11 to 8

Well, there's nothing like posting a few days later than you planned, especially when it's one of those "date sensitive" posts.  I suppose one of the up-sides to a belated post is the opportunity to create an intriguing post title.  So, here's my post that was planned for June 8th.

June 8th was a big day.  Besides being the first day of Staff Training it was also my sister-in-law's birthday and Kelly's and my 8th anniversary.  Kelly and I have been together for 14 years.  Wow, that's almost half my lifetime.

Staff Training is going well... and the first day of camp is Sunday the 13th!  This week is the first of 10 straight weeks.

Speaking of camp - we are in need of a few PA licensed nurses for a week or two this summer.  As you can imagine this is a big need.  We would love to hear from you if you are a nurse or if someone you know is a nurse... (contact Ben at 570.663.2419)

If that is not enough, just to make things interesting... I am currently finishing up week 5 of 8 in a curriculum leadership course for my master's degree.  This course end at the beginning of July and then I have one more course to take this fall which will complete my master's degree from Baptist Bible Graduate School.  Going back to July, we are one month away from Natalie's 5th birthday and Dela's due date (July 14th).  Then there's our FREE week of Day Camp and our new 1 to 1 Shepherds Camp week in July too.

We are certainly looking forward to what God has in store, what He plans to teach us about who He is and how that changes us.  Please continue to praise God with us and pray for us here at Arrowhead.

Last but not least - here are two quotes I read on a friend's blog which were encouraging, convicting and heart-piercing:

Sam Storms
“We must never presume that God will grant us apart from prayer what he has ordained to grant us only by the means of prayer".
Charles Spurgeon
“The minister who does not earnestly pray over his work must surely be a vain and conceited man. He acts as if he thought himself sufficient of himself, and therefore needed not to appeal to God.”

Work'n for the Weekend

This weekend a work group of students from Calvary Baptist in Reading came to camp. They spent two days getting camp ready for the summer and working on some special projects.  The students worked hard and we completed all the projects and tasks on the list.  Friday was a perfect day and Saturday's rainy forecast turned into sun for us.  It rained and thunder-stormed all night and into Saturday morning.  The rain stopped just before we started working for the day and the sun warmed things up nicely.  And then... we woke up to a good dusting of snow on Sunday morning.

Here are some stats from the weekend:

GARDEN PROJECT:
Created 200 sq. ft. of garden beds
Install 92 feet of split rail fence
Turned a 168 sq. ft. garden into a 2,016 sq. ft. garden

BASEBALL DIAMOND:
Removed 900 sq. ft. of sod
Installed over 10 tons of crusher dust

BUILDINGS:
Prepared 25 buildings for summer use

GROUNDS:
Grounds clean up and landscaping across 8 acres

MAN HOURS:
Over 300 hrs. = 2 months of work

Check out more pictures at: Work Weekend Slideshow

What To Do...

Cardboard boxes have a plethora of aftermarket uses.  Most people mindlessly skip over the obvious and run straight for the exotic, like:

1. Burn barrel starter material.
2. Garage floor covering for oil spills.
3. Packing material for shipping your friends presents.
4. Makeshift dust pans for large floor junk in the garage.
5. Storm window coverings.
6. Broken car window replacements.
7. Coloring material for the kids.
8. Project material for the kids and their friends and their friends...
9. Backing for paper note pads.
10. Garage notes for measuring, drawing or figuring something so you don't have to back into the house to find a note pad and pencil.
11. To use for your outside burn barrel cover, to set on the grass so the hot lid won't burn the grass.
12. Patterns for things.
13. Garage trash holders.
14. Use extra 123's to hold your movies in,
15. Use them for bookshelves or CD holders.
16. Sock drawer separator walls.
17. Place-mats for the table when kids are doing home projects.
18. Fan to restart your burn barrel fire.
19. Computer mouse pads.
20. Wind protector for the beach.
21. Cut & line with foil and create a sun tan shield for your face.
22. Inside cupboard lining.
23. Silverware drawer separators.
24. Mudroom flooring.
25. Recycle.
26. Kids play houses.
27. Play houses for your cats.
28. Tear up for a compost pile or a worm bed.
29. Donate to a local cardboard drive.

But there are some cardboard boxes whose destinies are as clear the nose on the end of your face.  Some boxes were born to be forts.

In this case, a gigantic 3 piece box which originally carried five foot round tables is now being employeed as a luxurious 19.6 square foot condo in Natalie's playroom.

Pathway: Naturalists

Naturalists are people who love to worship God out doors. "Creation gives them amazing opportunities where they "visualize scriptural truths, they see God more clearly, and they learn to rest."

"... I learned another valuable lesson by being out-of-doors: God's beauty isn't limited. Low different this is, I thought as I stood in God's cathedral, from 'Hollywood-beauty' where all the leading women need the same color of hair and roughly the same shape of body and the men need to craft a certain physique and master the same gnarling scowl.
I caught just a flashing glimpse of the difference between an infinite God and finite men and women. The glimpse was too sudden to hold on to, but strong enough to humble me under my limitations and encourage me with God's great possibilities."

"You will find more laboring in the woods than you ever will among books. Woods and stones will teach you what you can never hear from any master."
- Bernard of Clairvaux

Post: Pathway: Naturalists - from Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas

The Storybook, Prayer & Storms

As a family, we are on our third time reading through the Jesus Storybook Bible.  It's a fantastic children's Bible put out by Zondervan.  It's a very poetic paraphrase of stories throughout the Scriptures.  The part I enjoy the most is that every story told points to Jesus.  It is a wonderful tool for reading the Bible with Natalie.

I was quite surprised the other night (because Natalie is a stickler for routine) when after we got done reading, she asked, "Can pray the prayer they did?"  She was referring to Jesus' prayer in Matthew chapter 6.  "Of course", I replied, and went on to explain that lots of people for a very long time have been praying that same prayer.  In fact, many people pray it several times a day, everyday.  So, for the past few nights we have been praying that very same prayer.  It has been a great blessing to have a mini-praying the hours with Natalie.  Here it is from the Jesus Storybook Bible:

“Hello Daddy!

We want to know you.

And be close to you.

Please show us how.

Make everything in the world right again.

And in our hearts, too.

Do what is best – just like you do in heaven,

And please do it down here, too.

Please give us everything we need today.

Forgive us for doing wrong, for hurting you.

Forgive us just as we forgive other people

When they hurt us.

Rescue us! We need you.

We don’t want to keep running away

And hiding from you.

Keep us safe from our enemies.

You’re strong, God.

You can do whatever you ant.

You are in charge.

Now and forever and for always!

We think you’re great!

Amen!

Yes we do!

Tonight we read about Jesus and his disciples when they were sailing across the lake and they got caught in a terrible storm.  Jesus' disciples were experienced fisherman, but they had never seen a storm like this one.  No matter what they did the "storm was too big for them.  But the storm wasn't too big for Jesus."  The disciples yelled for help, "'Rescue us!  Save us!' they shrieked. 'Don't you care?' (Of course Jesus cared, and this was the very reason he had come -- to rescue them and to save them.)  Jesus stood up and spoke to the storm.  'Hush!' he said.  That's all.  And the strangest thing happened... The wind and the waves recognized Jesus' voice... Immediately the wind stopped.  The water calmed down.  It glittered innocently in the moonlight and lapped quietly against the side of the boat, as if nothing had happened." It seems impossible, but the disciples were so focused on the storm that they forgot he (JESUS!) was in the boat with them.  "They had forgotten that, if Jesus was with them, then they had nothing to be afraid of.  No matter how small their boat -- or how big the storm.

After reading this story and praying Jesus' prayer from Matthew 6 we took some time to talk about how our family might feel like we are in a storm when things get difficult and scary.  I tried to make the connection between the disciples needing to trust Jesus because He was with them and we need to trust Him because He is with us.  We also talked about how God is so powerful that He can do anything... even talk to a storm.  Natalie understood the parts of the story we read and our family's story... but she admitted having some difficulty piecing the two together.  This will definitely be a conversation piece at meals and bedtime.

Sacred Pathways

I just started reading Gary Thomas' book Sacred Pathways.  So far, it is an insight look at the different pathways or "temperaments" people have which most easily allow them to worship God (note: I do not mean singing).  The book is easy to read, includes good illustrations, has practical advice and seeks to help the reader become a more balanced worshipper who is aware of their temperament and the temperaments of others.

I tend to find books like this one to be very timely.  They are most beneficial because I have an immediate need for correction, repentance, encouragement, renewal, reminding or empowerment.  There are only a few books that have impacted me in such ways that I can still recall chapter titles, illustrations, concepts and specific charts, graphs or statistics.  It seems that most of the time the books I read have a more immediate effect, which of course has the potential to change me today and subsequently... every day after (even if I do not remember everything that was said).  I think Sacred Pathways is one of those books.  I do see some similarities/correlation with things like the DISC test or spiritual gifts testing which may cause some of the material to stick for a good while.

Books like this also challenge me to more accurately view myself and others through principles and parameters drawn from scripture.  Check out the next few posts on the sacred pathways, quotes, concepts and big ideas.