side showing.

Step Three:
Attach the mattress boxes to the four corners. Use Screws at first to hold them in place while you drill out the holes for the carriage bolts. I put the 2x4's on the long side of the boxes but I believe that it would work fine on the ends of the bed too. ( also give more room for a trundle bed later). My first box went 12" up the corner posts, this is easy, measure 12" up on all four posts and that's where the bottom of the 1st bunk should go. I put the second bunk at 34" above the top of the first bunk, or 51.5" from the bottom of the corner posts. Mark the posts. Lay boxes on their side and position first two posts at the corners of the boxes. Attach with single screw to hold it steady and then drill out holes for carrage bolts, you need two for each corner of each box. Attach bolts tightly and then flip and repeat.

Step 4: Safety rails and ladder.
This is self explanatory. Add safety rail around the top and bottom bunk like I described above and an extra one at the foot for a ladder rung. Finish with the mattress supports. I used four screws per support.

Sunday Evening Service

2009-01-25T19:47:00.000-08:00

Tonight my pastor preached on a topic I find very interesting. Porters, or gatekeepers. He talked of the porter of the church (the pastor), the porter of the home (the father/husband), and the porter of the heart (the christian). Have you ever noticed how many times the position of the porter comes up in scripture, the word alone comes up like 40 times. But the position that of a person who keeps watch of the door or gate of a place is everywhere. Pastor really had a lot of good points on the subject. One that he made was that when Satan attacks he won't scale the walls of your home he'll sneak in through whatever way the porter (dad/husband) allows. Same applies with our hearts.

This is Pastor as the watchman notifying the porter of approaching danger.
Here's a good picture of pastor and one of the young men of the church. The porter examines people and things before he allows them into the place that he is charged to keep.And here is a picture of one of Park Meadows' Porters!! Our gates are safe!!

Working alot...

2009-01-14T16:49:00.000-08:00

Sorry to all who check out my blog regularly, I have not posted in awhile. I've been busy with work and family. My dad came for a visit just a few days after I went back to work and stayed for about a week. I think I did more work around the home my first week back to work than I did during my whole vacation.
I built a bunk bed for the girls. It went quick and cost less then fifty bucks. They are incredibly sturdy too. I use lag bolts to hold the legs to the boxes, that really sures it up.

I also decided to paint the wife and I's bedroom. I think it turned out really well. The accent wall is burnt orange and the other walls are teddy bear tan. I paint all the time at work, I do more painting, actually, than anything else. I find it relaxing and enjoy it, especially when someone is paying me for it.

Jamie and also wanted to replace our existing outlet covers with wooden ones, so I got on ebay and started looking for some in bulk. Instead I found some for 8 bucks a piece that looked like tuscan tiles, they looked really good and I almost talked myself into it until I read the description. It said that each plate was made with photo paper and several coats of acrylic hardener. Well I figured I could do that. I'll do a post later on a step by step, just because it was really fun and easy to do with the kids. This one is made from a photo of an old shed door, looks alot better in person.

Indian Summer?

2008-12-29T20:10:00.000-08:00

It has really warmed up here in the midwest. The melting snow and ice from the past two weeks has caused rivers to rise and yards to become giant mud pits waiting for bike ruts. It's hard to stay inside when the temperatures outside are pushing 50, especially since we've had some single digit days with windchills as low as -20 that kept us held up in the home.
Gage is such an outdoors boy, he'd be happy playing out in the bad days, but a warm day like this with mud to boot... I didn't have to tell him to smile for this one.

Bear just loves playing with his brothers and sisters.

Chloe would have to make everything so logical, you may be able to tell here that she's trying explain why she tagged Gage first.

Even Chester enjoyed the warm muddy day... and thanks to him our mud room is really a mud room.

The Dell Cook Book

2008-12-27T14:36:00.000-08:00

This is mamma's new cook book... We are so new school!

Merry Christmas 2008 from the Stroupe Family

2008-12-25T10:19:00.000-08:00

From our home to yours, Merry Christmas! Today is the day we commonly celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. How great the love that gave such a precious gift to wicked sinners such as I.
Luk 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luk 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

I see signs everywhere reminding people that "Jesus is the reason for the season". I understand that they are simply trying to counter secular attacks on Christianity, but I think those who reject Christ would be better served being told that "You are the reason for the season" For unto "you" is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. We celebrate what God has done for us, the gift he presented us in a manger in Bethlehem. How humbling to know that the God of the universe gave up his only begotten son to die in your place for your sin...

We started this morning off with prayer and devotions praising our saviour and God.

We all took turns thanking God for what he has done for us.

Reading the Nativity story. Rissy is making sure everyone is paying attention.

Family Fun

2008-12-24T21:33:00.000-08:00

Nothing in particular to post on tonight, just enjoying my family and wanting to post some pictures.

Deacon enjoying a nap by the fire.

Hunter enjoying a nap after a hard day play.

Deacon must be having a dream about sour milk.

Mommy enjoying a nap with lil' baby Deacon James.

Ice storm

2008-12-20T11:22:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty good ice storm here on Thursday night. Lots of tree limbs down, mostly in my in-laws yards. Everything is slick, you slip just thinking about walking. Yesterday we went to get some clothes for Deacon, number two on my to-do list. Today we were going to do some work outside, cut up the branches and what-not. Well I got the chicken pin cleaned up and a load of wood brought to the porch. It's not that bad cold out but it's hard to get anything done. The woods covered with ice and that dulls the saw blades, can't burn the limbs with an inch of ice around em'. So we came in for some home made hot cocoa, not that cheap packet stuff but the Hershey cocoa powder. Mmmmm. Well sipping on that next to the fire with lil' Deacon sleeping in his chair beside the fire kinda made me sleepy. So I'm getting off here and taking a nap with my new baby boy.

Mmmmmmmm!!!!!

2008-12-18T16:26:00.000-08:00

We've been trying to balance taking it easy with keeping up with house chores and my to-do list. Mamma is resting and bonding with Deacon James, we're all trying to get in one on one time with him. Well we had some good friends stop by for a visit today and they did something that we're very thankful for. They brought lunch, and supper, and probably a midnight snack for me! Papa Murphy's Pizza. Two delicious pizzas and two gooey Cinnamon Wheel deserts.

The deserts looked so tasty it was hard not to go straight to them, especially for Hunter Douglas. He decided to put his fingers in for a taste test.

I think he learned a lesson in patience tonight. I had to cover his hand in mustard to relieve the burn. A trick I picked up at my first job as a cook for Dairy Queen. The vinegar draws out the heat, the cool paste relieves the burning and it's thick so it won't just drip off (built in band aid).

Water heater fixed. :check:

2008-12-17T16:29:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! I got the water heater done. Smooth sailing, only cost me twenty bucks in parts. It was kinda weird how I had to get the new one. The manufacturer told me to just go to Menards and get a new one. So I called Menards and said I was replacing it and they told me to bring in the old one and pick up the new one. No one checked anything, no reciepts, I had a number from the warranty claim department but they didn't want it, they didn't even ask my name or look at my old water heater. I unloaded it next to the loading bay and they brought me a brand new one.

First day of vacation

2008-12-16T18:57:00.000-08:00

Today is officially my first day of vacation. I am taking Family Medical Leave for the birth of Deacon James, I'll be off till at least after Christmas, maybe till the new year. I'm going to take it slow and relax. Enjoy my new son. But I can't just do nothing, I like work too much and since I won't have to do it for someone else this next two weeks I'm going to do some for myself. Here is whats on the agenda....

Replace water heater... This went out the day before Deacon was born and I didn't get to work on it till yesterday. Funny thing about is that it's in good shape except for a little glass temp link that holds the damper open in the burner area. It kinda looks like those red things on sprinkler heads. Anyway once the get too hot they break, this can happen from not enough air, and they cannot be replaced... lil piece of glass ruins a 200 dollar water heater because a box was set next to the water heater. Oh well, good news is that its under waranty and I can put it in myself.
Find clothes for Deacon James. We store all of our clothes in the crawl space in tubs. Well it's usually a real good idea, we hardly ever flood, hardly ever. It must have flooded pretty good because out of 12 or so tubs full of kids clothes, 3 are still good. Three tubs were just baby boy clothes, all mildewy now. I'll have to work some overtime when I get back, oh well most of the boys clothes are pushing 4 years some are 8 years old.
Fix master bath toilet. I'd rather not say how long this has been broke, but it's a real easy fix. Hopefully I'll be motivated enough to do it.
Fix master bath shower.... I bet your starting to see a trend here. Ok this has been broke even longer than the toilet. I need a new mixing valve for it, pretty much a whole new everything on the plumbing side, it's also a pretty easy job...
Change oil and winterize the vehicles.... It's freezing out, I could definitely see me talking myself into paying someone else for this one.
I'm gonna put this one in to give my wife some hope.... Finish the hard wood flooring.... I'm almost done, and rightly so I've been working on it for a year and a half. But it looks great. I'll at least put the trim back up.

Deacon James Stroupe!!!

2008-12-14T07:27:00.001-08:00

Deacon James

8 lbs 12 oz

19.5 inches

Born: 9:31 P.M. 12/13/2008

One Happy Papa

Mommy and baby are doing fine, thank you for all the prayers. We'll post more later.

Just a few more days...

2008-12-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

Till this watchman has another lil' one to keep watch over. The LORD has blessed us with a healthy pregnancy and we're excited about welcoming in our newest baby. Jamie is due on about the tenth but you know how that is, we've been a week and a half late to two weeks early. Momma's feeling it though, she's ready, now we're waiting on baby to be ready. We're hoping the hospital we're going to has Wi Fi, we'll be posting on it as soon as we can, I'll have pics from a proud pappa.

Sign of the times... Washington State Capital

2008-12-03T17:32:00.001-08:00

"There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

This is a excerpt from a plaque hanging up in the Washington State Capital. The very fact that this made it the gate of the state capital is a sign of where our nation is at. In context this plaque is in protest of Christianity and the celebration of Christmas. It was put up on display for the holiday season along side a Christmas Tree and a Nativity scene. In a country where over 80% of it's citizens claim to be Christian. It reminds me of a passage from Jeremiah.

Jer 12:1 Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?
Jer 12:2 Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.

It's hard for us to understand what would stay the Lords hand from a nation that has turned and continues to turn further and further from its creator. Our people are quick to call on his name and claim his name but he is not in their hearts (reins).
Rev 22:20 .....Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

My chickens are looking tastey!

2008-12-01T09:55:00.000-08:00

For those who've gone through my archives you'll know that my first post was about our family's endeavor to raise chickens. We got them in July of last year, well at least this round of chickens the first batch were cat food. They were lil' bitty things. Well we've fed them pretty much just on clovers and bugs, we let them run free during the day and pin them up at night. Since winter is hitting I'm not sure what I'm gonna feed them. I don't want to go to feed unless I have to. There is one thing I've got though. A secret weapon. Unlimited supply of Panera Bread. Oh yeah, organic all natural and free. The place I work gets the day olds from Panera, I get the three day olds from my work. My chickens love it.

Thanksgiving pictures.

2008-11-27T18:51:00.001-08:00

We had a really big get together. Friends and family show up from all over. I think most of the kids in this pic are from one family. Great fellowship.

Chloe entertained the guests, sang hymns and talk about how she loves to cook.
Grandpa, worked hard to give us a wonderful Thanksgiving family get together.

Gage has been asking me for the past week to get him a tire swing. Wonder what he was thankful for today

Hunter is along for the ride.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T16:32:00.000-08:00

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. I hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving. We did, and as always we had a feast worthy of a king.

What am I thankful for this Thanksgiving.

First, My salvation. How great his love towards me that he would sacrafice his only begotten son for my soul's sake.
My wife. I praise God for his abundant grace and mercy that he would give me a longsuffering help meet to put up with me. With out her my life wouldn't be complete.
My children. The fruit of the womb is his reward. How awesome a responsibility to care for the God of the universes' treasures.
My testimony. His strength pulled me out of the muck and the mire of this world. In my weakness his strength is made perfect.

Stroupe Family Pictures

2008-11-24T16:59:00.000-08:00

We just got a new camera. Trying it out.

A good family pic. Mommy's holding the camera.

There's my Bride

This girl couldn't take a bad picture if she tried.

What if that twinkling were to happen tonight?

2008-11-19T17:51:00.000-08:00

As a born again believer I look forward to going home to be with my saviour, sometimes though it's hard to imagine. Here lately though the LORD has really kept this thought close to my heart.

Mat 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Well sure I don't know the day or the hour but if I were a betting man I'd put my money on tonight. I don't know anything special, haven't read anything that tells me that it's tonight, it's just that it seems so immanent that it won't wait for day break. LORD GOD that I would have lived today as though that was the case.

I work along side of the epitome of the liberal progressive movement. I work at a drug and alcohol rehab center. Their philosophy is centered around humanism and relativism, we are even told not to judge their "addiction" as being bad because that is relative.... The only reason I still work there is because of the wonderful opportunities to witness. I've noticed something in even the most conservative of my coworkers, they are turning farther and farther from the things of God. Sure most of them are lost and already separated from our LORD but their hearts are hardening. They have "hope" in this world, and at this particular time when the world seems to be spiraling more and more out of control. So what if? What if that twinkling of the eye were to happen right now? What have I done today to point others to Christ, what has my life been a picture of today, and what questions will my life and what I leave behind answer.

Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Chloe Elizabeth

2008-11-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

This little girl is Lo-Lo. She is goofy, energetic, funny and fun, testing (not in a rebellious way but in a curious way), and joyful. She enjoys the thought of one day being a mommy, just like her mommy. She is a sponge, absorbs everything that overflows from her mommy and daddy's cup. When we get excited about something so does she, when we get worried about something so does she. All children absorb what their parents give them, even though we don't notice it sometimes, but this little girl has no governor for her absorber. That's not always bad and it's not always good. May the LORD use her open heart and enthusiastic spirit to the working of his glory!

Hunter Douglas:

2008-11-17T15:49:00.000-08:00

Code Name: HD, Bear, and to those closest to him.... Snuggles.
Vital Stats:
Eyes: Sky Blue
Hair: Blonde, Curly
Height: 3' 6"
Weight: 35lbs
D.O.B.: 11.13.2005
Favorite Color:....Camo
Favorite Food:.... Yes
Blood Type: Mostly Sugar

Operation Spud Launcher!

2008-11-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

Our mission: Assemble a class 3, Idaho model, Spud Launcher (model # 0001), to be used in the defense of our HQ from forces invading in from the east.

Phase 1: Acquire materials.

1 foot 3" pvc pipe
4 feet 1.5" pvc pipe
1 reducer. 3" to 1.5"
1 slip to female thread transition piece 3"
1 male thread plug to fit 3"
pvc pipe cement
1 lantern flint
1 10# bag of Spuds
rubbing alcohol or hairspray

Phase 2: Assembly

Cut 1' off of the 1.5" pipe, this will be your spud cutter.
Join 3" pvc with the 3' of the 1.5" pvc using the reducer.
Attach the transition piece to the end of the 3" pipe
drill a hole large enough to feed the lantern flint through without it going all the way through. Firmly fasten the flint into position.

Phase 3: Defend the home front
After securely fastening the pvc with pvc cement, and cutting some Spud grenades, remove the three inch plug from the butt of the Spud Launcher, add rubbing alcohol or hairspray, fasten plug back on tightly, aim away from all friendlies (this includes neighbors houses and pets) and activate flint. (Warning: Should only be done under the supervision of a Comanding Officer, Mom & Dad)

Dreary days of fall.

2008-11-15T19:10:00.000-08:00

I personally don't like the fall, I always hear the optimists talk about the beautiful changing colors of the trees and migrating birds and talk about how it's just sooo beautiful.... I live in the middle of Illinois, miles and miles of wasteland cornfields, stubble from the crop that once painted the road sides brilliant green and gold. Now I got semi's driving by my house all day and all night, I got the grain elevators with their driers humming all night long, I got a three story grain pile sitting on the roadside, I've got damp piles of leaves, that I don't ever remember them changing colors, piled up in my front yard. By the time I get home from work it's dark out already, it just seems that I miss the day every day. I've always had this kind of disdain for the fall but there is one thing I do like about the fall... and that's the winter that follows. See I like the cold, I love the snow, I love being able to go out side at midnight and it still be bright out from the moon shimmering off the snow. I love shoveling snow, I love helping get peoples cars out of ditches, sometimes if the circumstances are right I even like getting stuck in ditches. I like the slick roads and having to drive carefully, I like scraping ice off my windows in the morning, I even like waking up in the middle of the night freezing because the fire died down. I have no idea why I can enjoy winter so much and loath the fall. Everything just seems to be dieing in the fall, corrupted and decaying. The winter brings snow, clean white snow, it covers the smelly decaying scarlet leaves, the mud ruts from the tractors, and the brown grass and wilted flowers.

Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Even so, LORD come quickly....

2008-11-05T05:18:00.001-08:00

We may have a new president, but God is still on the throne and whether we understand what is going on or not his will shall be done. Plus, Obama can't be any worse than the rulers of Christ's day, remember what happened with the Church in those days. There are several major issues that Obama is wanting to allow swift approval for that we should be in prayer for. One is a lift on all bans concerning abortion, another is the hate crimes bill that will make witnessing very hard and preaching about sin even harder, and there is also a bill coming up called the fairness doctrine that will mandate opposing views on talk shows and radio shows. So your favorite conservative radio show host will have to share his time with a left winger, or your favorite christian broadcasting station will have to share time with athiests, muslims, or scientologists. We as christians are to be anxious for nothing, and I'd have to say I'm not scared so much as I am excited. In our weakness his strength is made perfect!

Lil' Momma

2008-11-03T20:38:00.000-08:00

Chloe made this dish for a cook out last Saturday. This picture doesn't say the half of how excited she was. I'm going to have to start eating twice as much just to keep her and my wife encouraged about their cooking!

I've been encouraged!

2008-11-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

I almost called it quits on my air conditioning business. I've had a few jobs go bad, everyone told me I would, and I've lost a bunch of money... well it's a bunch to me anyway. I was going to let a few of my warranty jobs run out then cancel my insurance and call it a day. I get discouraged easy when I make a mistake doing a job, or when it takes longer than I thought, or when I don't make the profit that I thought. Well last week a brother called me up and asked me to do a job that I bid for him... a year ago. I told him I'd really rather not and tried to get out of it the best I could but he insisted that I do it. He really wanted me to do it. We worked out the details and I took it. This time though I decided I wasn't going to let myself get stressed out, I decided I was going to take my time and most important... Take my son along. Gage, age 8, came with me all three days of this job. He helped me and encouraged me through all of it, I also decided to have a friend from church help out. I learned two important things this weekend.
1st remember why I started HVAC in the first place. One day me and my sons may have a business that supports two generations. I want to be able to work along side of my boys! Fully self employed with 2 or 3 or 4 or more employees, how ever many boys we have! With a support staff of a loving wife and daughters back at the office! That's something to stick through the stress for.
2nd don't be afraid to ask for help. My son was a huge help to me, just having him around kept my stress level down, plus I wouldn't work myself too late into the night with him there (know when to call it a day). Also, my helper from church saved me at least two days of labor at the job site. He was a hard worker and very resourceful.

Pride... The barer of anger...

2008-10-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

One more quick post for the day. I've posted before on a character quality that I'm trying to improve on in my life. Humility. Well one of the things I have to overcome in order to show humility would be pride and it's products one of which is anger. I never thought of my self of being prideful until I searched for humility in my life. Well for the past several weeks the LORD has been working in me for this goal. For me to be humble though I need to allow myself to be "subdued" to the will of GOD. Well pride doesn't allow you to be subdued, pride resists, pride claims authority. Well I've been doing ok in this, my wife and I are enjoying a more open relationship because of this realization that my wants and will are not meant to be a control over my wifes wants and will. Pride would say "me first" and "who is she to tell me". Humility allows room for her to be what God made her to be, my help meet. Anyway, the guys at the rehab clinic would call this a relapse... There was an incident last week, notice I didn't put this on my blessings post from a couple of hours ago, where pride came rolling back in but in a new way that I wasn't prepared for. It happened Friday afternoon, I got home early and was really tired. I had been working allot of overtime and have been running around trying to get our facility in shape for a semiannual inspection. So when I got home I was really wanting to rest. About every other Friday there is an auction here in town, we like to go usually but I was beat. So I let Jamie go by herself and I was going to "watch" the kids. I say "watch" because I was going to let Gage watch them in his room while I lounged around and rested. Well I never could take a nap but I tried. Chloe, bless her heart, was so excited about taking care of daddy again that she would ask every so often if she could go cook supper. Finally she came out one too many times for this proud man and I got testy with her and she went back to her brothers room, shutting the door behind her... I want to stop here and state that this is where I should have repented but didn't... The door closed with some force but not like she was meaning to. One thing though... It closed soundly on Rissy's finger. The sound of the door closing with the screeching of pain from our lil' one scared me... my first thought was that she lost a finger. PRIDE. I had no control over the situation and it scared me, I was scared angry. I wasn't really mad at Chloe, she didn't know or mean too. I was angry because an authority my pride created in me had been insulted and ignored. Of course I don't have control over that kinda thing, it's not my authority to decide whether or not a child's hand is in a door at that specific time. But my pride said it should be, and it produced an anger in me that scared my children to tears. This isn't all bad though, while I may have failed in how I responded to that situation, I immediately sought forgiveness from my children individually, told them where daddy failed and that it wasn't their fault. A few months ago my pride would have claimed my angry outburst as a victory and moved on. Growing into the Image of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-15

I could do this more often!

2008-10-29T18:50:00.001-07:00

I haven't got to do this with the lil' one for months and months. This is me and "Rissy". She's such a prissy momma's girl and rarely wants to snuggle with daddy. She's going to be a girly girl, which is great, but I thank God for flu's and pink eye. Poor Rissy roo got pink eye over the weekend. This is day two. She just wasn't feeling good and wanted rescued.... In comes Daddy The Rescuerer! Some things take a momma's touch and some things take the comfort of a pappa. Praise GOD this took a pappa! We were laying on the couch in front of the fire cozy as can be. Side note, two full days and a night is all it took for her to get over the pink eye. We used an herbal rinse to clean her eyes, and applied warm tea bags to help sooth and cleanse.

Living Witness!

2008-10-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

I received several great blessings over the past couple of weeks, obviously posting wasn't one of them... sorry about that. I've been really busy lately and it doesn't look like it'll lighten up anytime soon. I'll probably be working late for the next five or six days which I dread because of how it gets dark so soon now. Anyway back to the blessings, I'll leave tomorrow to take care of itself, first I had the opportunity to talk with a loved one about the hope that is in me, I was also able to attempt to answer a few questions. Pray for the LORD to answer them all. My wife posted on that a little better, but the LORD did answer a burden my wife and I had for them.
Another one was at work. I've been working with the clients closely now for about 2 months I guess. It's been a great opportunity, I've had chances to witness and have been able to give council from a biblical perspective rather than a humanistic perspective. Best of all I had conformation of a work that Christ has been preforming in my own life. I've built relationships over the past couple of months, or a report, whatever you call it I get along with lots of the clients. They'll come to me with their problems or just to talk. The clients at the rehab center I work with are more than just worldly, they range from kids who "play" with the occult to gang bangers to homosexuals. Some of these guys would rob you on the outside. So suffice to say they have a skewed moral value system. One thing they do that really gets me though is dirty foul talk. Not just cussing but perverted talk. I haven't really noticed it but I guess over the past few weeks working with these guys I have built up a reputation, one of which they respect....so far anyway. So this thursday I took a few clients out to eat for helping me prepare for an inspection. There was three of them, all three I had built a relationship with. At the resaraunt I noticed that one of the clients was looking at the waitress in a lustful way. As humbly as I could I asked him to not do that around me. He responded saying "yeah, sorry, you're always telling me that, I shoulda known", then the others started talking about how at one time or another I "pulled them up" about something of that nature. I never really payed attention I guess. Anyway that opened a door of uttereance that I could not shut if I wanted to, they had question after question. All I could do was point them to Christ. All this because of something the LORD has been working in my life on, when Christ gives the victory he brings the spoils as well. This is the fruit of his working in my heart. I was excited about this anyway, I know it might seem small but for me it's huge. I too was once like them, wrapped up in many of the same life styles and sins, with out Christ. For these guys to seek out what is in me is amazing. Pray for the harvest.

Cracked Jar of Honey!

2008-10-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

Our church recently had evangelist John Bishop preach a youth conference and a 3 day revival meeting. We weren't able to make but one full day of it due to my work schedule but the day we did make was very refreshing. Bro. Bishop suffered from meningitis years ago that took out all of his memory, he pastored a church for 15 years and can only remember the 2 years following his illness. I don't know his complete life history, but I do know that he had to relearn everything, how to talk walk eat. He didn't even know who his wife was anymore. When we met him two years ago he couldn't speak very well due to the illness, suffered seizures, suffered from random cluster migraines that are so painful that doctors have to ask you by law whether or not you have thought about suicide. Well about a year ago those migraines took his site from him, he can now only see outta one eye with the aid of something that resembles a jewelers monocular. The first testimony we got to hear from him about the blindness is that now he speaks clearly, and he does. He says that God took his sight so that he wouldn't sound like a dumby anymore. He gave testimony after testimony of how the LORD has used his blindness to witness to others, he says that people are more receptive to him now because he's blind. He made one comment that I love, and that I think ties into an early post I made and one that a friend of mine made on his blog.

Bro. Bishop's comment went something like this, when my sight went out my ears stepped up and said hey the body is in need, now I can hear better than I ever could, my nose stepped up and now it's more sensitive than ever I can smell things better, I taste better and my touch is more sensitive. One member was in need and the rest of the body stepped up."

What a great picture of what the church should be and what a great picture of a humble heart. Gracious in trials to still praise God through it all. A friend of mine from Church said this about him, "he is like a broken jar of honey" once the vessel was broken the sweet goodness of Christ in him just flowed out. AMEN!

Field trip to get school supplies.

2008-10-13T19:25:00.001-07:00

Today we took a 2 hour trip to the local Amish and Mennonite community. It was fun, I like seeing everyone working so hard on my day off plus, honestly, they live an intriguing lifestyle. A couple years back I took my wife to Lancaster Pa. for our anniversary, we spent a weekend there just site seeing and shopping around. The reason we drove 2 hours wasn't just to drive around and watch men harvest their corn, this particular community has a little book store about 2 or 3 miles outta town. It's run out of a large machine shed at an Amish families homestead. They carry a huge variety of home school curriculum and christian literature that sadly you can't find in any mainstream christian bookstore. After driving for 2 hours, stopping to eat lunch at Yoder's, we headed out to the book shop.... the entire road, for at least a mile including a bridge right before their house, was closed. We drove all through the country looking for a way around the construction. Finally we stopped at one of the road blocks and I walked about a hundred yards and stopped a guy on a steam roller to see how to get to that shop. He said as long as we stayed on the shoulder and didn't touch the new asphalt they were laying we could drive on down there..... I should have taken a picture of that shoulder. Huge ditch, steep, with a 6 foot shoulder and we're in a 15 passenger. ::sigh:: Praise God that he made us men so stubburn. I figured if I drove 2 hours just for this book store we'd drive through the corn field to get there if we had to. Well it didn't come to that but that would have been fun, instead we drove past the baracades on one end of the construction (the end where they were building the bridge) and parked our big ol' van behind their earth movers. We had to walk quite a ways and cross a plywood bridge down in a gully but it was worth it. I won!

Another Year Older!

2008-10-11T19:04:00.001-07:00

Both of my boys will be turning a year older this weekend. Well Gage is 8 today and Hunter will be 3 Monday, so for me that is my weekend. It was a busy day, I was able to have today off work, I usually work Tuesday thru Saturday. We got up went to a soccer game, came home split a ton of wood. (I'll take this time for a little aside, Chloe did an amazing job helping split wood today, she emptied an entire trailer load of unsplit wood by her self! Mamma in training nothing she's gonna make a fine wife too!) Gage got a B-B gun from grandpa, his first, and spent every bit of free time he could come up with shooting at soda cans and pinned up papers. We had a cook out with grandma and grandpa too, bratwarst mmmm..... I got Gage a head lamp, I have one and he just loved it plus I figure it'll help him getting wood for mommy on cold nights, chasing cats from the chicken pin with his B-B gun after sunset, and finding his way to the bathroom down dark hallways! All Hunter can think of these days are dirt bikes, he loves em', you give him some toy trucks, tractors, and a toy dirt bike and his imagination runs away with him. We ended the night with ice cream cake.
They had fun today, and so did I but wow, really Gage is 8 today.... and Hunter is going to be 3. How precious and fleeting the time is. I still feel so young but my kids are getting so big. Train up a child while his is young sounded challenging when they were babes and it seemed like they would be young forever, now it seems like I may wake up and find that they are all grown up. LORD I pray for wisdom for these days are short and few.

What's your vision of a Church?

2008-10-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

I have been kicking around some thoughts I've been having about the format of today's church. I don't know if it's the whole "the grass is greener on the other side" kinda thing, but I've heard testimonies and visited other formats of churches that seem to have something that our modern form of church doesn't. I'm still in the information gathering stage of this scientific method. But one thing I do believe is that the traditional conservative church today has lost the "body" mentality, it's more like a "machine" mentality and instead of "members" its' "cogs". We're only valuable when we fulfill a job function, and everything the church does is centered around grooming us for a position in the machine. Whereas a "body" would nurture a "member" to be fit for the kingdom, whole, holy, useful, a vessel of honour, and loved. See there is a difference between nurture and grooming. I've sat under fundamental preaching my entire saved life, and will continue too, but one thing that our churches lack is actual discipleship, and when you have fundamental preaching (hard preaching on truth) to a crowd of hearers of the word what you get is a congregation of really good actors. We know all the right things to do, how to look like a good baptist and how to act like a good christian, but it's all in theory and not in practice. Kind of like when I went to HVAC school, in class we learned all about air conditioners, I could name every part and what it did and how it worked.... The first time I actually worked on one I felt like I was exposed for a total fraud. I was an hvac technician, I had the hvac technician knowledge, but I was never shown how it worked. I didn't need coddled but I did need mentored or apprenticed. Well I'm a born again christian, I've sat under biblical teaching for four years, but it seems like I've just caught the vision of what our lives as believers are supposed to be about. I don't know maybe it's because of my youth or the because of the late start I had, being saved only a few years ago, or that maybe having received blessings from the LORD (four going on five) and the responsibilities he gave me with them has made me mature. It seems to me that this kind of vision for family, home, spiritual life, walk with the Saviour would be passed on from believer to believer. Think about it, it's not that weird and don't get me wrong I don't think we should do all the leg work for someone, if they are tares nothing will convict them of that better than constant intense exposure to the light. I talked to a man I respect about this and he liked my vision but had no idea how to do that in today's church.
I think a church needs to be discipleship centered. If you have a church full of thoroughly discipled believers on fire for the LORD they will be able to do more for the Kingdom of God than a hundred churches full of "new recruits". The same zeal is there but many are weak in the faith and soon get discouraged. I know.
I think a church should be interactive, not just a few hundred people sitting in a pew looking towards a preacher for an hour and a half then leaving. There needs to be accountability and fellowship, probably more of accountability than anything.
I think a church should be family oriented, not family friendly, and definitely not business oriented. We shouldn't look at people who walk through the church doors as a potential work force but as fellow laborers. I think a Church should be good stewards but I don't think they should be after financial gain.
I believe that a church should stand firm on the word of God as it's only source of guidance. Not conventions or committees. I believe that Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life and that he is sweet enough to attract the lost sinner, we do not need gimmicks to bring crowds.
Please share what your vision for a church would be.

Editors Note: 10-12-2008
Here is a link to a post in response to this post. Very well put! CLICK HERE!

Mamma in training.....

2008-10-08T18:11:00.001-07:00

Well, it took a few days but they finally got me sick too. My kids spread their stomach flu all around the family, they got grandma & grandpa, they got mommy, I thought I was going to make it through but it's not looking good. I wouldn't say I'm full blown sick right now but I feel it coming. I got home from work and had to lay down, I couldn't help with anything. Everytime I move I feel like I may hurl. Oh yeah, I'm getting graphic. Anyway, Jamie had to take Gage to soccer practice and that left me with Chloe Clarissa and Hunter. Chloe was in fine form I might say, she cooked supper, cleaned up, brought me the baby, and tried to keep things organized. She's five by the way. I loved it. I gotta go now though, sitting up typing is making me feel sick.

Arrows in the hands of a mighty man....

2008-10-05T18:50:00.001-07:00

Ok so he's not quite mighty, and he's just a man in training right now, but this is a picture of my oldest son, Gage. I see so much good in this boy, so much hope. He is my strong brave child, he's always in thought, serious, and full of joy. Obviously I didn't view my own childhood with the eyes I have now, but looking back I don't remember any of the things I see in him in my life as a boy. I give God all the praise for that. Jamie and I are first generation Christians, for the most part, and if you spent a day with us you would know that easy. We've made a lot of mistakes and a lot of them may hinder us the rest of our lives. A man that has never tasted alcohol will not have the same temptations as a former drunk, a man who has remained pure from his youth, saving himself for his wife, will not have the same scars as an impure man. We have set in our hearts to raise up a generation that loves the LORD. Pro 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. We are claiming that promise for our kids, we may make mistakes along the way but vision is there. I read Gods word and see all of his promises for my children and I want them all, then I look at my life and my experience and wonder how. With man it's impossible, but with God... Psa 127:1 "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." I can't do anything to deserve GOD's favour on my children, I can't twist his arm and say there LORD, I trained my children out of your word, now they better not wonder... No, if the LORD is not in it then it's my strength trying to do GOD's work. Here's a picture for you, my father in-law works for the railroad. He's works with those iron rails and those great big wooden railroad ties, he does real heavy labour. His strength has been built by the work he does, if I were to try and use my strength to do that I would fail.. and have. Have you ever lifted one of those railroad ties. They are heavy. I had a couple here in my yard, I had to cut one in half with a chainsaw just to move it, my father in law carries them on his shoulder...
Psa 127:2 "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep." It is vain for me to worry and struggle to try and get GOD's work done, if I am faithful and ask he will give. Boy that's a tough one for me though, I like to get things done, and I don't like the thought of not knowing what the out come will be.
Psa 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
But my children are an inheritance from GOD, something that he has left for me. That means that they are precious to him and worthy to given. GOD wouldn't pass on no cheap dollar store nic nac for an inheritance to his children, no, children are priceless to GOD. Remember what Christ said about offending them, Mar 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. I'm not sure what the offence would be but if he's talking about just letting them come sit around him in this passage as the offence.... how worse are we. That's a pretty heavy punishment for offending a little one. They are indeed precious to GOD and he has intrusted them to us, he will show himself strong through our weakness.
Psa 127:4 "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth." Gage, and all my children will be able to go farther than I ever will, they will have a headstart on there mom and dad, by 20 odd years. Like an arrow shot from a bow, it travel beyound the archer. My children will be able to go beyound my reach and accomplish what I couldn't, and what I didn't even dream of.
Psa 127:5 "Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." Even in the few short years we've been living for the LORD, we've seen his mighty hand at work in our lives and in our childrens lives. I don't take that lightly. When my oldest son will go up to a young boy and boldly ask "do you know JESUS?" and my daughter ask her grandpa, "are you saved?" When they hear people speak lies or misunderstandings about what they know to be true of GOD and his word, and come to me and say "daddy, that's wicked", sure they're young yet and may not know all the right ways and words, but they have a heart for truth. 3Jo 1:4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." I believe with all my heart that when the day comes, and the LORD puts a HOLY SPIRIT conviction on my children, that it will be so simple for them. The desire for truth is already there, and no truth is greater that Jesus' love for them.

They're all sick!

2008-10-03T18:33:00.001-07:00

I've been working doubles every Tuesday and Thursday now for about a month and I'm scheduled for another month of it. When I work a double I get home about midnight or a little after. Well with all this work I've been getting kinda haughty, thinking wow that's alot of work that I'm doing, I'm really pushing my self. Well, Last night I got home, Jamie (my wife) was up waiting for me. We talked about our day, I got on the web to check some blogs and my emails, she made me a snack, then about 12:45 my oldest daughter woke up and threw up.... on her bed.... then on the floor.... As Jamie was working with her my youngest daughter wakes up and vomits in her crib... so I pick her up and clean her up.... Ughh. Anyway I had to be into work early this morning and it was already past 1a.m. I had to be up at 6a.m. so my gracious wife allowed me to go to sleep as she bravely took on my two sick baby girls. Well I guess sometime in the middle of the night my oldest son woke up and started in, Jamie didn't get to sleep until 4:30, was up with me at 6, laid back down at 7 and napped till 9 then has been running every since. She had three sick kids all day, canned apples, made apple butter, and kept house while still having energy to greet me with a sweet spirit when I got home. I tell you what I could work a double every day of the week and still not put as much energy into a day as her. When people ask what my wife does for a living I say "well she's a stay at home wife" they always say "oh well that would be nice", you know kind of in a condesending way. But then I just tell them, well we have four kids and one on the way, she homeschools them, cooks three meals a day, keeps a clean house, takes care of our chickens, and on and on and on.... She works harder than anyone that I've ever worked with. To the world that may not seem worth it, you know, what does she get in return, well she is a mamma, a keeper at home, more valueable than rubies, a gift from God to her household, and in a God ordained position as the woman of our home. Her treasures are laid up in heaven, and no salary of man could touch her reward. I praise God for my wife! :)

The manly art of hunting...

2008-09-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've never actually technically hunted before but I've gone with others. When I was like 12 or 13 I went squirrel hunting with my uncle Mike, I was so scared he'd actually kill a poor lil' squirrel that I would stomp around and talk real loud so that they would all run away. I know, don't worry I grew outta that goofy tree hugging thing. So a couple of years ago I went again with my father in-law. I would just sit out there with him, video taping and watching. We went bow hunting twice I think, one time I got sick about an hour into it, really light headed and got ill to my stomach, I still catch flak about that one. Another time we went out and my father in-law was shotgun hunting. I loved it, we were on the ground about 20 yards apart, I had the video camera and was taping woodpeckers and squirrels, field mice were scurrying across my outstretched legs looking for food. Then there he was, a young buck out about 40 yards, we could hear him moving around earlier but now we got to see him. I set the camera on him, I knew any second Jim would take him down so I tried to keep a steady beat on that buck. What seemed like several minutes passed, actually it was just about a minute, and I was just wrapped up in the beauty of God's creation. Then BAMMM!! Boy that buck just dropped in his tracks.... I think.... I kinda got gun spooked and the camera jerked all over the place... Yup... Smooth huh? Jim hasn't asked me back out to go hunting since, in fact he often says that if it wasn't for my boy he'd stop hunting all together... I think he's just worried I'm gonna ask to go back out again. I got me a bow now, I'm gonna practice as much as possible and try to go out this year with him, so I'll probably have a good story for y'all after that.

Sowing Seed!

2008-09-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

I had the heaven sent privilege of witnessing to a young man today who was hungery for truth. This young man was open to the word and even asked for more. It was encouraging for me to be honest, it's been a while since I've had a willing recipient of the Gospel and about as long since I've been able to present it without carnal strength. You know what I mean by that? I may be alone in this but there are times when I get to share Christ with someone and I've been caught off guard. You know, I was ready in season but outta season I was a little rusty. Anyway that has happened to me, and I know the verses to share and I know the path to lead them down so I kinda struggle through and present God's Salvation. Needless to say I don't feel victorious after an occurrence like that, it was in my strength and for what ever reason I wasn't in complete fellowship with my LORD at that moment, it coulda been a bad day, I may have been bitter or tired... whatever it was my mind and energy wasn't in it, my spirit wasn't in it. But not today, today I couldn't have not testified to that young man, the hope of Glory Christ in me wouldn't have it any other way. God opened the door walked me in and sat me down! The young man probed in for more without prompting, ( I could make a whole nother post just on that prompting stuff). It started with God's conviction on his heart and ended with Christ been presented. I see this young man weekly, sometimes daily, and I will be following up with him, encouraging him not to silence that still small voice that is calling him to the cross. I just praise God for that opportunity to share my saviour!

Without hope in this world....

2008-09-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever really posted about my main job. I work at a drug and alcohol rehab center that provides residential care. For the most part the people we get are there to escape a criminal charge or at least lesson a sentence. Up until this past month we provided care to adults and youth 13 and up. We stopped serving adults do to budget cuts and have taken on about thirty more youth clients. This kids are from inner cities, sub-burbs, little towns, and farms. (But mostly inner city). At first I my heart went out to them because I have a similar youth experience as they do and I wanted to see real change in them. Hope. For me nothing changed in my life until I trusted Christ as my saviour. I would try every now and then to make a change but it was all superficial, you know like turning over a new leaf or starting a new chapter or whatever. But I noticed that these kids didn't really change, they would have all the right things to say and be able to convince any one that they wouldn't use again, but in my short time there I have seen some kids three times. That's alot, they stay on average for 90 days but some stay upwards of 120 to 160. I've seen one stay 182. They keep coming and they keep pumping them full of this worlds philosophies and those kids go back out into the world with a new vocabulary but nothing has changed... nothing... even if they never use another drug again. They are still raging heathens, without hope in this world. Now I don't so much care about where they have been compared to where I came from, my heart hurts for where they are going compared to where I am going. This is the best this world has to offer these kids, a bunch of huministic knowledge that at best will help them get rid of an addiction they developed while trying to mask their lonelyness and pain they feel because of seperation. Seperation from the Father. They lack peace, and we teach them how to be content with what this life has to offer.

I work as the maintenance man, so I don't have a lot of personal interaction with the clients, but here in the past few weeks I've been working with them as part of some overtime I have been getting. The LORD has opened my eyes and given me a compassion for them that wasn't as strong before.

Busy Days

2008-09-14T18:20:00.001-07:00

It's been a couple of weeks since I've been able to put a post up, sorry, not that I have a big readership. I've been working alot of overtime and working on getting some wood ready for the heating season. It also doesn't help that we have a metered internet service, we're allowed 4 gigs a month, last month we used 8... oops. We have been trying to not use as much this month, and surprisingly blogging must use a lot because that's all we pretty much do. Any way, we've been busy with the weather starting to cool, and lots of rain.
Over the labor day weekend my dad came to town, I was able to do some motorcycle riding with him. We rode out to Macomb and went yard selling, when your riding it doesn't really matter why you go just so as long as you get to go. We had a good time but most encouraging was that my two oldest children are concerned about their grandpa Dave. They just came out and witnessed to him, asking him if he was saved. I love their boldness and their persistance.
Well I'm not much for justing poting random things about my daily life so I'll stop here, I'm studying out a passage the LORD has laid on me and will be posting on it as soon as I see were God is taking me with it. Till then God bless!

The bigger they are the harder they fall...

2008-08-25T18:34:00.001-07:00

Elijah at Mount Carmel

One of the biggest dangers for a new Christian, or a Christian who is weak in the truth, is falling. Not tripping over something but falling into sin, and not so much falling as jumping but without forethought. A good friend of mine and my former pastor told me once that to be on guard all the time, and pray for a hedge of protection everyday, but especially after a spiritual victory. It's after a great victory, or even a not so great victory, that we are tempted or tried the hardest. We get proud or we maybe think that it was in our strength, or sometimes the victories God performs through us so scare the powers of darkness that they scramble to get us discouraged. I have experienced these sudden intense temptations and sometimes trials sent by God to show me that it was not in my strength that some great victory came to pass. I've had times when I felt so close to my LORD, serving him with love, delighting in his word and his presence in prayer, and then temptation comes and I forfeit it all for carnality's sake. At first I felt as though I was unique in this, but then I read a passage of scripture..... The Old Testament. And then there was Peter. Praise God he knows my soul in adversity. Ours is not a spirit of fear.
2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Our natural response to sin after being saved is to first hide our failures, cover them with works. When sin goes unconfessed it breeds guilt, and guilt brings shame, and the end result is spiritual death. I don't mean a loss of salvation, I mean self made coffin we put ourselves in that keeps us from claiming the promises of God. We bury ourselves in self pity and regret and never think to simply CRY OUT.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Mercy.... That sounds about like what I long for, what I desire, when I do something that I know my Father would not be pleased with, when I fail to do something that I know he wanted me to do. Mercy. We are not like the heathen who are without hope in this world, we are sons of adoption with access to the throne of GOD, and more than that we are his beloved children. I struggle with guilt and regret and up until recently I would go through weeks or months of ACTS of penance to try to restore my relationship with my Father, when all I needed to do was confess repent and move on. The trappings of religiousness, not so much religion, tell us that we must do, in order to receive. We receive mercy and grace because of who we are. Remember as a child of GOD you are holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight. AMEN! Elijah Under the Juniper Tree, after running from Jezebel.

A family that works together....

2008-08-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day! Amazing, and fun. I went to my normal Men's Meeting this morning, it is a discipleship meeting that I've been going to for a few months now, I had a few errands to run while in town, got home around 10, and then my family got to work. I loved it. First, my three oldest children changed the brakes on my van (with a little help from me). A 10 minute job, with the proper tools, took about an hour and a half, it was well worth the extra time. My kids were excited about helping, and had fun doing it. I wanted this to not only be a time of training for my children, not to be mechanics but for team work, following directions, hard work, organization, and joyfulness.

After we got done with the van, we went straight to work on our garage.... I haven't seen the floor in there since my father in-law passed on the ownership of it to me. We worked on it all the way up until 7:00 p.m. My kids worked soo hard and diligently. It brought joy to my heart to see them work together with mommy and daddy without complaint, without asking to stop and go play, and with such sweet spirits. This did more for me than it did for them I'm sure. The LORD helped me humbly guide my children throughout these labors instead of barking orders at them. I love a good days hard work, but this was different, this was with a purpose, we were able to show our children love and guidence with joy, it didn't even seem like work.... until we sat down.... now mommy and daddy are feeling the effects of all the hard work. Maybe I can get a back rub outta this too! Click here for more photos

Joel's Journey

2008-08-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

I just watched a video called Joel's Journey at a friends house. Incredible and moving. The faith of this family and their stance for their convictions was amazing. It is a very sad short video but is definitely worth a watch. You can get it here... http://weloveyoujoel.blogspot.com/
You can read the story there and if you are interested you can buy the video from the family.

Stuebs Family Benefit

2008-08-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

One of the benefits for our friends who lost two children after a horrible camping accident on July 21st, was held today. They held it at a local restaurant, there was games, inflatables, and an auction. We went to show support but weren't able to stay the whole time. Here are a few pictures of the event. I'm not sure what was raised yet. Please continue to lift this family up in prayer.

Fellowship

2008-08-16T15:38:00.001-07:00

There are few things as sweet as a Brother in Christ with whom you can fellowship. Pro 27:17 "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Fellowship is not hanging out and gossiping, it's not even setting around just talking about the day. Fellowship is when two or more Christians spend time encouraging one anther in the LORD. Ministering to each other. Fellowship shows in the walk of those involved. You can not have fellowship with someone and it not show in your life. 1Jo 1:6 "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:" This is a picture of a brother whom I fellowship with.....

So how Have I done this Week With my CQ

2008-08-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

I was looking up the definitions for the word honour as it is used in the KJV Bible and I came across a website where a man was giving what the word meant to him. He said that honour was what he gives and doesn't seek. Honour is holding a door open for someone to show that you esteem them more than yourself. Honour is giving up a place of precedence to someone to let them know that you value them above that place, and above self. Now I read this guy's definition and I liked it but I think it lacked something.... Humility. Ironic. I saw pride in it, will worship, an outwardly show to make up for an inwardly lack. Sounds like me. Sounds like a man that hounoureth himself and lacketh bread. The reason I say this is because I know what it's like to grab ahold of a truth and be sold out to it. When I got saved, there was no thought processes going through my mind telling me I had to do this or that to "show" that I was saved... The thoughts I had were to please the God who saved me. I would tell others about Christ not because I thought that made me look saved but because his spirit compelled me to. I think that if I am going to grow in this area I need to not focus on the "acts" I can do to be humble, but the truth's I need to grab ahold of to be compelled, sold out, put into subjection to his will.

Humility

2008-08-13T03:54:00.000-07:00

This is the Character Quality that I'm currently working on in my life. I've seen the damage that my pride is causing in my life and marriage and am not willing to leave this course uncorrected. I was reading in my devotions the other night and came across a verse that I've read several times before but never understood, but this time God wouldn't let me just fly by it. The verse is Proverbs 12:9 "He that is despised and hath a servant is better than he that honoreth himself, and lacketh bread." I've noticed that when I come under conviction about something I will impose my will about the matter onto my family, especially my wife. I don't often leave room for debate or input, I just go all out. I've also noticed that this usually comes with at best a half hearted response from my family and at worst all out resistance. I don't blame them. They are not donkeys that need to be moved about by bit and bridle, they are spiritual beings that need to be moved by the spirit. If the Holy spirit convicts me of something from Gods word it is my job to help my family catch the vision of it, not to force them to believe something they don't see, because then that won't last. The way I interpret that verse is that a man who has a perverse heart and whose life shows it is better than a man who acts as though he is holy and righteous when his life doesn't show it. That is me when I force my "will" on my family to honour myself, to have a show at righteousness. When I catch a vision for something for God, I will not need to force anyone, they will catch on with enthusiasm, they'll want to see what daddy sees. Sometimes I'll be convicted of a sin in my life and will react with a great change and force that change on my family, but if they don't see the evidence first in my life too them I'm just a man that honoreth himself and lacks bread...

My Testimony

2008-08-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

I've been a born again Christian now for almost 6 years. I was saved August 14 2002 in a little white church in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. I was a drug user, drunk, and a criminal. I lived alone in a trailer down by the river, party's every night and no restraints. I met a girl named Jamie who I started dating. She talked me into going to church to impress her dad. I started going every now and then, I didn't want to but I really liked her, and a lost boy will do just about anything for a girl. Then she got me to go every Sunday with her... This really cut into my Saturday party time but I did it begrudgingly. Then one Wednesday afternoon Jamie asked me to go to hear a guest preacher who was applying to fill the pulpit. I was mad, I really didn't want to go this was too much. Every Sunday wasn't enough. I really had to think if she was worth all this. I ended up going but I had made up my mind that I wasn't going to go back to any more services, this was it for me, either she took me for who I was or she didn't take me at all. That night the preacher preached a fiery message. He did great, but best of all it was what he did afterwards. This man was there for a chance to be the pastor of the Church, he could have decided that after he was done preaching he would go butter up the members so they vote for him, or he could have sat around and talked but instead he walked straight up to me and asked, "has anyone every told you what Jesus Christ did for you". I had no idea what he was asking, I said " I dunno". He told me of Jesus' love, that he looked down through time and saw me, saw my sin (which was a lot of sin he didn't have to sell me on that) and made the choice to take the penalty for my sin, to pay the price for my wicked life. I couldn't imagine a love like that. I thought love was physical, or if between guys then I thought it meant that I'd be willing to kill for one of them, never thought of dieing for one of them, or taking a fall and doing jail time for one. Sacrificial love... I was broken. He told me how to ask Christ to save me, I prayed, but I believe it was that night, kneeling beside my couch crying out to God to forgive me and thanking him for his sacrifice. After I got saved things started to change in my life. I didn't have a desire to do the things that I used to enjoy, and I got a hunger for things I knew nothing about. I started reading my bible and praying, no one was there to show me how so I kinda just started in Mathew and when I prayed, I talked to God like he was right there next to me (Restore the joy of my salvation). After my salvation, I married a beautiful young lady, Jamie, and we started raising our family to follow after Christ. I haven't had much discipleship up until the past year, when a group of Godly men came beside me and took the challenge of sharing what God has taught them over the years. My desire is to grow closer to Christ, and be a Light for my wife and children.
I love to hear testimonies of people's salvation. Feel free to share.

Stuebs Family Benefits

2008-08-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 21st of 2008 was a very sad day for a family who we are close friends with. That day while camping at a resort in Colona Illinois their live were changed forever. They woke that morning to a storm unlike any they had ever been in before. It was a rare type of storm that blew straight line winds of up to 94 miles an hour into their campsite. Just after sunrise that morning, becoming aware of the danger they were in Jason, the father, scrambled to get his family to safety. Unfortunately they did not have enough time. A large oak tree near their camp snapped and fell onto the family tent. The tree pinned their four year old son Dustin beneath it's massive 18 inch in diameter trunk. The families 9 month old daughter Savannah was struck in the head. All the Stuebs' 7 children were hurt in some way. Dustin and Savannah did not survive their injuries though.

I can't imagine the pain our friends are going through, I don't even pretend to know what it would be like to lose two children so tragically. My faith in Christ, and in what he tells us in his word assures me that those two children who we mourn woke up in the arms of Christ. They went from pain and sorrow, to playing in streets of gold before a loving Father. I pray sincerely for those childrens' loved ones, and would ask all to do the same.

The family is in need now, they haven't asked for anything but those who love them are seeking help for them. They operate a non for profit thrift store and have no insurance. The last thing that grieving family needs to worry about is whether they will be able to pay their bills. There are several benefits being planned, we just finished one at a restaurant in Springfield Illinois called Mariah's. We thank the owner, Sam, for all his help and thoughfulness in doing this for the Stuebs. There is another planned for August 17th at the Fieldhouse Pizza & Pub from noon to 6 p.m. There will be a live auction and games for kids. Those who are interested can also send donations to any Marine Bank in Springfield Illinois, or mail them to 3120 Robbins RdSpringfield, IL 62704. Checks can be made out to The Stuebs Family Benefit.

Raising Chickens

2008-08-04T21:03:00.001-07:00

As a family we have been trying to come up with a family mission, a common goal that we could all work together for. We all decided that we would enjoy raising some chickens, just to kinda get our feet wet and teach the children responsibility, diligence, hard work, and also have a lot of fun with it too. We're currently on round two with this family experiment, we originally what 12 chickens and 2 turkeys. We didn't have anywhere to “brood” them so we set up shop in our living room. We set up one of those large storage totes and put a heat lamp in it. I loved having them in the house, the kids played with them and fed them. After about 5 weeks though we moved them to my father in-laws garage and upgraded them to a cattle feeding troff. Two weeks later we turned them loose into their pin we had fixed up. That night something killed 3 of them. Here I am trying to work on character building with my children and I fail, oh I got hot about that. It had to be somebody's fault. That afternoon I went around and made sure nothing could get in or out of that hen house. Next morning, I go out to see how good I did... something had not only killed all the rest of my chickens but made a night of it, seeing as how none of them could get out. He picked them clean. Everyone was discouraged, especially me (like I said I fail often, but Lord willing I'm going to fail forward). So for the next two weeks I was determined to eliminate all forms of chicken eating life from our lil' town. I set a live trap every night, and every night I caught a tom cat or a coon or something. I did this till I couldn't catch nothing else. So now we have twenty chickens, they're about 6 weeks old and looking good, I'm struggling with being short about them. I found I'm being a little over protective of them, as much as I cherish the idea of building life skills in my children by allowing them to help and encouraging them to explore this little fowl things, I loath the idea of loosing. I won't be beat by a stinking tom cat again.