Kid Kove

Brendan rides without training wheels

2011-03-28T23:51:00.001-04:00

Movie review - Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2010-12-18T12:02:00.007-05:00

One of my birthday presents my family gave me was to take me to see the newest Narnia movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

I became a fan of this series as a young boy and have been thrilled with the undertaking of turning the books into big-budget movies. Of course as a life-long fan I have tried to adjust my expectations of the story-telling of these books. The first one was fabulous and Walden Media and Disney did an amazing job with putting the story to film. I knew the next two in the series would be harder to bring to the big screen because the stories do not follow as straight of a story line, so I had a bit of "realistic" look at how the movies were going to come out.

That said I was happier with the way they treated the story line of the Dawn Treader than they did Prince Caspian. The only objection I had was that each island felt rushed and quick, but in the end I suspect a two or two and half hour movie would have put it way over budget. As it is the making of the fourth book, the Silver Chair, is in doubt due to budget concerns and the monetary performance of the Dawn Treader. So as fans we have to put up with small parts for interesting characters in the book because this is Hollywood after all and big budget entertainment is the goal, not minor character development. Still, a little more of the Dufflepuds would have given the film some more comic relief, in my humble opinion.

I really appreciated the makers of the movie brought out the Christian themes that were in the book. In fact they were more direct than the subtle CS Lewis put in the book. I especially loved the pointed lessons Lucy learned on appreciating who God made you to be, and not envying others and who God made them to be.

All in all I encourage you to

go and see this movie and to take your kids (our four year old was great with the movie). The more people who go an

d see the movie, the more likely they will bring the fourth one unto the big screen!!

Happy birthday Patsy!

2010-10-27T10:09:00.003-04:00

So today is my lovely wife's birthday. Let me just say that I have a wonderful and amazing wife! Generally speaking she is the cautious and careful one, while I am the adventurous and cavalier one in our marriage. Yet she still prayerfully goes along with my ideas for our life, which are sometimes harebrained! I will say that she has taught me to plan, pray and consider much more than I am naturally inclined to. She also has a wonder for life that adds such a dimension to our non-conformist way of living! God knew what He was doing when He brought us together.

We have so many wonderful experiences in life as we have blended our strengths together. Celebrating her birthday in an RV is our newest one! What fun this will be as we party in Howard! No I am not baking her cake, I am buying her one. But this is no different than I have ever done. The one thing I wish I could give her this year that I can't - a nice hot and quiet bath all to herself. You know "Calgon take me away." I guess she'll have to enjoy the hot, quiet shower this year.

This picture we took yesterday at the Fort Worth Water Gardens. She is pretty amazing girl, more beautiful with every passing day.

The 39 Clues book series review

2010-10-07T12:15:00.004-04:00

This year we started reading the 39 Clues series and recently finished the 10th and last book. We actually got the 2nd book first on CD and listened to it on the Christmas trip from Ontario to Rockford. We liked the CD so much we went back and read the first book and the rest is history.

Hope our reviews help you decide whether to read the books or not. Once again the review is based on a 5 star rating system.

Marty - 4.5 stars - These books are not only interesting and captivating, but they will also help teach your kids geography, history, chemistry, science, archeology, literature, world cultures and a bunch of other good things. These are not written from a Christian perspective, but they do offer some good lessons in morality.

Tanner - 4.5 stars - Basically these books are great. I didn't like the love story with Ian and Amy. The best thing about the books are Dan and his ridiculous jokes.

Patsy - 5 stars - Not only is there a lot of history in it, but by the end of the series it teaches forgiveness and the importance of family relationships.

Blake - 5 stars - This was a very entertaining series. It was full of mystery, action and I liked the characters.

Brendan's dedication

2010-09-27T21:37:00.002-04:00

Fish gone wild

2010-09-21T12:47:00.000-04:00

Crazy Koi at the Niabi Zoo

the final end battle.wmv

2010-09-19T18:25:00.000-04:00

This is another one of Blake's stop motion videos. He is getting pretty good at this, when he takes his time and slows down. Try to overlook his spelling though.

Go Fish concert

2010-09-05T09:38:00.000-04:00

Our family had a blast at this free outdoor Go Fish concert in Shannon, Illinois!

Forester Sunseeker tour inside

2010-08-30T09:48:00.000-04:00

The inside of Howard our RV. Howard is a derivative of the acronym HOW (Home On Wheels)! We named it Saturday.

Forester Sunseeker tour outside

2010-08-30T09:46:00.000-04:00

This is our new RV - can't believe we finally have it! Be sure to check out the inside tour.

Marital bliss

2010-08-25T16:30:00.006-04:00

Marriage gets some pretty rough treatment these days. Either people don't want to get married, they try to change God's definition of marriage, or they forsake marriage all together! We were watching the Closer the other night and Lt. Flynn was trying to tell Lt. Provenza that getting married leads to murder!!

Well as I celebrate 15 years of marriage I can tell you that marriage rocks. I love being married! Maybe I am one of the fortunate ones though, I was blessed with an amazing wife! Yes we get on each other's nerves from time to time and we even fight, but I could never imagine life without my wife Patsy. So in that spirit and my affection for top 10 lists I am presenting the top 10 best things about getting married (Warning this may be rated PG 13).

10. Two minds are better than one - when you have a problem another perspective and set of eyes can really help you solve it!

9. So much warmer on cold nights to snuggle with your hunny!

8. More earning power. Whether it be taxes or income or the ability to save money, two people can earn more than one. Yes the expenses are higher, but not in proportion.

7. A happily married couple makes for the best greenhouse to raise well-adjusted kids. Stats continue to overwhelmingly bear this out despite what you might see in popular culture.

6. Face it married people have way more sex than single people, even for those who have no morals!

5. A three-prong cord can never be broken, husband, wife and God together can do the impossible.

4. There is always someone who is on your side. Even when they have to help you see the other side's point of view.

3. When you're sick, you have someone to make you soup and let you sleep.

2. Marriage is one of God's best ways to sharpen us and mold us into His image, if we let Him, of course. Marriage serves as a mirror into our soul, if we are willing to look there. A good marriage should bring us closer to the point of the death of our self.

1. God created marriage before the parenthood, the church, and all other institutions. Marriage was here before taxes, football, Walt Disney World, the Bible, sin, death, pain, the United Nations and is a fixture of every culture in the world. It is one of His greatest gifts to humans, and it helps us become less selfish and self-centered, if we let it change us. It is a picture of God's relationship with His people.

Creation video

2010-08-15T15:36:00.000-04:00

Blake. with some help from Tanner with the clay models, made this video as their first school project of the year. Their little brothers have been studying Creation through My Father's World Creation, so this was their part in helping their little brothers help learn about the Creation account in Genesis.

A Whole Nother Story

2010-08-13T09:25:00.005-04:00

It's been awhile, but it is time for another Martin family book review. This time we look at a quirky title, A Whole Nother Story, by a quirky author, Dr. Cuthbert Soup. Once again these are based on a five star rating. Be sure to check out other reviews (look at the labels to the right or at the bottom of this post for Martin Family book reviews).

Tanner 5 stars. It was absolutely hilarious.

Blake 4 stars. I laughed a ton, but there were some places that were depressing

Patsy 4.5 stars. The only thing that was funnier than the story was the unsolicited advice at the end of each chapter.

Marty 4 stars. Be careful when you read this if you are drinking milk. You might squirt some through your nose you'll laugh so hard! Parents of the Christian faith might need to talk through a couple of elements with their kids, like a psychic dog and a fortune teller. Otherwise the message is very positive!

Shaving cream homeschool b

2010-08-11T14:29:00.000-04:00

In homeschooling you can also quickly and nimbly adapt to a child's learning styles (like if one finds shaving cream messy on his hands).

Shaving cream homeschool

2010-08-11T14:25:00.000-04:00

One of the beauties of homeschooling is that if a child is struggling with a concept you can revisit that concept over and over again and find different ways to teach that same concept until it sinks in! You can also move on quickly with concepts that are quickly learned, not lingering too long on something so the child bores of school.

Psalm 24:1

2010-08-11T14:21:00.000-04:00

Since I first started in children's ministry I have wholeheartedly embraced the concept of Bible verse memory for kids (its great for adults too, learn with your kids!). How much more dynamic is that concept when it is initiated by dad? There is a power in fatherhood that is so often untapped. Combined with the power of God's word and it is explosive!

A little slice of Americana

2010-08-07T15:43:00.013-04:00

There are lots of things I love about living in a little town like Cambridge. Sure you have to drive 15 minutes to a Walmart or to see a movie or to go to a nice restaurant (We do have a Subway and Dollar General in Cambridge though!). Yes sometimes the locals are a little suspicious of you, but here in Cambridge that is really not a big issue, unlike the city 1o miles to the north.

But all that is more than worth the trade off for me. I love sitting on the back porch working and hearing nothing but the cicadas and a dog barking somewhere in the distance while my kids play in the sprinkler (it is what I am doing now). I love how you can see so many stars at night and how you can tell your kids they can ride their bike or walk to the town park. I love how we have tons of flat sidewalk on our street to teach our youngest guys to ride without training wheels. I love how when you walk in the evening down the road the people you pass give you the pointer finger wave (almost a salute from the forehead).I love the small town newspaper that has a picture of your kid in it about a dozen times a year (I used to be the editor of this paper many years ago).

Today was another example of what I love about small towns. Today we went to "downtown" Cambridge for the Antique tractor show. We walked while the little guys rode in the wagon. We saw the old tractors and semi trailers and antique small engines (one of them was making "wooden nickels that some of the boys got to keep.) The three youngest sons got to participate in the pedal tractor obstacle course, where they each won a ribbon some animal crackers and a toy! There was face painting, a used everything sale and of course my wife had to stop by the library for the used book sale (she got 20 for $2). Besides the book the only real money we spent was for some ice cream and a couple of items we bought at the used whatever sale (some organization things we will use in the RV).

Everyone should live in a small town at least once in their life. It's a slice of what has made America a great nation and in some ways we all need to recapture as a nation some of the simpler things that help bring people together.

Sunset the albino ball python

2010-08-01T20:43:00.000-04:00

Tanner got his wish of a snake for his 11th birthday! His Aunt Sue had nursed back to health an albino ball python and gave it to him! It is a lot bigger than Slidey, his old corn snake (it escaped at the hands of a little brother a couple of years ago). Now we have special clips for Sunset the python's home.

"Food, Glorious Food" by the Emineminems

2010-07-26T10:32:00.000-04:00

Julia and Noah, Blake and Tanner, and Avery created and rehearsed this masterpiece in the van, then performed for us in the parking lot of America's Incredible Pizza Co in Davenport, IA

Kids have fun with Uncle Joe

2010-07-24T22:40:00.000-04:00

Kidology to Go - Mobile Kidmin Training!

2010-07-17T21:22:00.000-04:00

A Big Announcement

2010-07-14T21:51:00.014-04:00

This is something I have waited to talk about for months. In fact I have waited so long that a few of you have have gotten the scoop early, just couldn't wait to tell a few folks! God never cease to amaze me, and here is another example of how amazing He is.

If you read this blog or follow my facebook page at all, you know that a few months ago we decided to pursue another path of ministry. At that time I was feeling I needed to take an extended break from the "daily grind" of children's ministry in a local church. Yet I still wanted to be involved in children's ministry in some way, most likely in a para-church ministry, doing some speaking and training. At the same time we prayed and really felt it was time to pursue a lifelong dream of taking a year or two or three traveling the country (or continent) in an RV before my family got too old for me to see this dream become a reality.

As you may know I spoke to a few friends and family about this, to get some insight and advice and ask for prayer. Well one of those friends was the Kidologist, Karl Bastian, founder of Kidology.org. What I did not know was at the same time Karl had been praying for an extension of the Kidology ministry that would take the ministry into the local churches across the US. Wow, could this have a coincidence. Not with God!

Of course we did not jump in without more prayer and time to let God redirect, but God continued to confirm He was leading in this direction. If you are familiar with children's ministry at all then you understand how humbled I am to be able to work for the premiere children's ministry website and a visionary leader like Karl Bastian. For more information on the

Kidology to Go ministry please click this link for the website with videos, booking info, schedules and eventually a webcam of our journeys, plus much more!

A teen in the house

2010-07-09T22:32:00.006-04:00

So here I am on the eve of teenagerdom in my home. Thirteen years ago I never dreamed this day would come. I mean really how could that little purple ball of cooing flesh turn into a smelly hormone enraged walking moodiness with skin problems?

Well things aren't going to change overnight with Blake. Granted he already has demonstrated some changes, like not wanting to hug his dad too often and wanting to sleep in. But overall he is pretty decent for a 13 year old.

So my main goal for the next 7 years as a father of a teenager. To keep the communication lines open and to stay connected to my son's heart! I'm sure it will be a ride full of ups and downs and unexpected twists and turns, but I look forward to each and every one of them. Soon Tanner will

join him in the realm of teenagerdom. When Tanner turns 20, Chase will turn 13. So I have the next 16 years to look forward to dealing with at least one teenager in the house. I guess I should buckle up and by a gross of Speedstick!

Top 10 things I’ll miss about Canada.

2010-06-28T10:11:00.004-04:00

10. Gravy on your fries.
9. Ice Capps from Tim Hortons especially in the summer!
8. Crabby Joes - Kids eat free on Sundays.
7. Niagara Falls – it’s like the Pigeon Forge of the North.
6. Canada’s Worst Handyman – a Canada Discovery Channel show. Makes me feel better about my own skills
5. Moose Winooski’s! Pie in the face and moose helmet on your birthday. Sweet.
4. Really cheap cookies and fabric softener.
3. Learning French on the back of food cartons and labels.
2. The toonie and the loonie. How nice is it to get the change out of your ashtray and realize you have like $20!
1. Timbits!!!

Of course the real number one thing we will miss is the great people we have met and Forward Church and its staff and members! God bless.

2010-06-23T16:22:00.002-04:00

My book - Imagine - Creating Memorable Characters for Kids' Church, is finally available for purchase!

You can get it Amazon.com (click here) or at Barnes and Noble.com (click here)

I hope you order it and enjoy it!

Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear Commercial (circa 1983)

2010-06-21T13:28:00.000-04:00

hilarious that they made a fake commercial!!

Toy Story Legacy

2010-06-21T09:40:00.009-04:00

Isn't it funny how some movies become a part of the fabric of a culture, a family or a person. Movies like Star Wars and Indiana Jones have become that for our family. Yesterday, as we watched Toy Story 3, I was also reminded of how the Toy Story movies have woven a trail of memories through the tapestry of our family history. We love all the Pixar movies, even Ratatouille, but the Toy Story series holds a unique sway over our families sub-consciousness.

How so?

Well where to begin? Toy Story came out the year we were married. I remember watching it and thinking how great it would be to have a little boy to play cowboys and space man with. If I only knew!! I even welled up a little on this movie (but I did not full out cry). Andy reminded me of myself as a kid. Not every kid has an imagination to take a toy or two and create a whole story , or even a whole universe, from it. I did this sort of thing all the time. Three out of our five sons have had (or still do have) this sort of well-developed imagination. The other two have been greatly influenced by the "imaginative three".

Next came Toy Story 2.

This was Tanner's first real movie at a theater (not including falling asleep in the drive-in to Star Wars the Phantom Menace). He was enraptured through the whole thing.

In 2001 Blake and Tanner dressed as Buzz and Woody for Halloween. Some remnants of those costumes still remain in the "dress up bin", and Chase can be seen almost daily in Woody's hat, although it is a bit chewed up. Several TS phrases have been a regular part of our family's lingo, such as "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz Light year to rescue!" , "You are a toy!", "You can't rush art". Now Chase, who has a penchant for mixing up words, has added another - "Empeder Zurb." I can't forget about the several WDW pictures with Buzz Lightyear himself~

WARNING SPOILER!

So as I sat watching Toy Story 3 yesterday, keeping in mind my oldest is a few weeks away from 13, I couldn't help crying like a baby. For me I felt like our family has grown up with Andy, like he was one of our kids, and he was saying goodbye to his childhood. Blake is right on the heels of Andy, and Tanner not far behind him. This movie captured the fleeting nature of childhood in such a unique way, through the eyes of a boy's childhood toys. When Andy let the little girl have all his toys, but could barely part with Woody, well it still makes me weepy. I guess this just shows me that no matter how old I get, there will always be a part of me that is a little boy.

Aunt Connie

2010-06-17T11:10:00.004-04:00

In memory of my Aunt Connie who passed away last Saturday. She was a wonderful aunt who, as my mom put it, had a heart of gold. She was always giving and looking out for others. We will never forget how she cared so much for my mom in her last days! Our boys will always remember her as "Grandma Connie" with her cool bird Bob! We look forward to seeing her again one in Heaven! She had a strong faith in Christ.

This is her obituary from the Rockford Register Star:

CONNIE SUE MARCH, 57 LOVING DAUGHTER, MOTHER, SISTER, GRANDMOTHER, AUNT AND FRIEND LOVES PARK - Connie Sue March, 57, went home to be with the Lord at 11:02 a.m. Saturday, June 12, 2010, in Loves Park. Born Dec. 30, 1952, in Rockford, the daughter of Chester and Berniece March. Connie enjoyed fishing and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. Connie was a very generous and compassionate person, she didn't know a stranger. She was the one to call if you needed a bumper wired up, boxes delivered to school for packing or a rabbit hutch built. She was the rescuer and will be dearly missed. Connie was employed by Corporate Services which she loved dearly. Survived by mother, Berniece March; daughters, Lori (Rob) Romero, Lisa (Keith) Eggleston and Shandra (Jim) Ankar; brothers, Steve (Linda) March and Kevin March; grandchildren, Bobby and Jayden Romero and Annabelle Olson; daughters in kind and spirit, Rebekah Biles and Latisha Bryant; several foster grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends. Predeceased by father, Chester March; sisters, Sharon Stohl and Donna Martin; and grandson, Nathaniel Romero. Service at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 19, in Honquest Family Funeral Home, Rockford Chapel, 4311 N. Mulford Road, with visitation from 11 a.m. to time of service.

Brendan is officially a Martin!

2010-06-09T13:37:00.007-04:00

What a journey it has been. Two and half years ago I received a call from Roanoke County Social Services that they had a little boy they wanted to place with us! Keep in mind they had already placed two other little boys with us. My first reaction was "are you crazy?", but something stuck in my gut. As soon as we met him, we knew we had to give this little guy a place to stay. Brendan came to live with us the first time on February 8, 2008.

At that time my sister Becky and her husband Joe were considering adopting. When it looked like Brendan was going to come up for adoption, we all prayed and felt like maybe God was leading the Moberlys to adopt him. But then some family members of Brendan stepped forward and were willing to adopt Brendan. This was a mixture of sadness and happiness for our family. The Moberlys also had to grow in God's sufficient grace for that moment! In April of 2009 Brendan left our family to go and live with his biological mother's cousin and her family in the Midwest. This was a sad moment for us, but once again we had a peace and were thankful to be part of Brendan's life if only for a short time.

As time progressed with his new family, it became more and more apparent that Brendan was not adjusting well to the new situation. He was almost out of control and seemed to long for the one family he considered his own, us. We stayed in contact with his new family, hoping to give them some insight into how they could help Brendan adjust. It soon became apparent however that he was not going to adjust. At this point we had moved to Canada. We didn't know if it could be done, but we felt since Brendan had bonded with us so strongly, we were his best chance to have a stable and solid childhood and a loving family. We opened our home to him to come back and live with us as his forever family. About this time my sister Becky found out she was pregnant with her fourth child, proving once again in this story that God gives and takes away, blessed be His name!

So after some amazing work done by both the Roanoke County Social Services and the Waterloo Region Social Services in Canada, they brought Brendan up to Ontario to be reunited with us on October 17th of last year. After months of visitations and paper work, today we got the email from our social worker that Brendan Dayne is now a Martin and will forever be a treasured member of our family. Another Gotcha Day in our home!

You can follow this story about clicking on the links in this post to various other blog posts that fall in the timeline.

You are doing what??

2010-05-27T13:37:00.003-04:00

So now that it is out there – our future plans that is – it gives me a chance to write about the whys of what we are doing. First off let me tell you about our Napkin Dreams. A few months back our entire family (OK the little boys lasted about 3 minutes through the discussion) sat down and talked over the idea of doing an extended cross country RV trip. We talked about our dreams and fears of what a trip like this would be for our family.

We wrote down our dreams on two kitchen napkins (yes it took two napkins). This is where we got the idea of napkin dreams from. Napkins are very temporal and easily destroyed, like our dreams so often are. So we have to do more than just write these down but we have to commit them into our hearts. But I want to put aside our little dreams for this post and talk about dreams in the bigger sense. Joel 2:28 says "Then after I have poured out my rains again, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.

I know this isn’t the best hermeneutics, but humor me for a moment. Have you noticed how many people have dreams that they never pursue. Especially in tough economic times, people love to play it safe. In fact we cry out to our government to keep us safe! I don’t think God is about playing things safe. If that were true why would He give people visions and dreams? They always call us to live life closer to the edge, closer to relying completely on Him. The prophet Joel here lets us know that as history draws closer to the final wrap-up, God’s Spirit will call His people to even more dreaming and visioneering and future seeing! Kinda exciting to think about.

In my heart I like to buck the status quo. I don’t like the same things everyone else likes when it comes to pop culture fashion etc. This has made it easier at times for me to choose paths that are not well tread. There have been tons of decisions that people have asked me if I was sure about that. Becoming a pastor, becoming a children’s pastor, living in Mexico for a year, being part of a church plant, adopting three little boys, moving to Canada, marrying an older woman, going to a little known Bible College, homeschooling our kids and a host of other decisions have been off the expected highway to success and societal normalcy. The road less traveled.
This two-year (or more) RV road trip is one of the strangest yet though. I know. But I know God is in this. What lies around the corner, well that I’m not sure of. I’ve been surprised by God’s designs and His “whys” many times before. Most of the time it has more to do with shaping His character in me than it does me being a mover and shaker in the world. So I try not cling to the things this world sees as stability. A steady job, a house, a diversified financial portfolio, a solid retirement plan. Most of those things have been proven to be unreliable anyhow.

I do try cling to what is stable in the midst of it. God and His Word. The family He has given me. Who He made me. Where He is leading us as a family.
For those who have asked and are wondering, I will be blogging about our family’s adventures! Not here on Kid Kove though. Not sure if I will keep up the Kid Kove blog, retire it or just lay it down for a long nap during our travels. Stay tuned for more info on our travel blog and our plans here and on our Facebook page.

Chase turns 4 pin the tie on Pablo

2010-05-24T17:24:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday to our youngest! He had a great "Back the yargagins" birthday.

Seasons of change

2010-05-23T22:11:00.003-04:00

I took the big plunge earlier this month and officially gave my resignation as the Children's and Family Pastor at Forward Baptist. I am reading a statement to the the church on Sunday. Here is my statement (in blue):

A year and half ago my wife and I had come to a place in our former church where we were spiritually, physically and emotionally exhausted. One could even say “burnt out.” We both felt a change of scenery would be a tremendous help for us. At first it was. We felt a burst of energy and a rush of adrenaline as we came and jumped in with a flurry of activity and some pretty big changes too.
Then we both hit a wall sometime last fall. At about the same time Patsy and I both said we didn’t want to be a pastor/pastor’s wife anymore. We prayed about it and prayed about it and spoke with family and friends. I even spent some time with a pastoral counsellor. We also spoke with our pastor Steve Adams, so that he was in the loop as to what was going inside of our hearts. Thank-you Pastor Steve for your gracious attitude and prayerful support.
We also shared with a couple of ministry friends what was going on in our hearts and asked for prayer and guidance. One friend asked us what we would be doing if we could do anything we wanted. I know this sounds crazy to some of you, but we said we wanted to take a couple of years and travel around North America helping and encouraging churches and seeing the continent while calling an RV our home. This friend is the founder and director of a prominent non-profit ministry. He got excited about that idea and wanted to partner with us if we decided to go that route.
After another season of prayer and seeking advice, we both felt we did not have the passion and emotional energy to give to the position of Children’s Pastor at Forward. On May 11th, I offered my resignation to Pastor Steve. This was done with both great sadness for such a short stay at Forward but with tremendous relief in our hearts, feeling we can have a time of recharging and looking forward to a different adventure. After 18 years of being a pastor, this will be an entirely new experience for us, but we are trusting God to guide and lead and provide for both our family and Forward Baptist Church.

My last official day will be June 30th. We are then going to go and live at my sister's vacant house (her family is are living on military bases right now - my brother-in-law is a chaplain in the army) for a couple of months to regroup and strategize and buy an RV

Hipster Christianity

2010-05-17T13:50:00.003-04:00

Check out this video North Point put together. Someday soon I'll have to blog about where the church in general is sliding too, from one man's perspective (OK mine). Let me say this though, I am feeling that the church needs a helathy dose of Vitamin D (D for Doctrine). Is Christianity slowly being reduced to a mode or insitution to simply help people live nice lives and be cool in the process. Is it loosing its saltiness by becoming so generic and vanilla. Should Christianity cause you to either rejoice or repel?

I think these are some serious questions we need to be asking ourselves for the time and day we live in!

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Top 10 favorite WDW moments

2010-05-10T14:17:00.004-04:00

I thought I would wrap up my vacation posts with my Top 10 favorite moments of my Disney World Vacation. These are not in any order, because it was so hard for me to put them one as more amazing than another! Here we go.

10. Watching my two oldest sons enter the Jedi Academy. Blake is just on the oldest end of being a part of this cool feature at Disney's Hollywood studios. They both enjoyed it so much and we look forward to a future visit where our little guys are old enough to become Padawans!

9. Patsy also blogged about this one. I loved watching David get so excited about the Pixar parade he was bouncing up an down watching it. I will also always remember my wife asking me to take a picture of Sully from Monsters Inc being helped out prior to the parade reaching us. I asked her why she wanted a picture of a beloved Disney character having a heat stroke?

8. I loved eating breakfast at Ohanas. It was family style so unlike Chef Mickey's you get the food brought to you and it was so yummy!

7. Our first day there as we rode Its a Small World and watching the eyes of my three youngest sons as they were glued to the singing animitronics.

6. Doing the new Team Possible experience at Epcot. It was so cool going around to the different countries getting clues and making some of the statues talk to us, getting a golf ball and then having it analyzed, etc.. Very cool family experience.

5. I loved that Epcot was holding the International Flower and Garden Festival. All the cool topiaries and the butterfly tent were a nice extra touch.

4. This is our first year for hunting down some Hidden Mickeys. We found a a few. To learn more about hidden mickeys go here.

3. Getting to spend everyday with my family. I think that is toughest thing to withdraw from for me. I am a family junkie!

2. The new Toy Story Mania ride was amazing!!

1. Being a part of all five boys doing the Pirates League at the Magic Kingdom. It was so fun and we felt like we were all kids again. Yes it cost extra, but I will treasure the memories forever!

Our first day in Disney - I am already Disney homesick

2010-05-09T11:20:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday David!

2010-05-09T11:19:00.000-04:00

Chase and his Lego Shark

2010-05-07T17:12:00.000-04:00

Whispering Canyon

2010-05-07T17:11:00.000-04:00

David and Chase meet Adriana

2010-05-02T09:37:00.000-04:00

Tanner is a Padawan

2010-05-02T09:36:00.001-04:00

Blake at the Jedi Academy

2010-05-02T09:33:00.001-04:00

Developing the hidden talents in your children

2010-04-19T22:04:00.008-04:00

Wow , this subject is so important to parenting. Too often as parents we key in on things like academics, athletics, or even worse popularity and fashion styles, when trying to help our kids develop a good self esteem in who God created them to be. Of course the ultimate area of our children's' hearts we should be concerned with is their spiritual person, there is something very closely connected with that we often miss. It is subtle yet so important.

It is key for us as parents to try discover our child's natural bent or inclination to something and encourage that. We may at the moment feel like it is a trivial talent or a hobby that would never "bring in the big bucks", but as your child grows, I believe you need to put aside those thoughts and see where your child's interests are taking them. What makes your child unique, stand out, different from the rest of the kids?

If we admit it sometimes we don't want our kids to stand out, we want them to fit in. But this is not God's plan for any of us. Tanner is a great kid. Our second oldest struggles with some pretty major learning hindrances. He continues to to fight to overcome them. Homeschooling has been a lifesaver for him.

Growing up he has loved playdoh. He would play for hours with playdoh. He also liked silly putty, mud and anything else in this line of consistency. At one time he graduated up to modeling clay, which is where he is at now. At first he would just make tons of little blobs and pretend they were animals or TV characters or made-up characters. We bit our tongue. It seemed like a a big mess to us and a little strange. Then he started modeling for real, mixing colors and making real figures. Now he is asking mom to bake them and he and his brothers play with his characters! They are pretty awesome if you ask me - for a 10-year old they are stinking awesome!

So what does God have in mind for Tanner and this developing gift? I don't know, but God does. Isn't that exciting to know. God made him for a special and unique reason and we don't have to form him into any image the world would try to put him in.

Another Pinewood Derby!

2010-04-18T21:59:00.003-04:00

Just as Blake and Tanner grew out of the pinewood derby cars, our little guys have entered it. this year David and Brendan got to make cars and race them in their Tadpoles club at church. They both did ok. David had the third fastest car. Brendan's car wasn't the slowest, but it wasn't the fastest either. Of course the best part of the race is watching thier faces light up as the cars come down the big track. Neither of the boys shed even a tear when they did not get a trophy, whcih is what I was the proudest about!

We have gone Duggar crazy

2010-04-14T09:31:00.003-04:00

I am not sure why but recently my wife and I have really gotten hooked on the Duggars TV program on TLC. We have been recording back-shows and watching them like crazy. Maybe it is because we have five kids and we like to pick up good ideas on how to parent a large family! Of course I realize they have a lot more kids - almost 4 times as many. Still I think some of the principles apply.
I have been challenged to be more positive. Jim Bob Duggar (you got to love that name!) is a very positive dad, always encouraging his family. Patsy says she is inspired by how Michelle Duggar is always talking so patiently and never yelling at her kids. They are also very organized. We have learned that with five boys you have to be organized. Patsy is great at this, laying out menus and grocery lists and smile charts and weekly school assignments for the boys. We have also had chore charts before.
Anyone else Duggar fans?

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T22:08:00.000-04:00

He took the Whipping

2010-04-01T09:17:00.003-04:00

This is a really old story I heard as a kid, but I still like it. My thought is the classics never go out of style.

He Took The Whipping
Author Unknown

In the mountains of Virginia, there once was a one-room school with students no teacher had been able to handle. Two or three teachers had been run off from this school in one year by the unruly students.

A young teacher heard about the school and applied for the job. The man interviewing him asked, "Do you not know what you are asking for? No one has been able to handle these students. You are just asking for a terrible beating."

After a few moments of silent prayer, the young man replied, "Sir, with your consent I accept the challenge. Just give me a trial basis."

The next morning the young man stood before the class. He said to the class, "Young people, I came here today to conduct school. But I realize I can't do it by myself. I must have your help." One big boy they called Big Tom, in the back of the room whispered to his buddies, "I'll not need any help. I can lick that little bird all by myself."

The young teacher told the class that if they were to have school, there would have to be some rules to go by. But he also added that he would allow the students to make up the rules, and that he would list them on the blackboard. This was certainly different, the students thought! One young man suggested "No stealing!" Another one shouted, "Be on time!" Pretty soon they had ten rules listed on the board.

The teacher then asked the class what the punishment should be for breaking the rules. "Rules are no good unless they are enforced," he said.

"Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on," was the decision of the boys.

"That is pretty severe, boys. Are you ready to stand by it?" inquired the teacher. Another yell, and the teacher said, "The rules stand. School comes to order!"

Everything went well for two or three days. Then Big Tom came in one day very upset. He declared that someone had stolen his lunch. After talking with the students, they came to the conclusion that little Timmy had stolen Big Tom's lunch. Someone had seen little Timmy with Big Tom's lunch! The teacher called little Timmy up to the front of the room. Little Timmy admitted he had taken Big Tom's lunch.

So the teacher asked him, "Do you know the punishment?"

Little Timmy nodded that he did.

"You must remove your coat, then," the teacher instructed. The little fellow had come with a great big coat on.

Little Timmy said to the teacher, "I am guilty, and I am willing to take my punishment, but please don't make me take off my coat."

The teacher reminded little Timmy of the rules and punishments and again told him he must remove his coat and take his punishment like a man. The little fellow started to unbutton hist old coat. As he did so, the teacher saw he did not have a shirt on under the coat. And even worse, he saw a frail and bony frame hidden beneath that coat. The teacher asked little Timmy why he had come to school without a shirt on.

Little Timmy replied, "My daddy's dead, and my mother is very poor. I don't have but one shirt, and my mother is washing it today. I wore my big brother's coat so's to keep warm."

That young teacher stood and looked at the frail back, the ribs sticking out, the spine protruding against the skin. He wondered how he could lay a rod on that little back and without even a shirt on. Still, he knew he must enforce the punishment or the children would not obey the rules. So he drew back to strike little Timmy.

Just then Big Tom stood up and came down the aisle. He asked, "Is there anything that says I can't take little Timmy's whipping for him?"

The teacher thought about it and answered, "The rule says what the punishment is for stealing, but it doesn't say who must take the punishment."

With that Big Tom ripped his coat off and stooped and stood over little Timmy at the desk. Hesitatingly, the teacher began to lay the rod on that big back. But for some strange reason, after only five licks that old rod just broke in half.

The young teacher buried his face in his hands and began to sob. He heard a commotion and looked up to find not even one dry eye in the room. Little Timmy had turned and grabbed Big Tom around the neck, apologizing to him for stealing his lunch, begging his forgiveness. He declared, "Tom, I am sorry I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I'll love you till the day I die for taking my whipping for me. Yes, I'll love you forever!"

Friend, you have broken the rules and deserve eternal punishment! But Jesus Christ took your scourging for you; He died in your place and now offers to clothe you with His garments of salvation. Aren't you glad that He took the whipping for you?

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. --Romans 6:23 (NIV)

Why I am conservative part 3

2010-03-31T14:13:00.002-04:00

I am firm believer in the Bill of Rights. If you know your history the Bill of Rights was added to the original Constitution after fears from local state governments. During the debates on the adoption of the Constitution, its opponents repeatedly charged that the Constitution as drafted would open the way to tyranny by the central government. Fresh in their minds was the memory of the British violation of civil rights before and during the American Revolution. They demanded a "bill of rights" that would spell out the immunities of individual citizens. Several state conventions in their formal ratification of the Constitution asked for such amendments; others ratified the Constitution with the understanding that the amendments would be offered.
Here are the Bill of Rights

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
________________________________________
Amendment II
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
________________________________________
Amendment III
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
________________________________________
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
________________________________________
Amendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
________________________________________
Amendment VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
________________________________________
Amendment VII
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
________________________________________
Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
________________________________________
Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
________________________________________
Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Yet these cornerstones of liberty that have inspired and spawned freedom movements across the globe are under constant attack here at home. While both sides of the political aisle have sought to undermine these guaranteed freedoms and have sought to centralize power in Washington DC, far away from the people, this has been the hallmark of progressive idealogy.
The Fairness Doctrine would seek to limit or abolish free speech. The freedom to express religious thought in the public square is more limited here that in Russia or most Communist states. Eminent domain laws have been abused and people in many cases have not received just compensation for personal property. Excessive fines imposed? What a joke! Sorry I cant even abide with warrantless wiretaps on US citizens, (no problem on others for me). The right to keep and bear arms continues to be under attack. The right to peaceably assemble? How many laws have been passed trying to make peaceful demonstrations illegal? A speedy trial, yeah right. How about Amendment X. This amendment once caused a civil war in our country. The Republican party was right on this issue, the states have no right to secede. Since then though the rise of power in the Federal Government and the seizure of power by the Feds from the people on a local level has gone unchecked.
As a conservative I know that sometimes freedom brings with it danger, discomfort and even the loss of services (gasp!), but freedom is too sweet to give up.
"Live Free or Die" is the official motto of the U.S. state of New Hampshire, adopted by the state in 1945. It is possibly the best-known of all state mottos, partly because it speaks to an assertive independence historically found in American political philosophy, my philosophy!

Why I am a conservative part 2

2010-03-30T13:49:00.003-04:00

Notice I say a conservative, not a Republican. There are many Republicans who do not hold to a conservative worldview. Also the term conservative is not a term I am big on. Conservative conveys clinging to the status quo. Progressive conveys new and creative. Two hundred years ago it was considered radical. In many other countries and civilizations this world view is considered new and creative. Also progressive thought has been around for just as long (if not longer) than the conservative view. Enough with the labels.

My worldview holds that a big part of the role of government is to protect the innocent and the weak, defending those who cannot defend themselves. Through our history the party of the conservatives have done a much better job at this than those on the progressive sides. All political parties have had corrupt elements that have taken advantage of the helpless though. Here are the five people groups that I see in our current culture (referring to the US, not the entire world) that need our help.

1. The pre-born. They have no voice, but they do have a soul. They cannot fight back but they can feel pain. The do no vote but they do count. Who is taking up the cause for the single most oppressed group in history. This is genocide at its worst.

2. Children. Every politician and any other kind of leader says they support children and they even pass supposed laws to help them. Once again many of these policies hurt them. In areas that are ruled by long term progressives, children linger in the foster care system for years. Families are penalized by taxes for staying married, having a parent stay home, trying to choose a school for their child that is safe and thriving or any other host of burden s thrust on parents by the government. Have you ever read Animal Farm by George Orwell? You may remember what the pigs did with the puppies? Governments always drift to the position that they can better train and rear children than parents can. My worldview sees the government as a terrible guardian for children.

3. Elderly. If you ever sit and listen to those in power positions in any organization, the elderly are always marginalized and their opinion counts for nothing. The prevailing thought is the elderly need to give their money and be quiet. “Your time has past.” We could learn something from Oriental culture on this matter.

4. Small businesses. Unfortunately neither party on the national level looks out for this group. Progressives tax and regulate business so much that no one could start a business under such a burden. Republicans (in general) give such breaks to the big corporations that enables them to squash smaller competition. The recent Health bill just gave a bunch of power to the big insurance companies while making it next to impossible for smaller companies to survive. With smaller businesses and entrepreneurs, and society will eventually crumble in on itself and decay.

5. Victims of crime. So often our society is so concerned with the criminal and the environment he or she grew up in and the roadblocks they faced that they legitimize their crimes against innocent people (often children and the elderly) who may have faced the very same roadblocks. I am also interested in protecting potential victim of crimes by being tough on true offenders. Now we want to let them vote? Yes I believe in eternal and personal forgiveness, but not societal forgiveness. It is simply not Biblical or moral or practical. I am also for the humane treatment of all humans. The original conservatives wrote it into the constitution!

So, to use a current buzz word, I am all about “social justice” when it comes to these harassed and forgotten people groups. Regardless of their race, sex or religion, they face discrimination and unfair practices at every turn. Now I am not for taking from innocent people, or even guilty people, to repair damages for these groups. I am for government protecting them from crimes, getting out of their way in their pursuit of happiness and guaranteeing their basic rights to life and liberty!

Why I am a conservative part 1

2010-03-29T11:40:00.003-04:00

It seems to me that the modern Christian movement (or post-modern “whatever”) has recently been using the conservative philosophy as a punching bag. What used to be the dominant worldview in not only churches but our country has now been vilified and shunned in a few dramatic years. So now I am a conservative in exile, but a conservative nonetheless.
You see I never adopted this world view because it is prominent. In fact in my relatively short lifespan the predominant world view has shifted back and forth but has been steadily shifting to the left or the progressive worldview. I am much better at writing than I am at debating (my ADHD kicks in and my mind goes two thousand directions and then has a meltdown). So I thought I would blog a series on why I hold this worldview.
For my first entry I hold this worldview because it is the one that has worked. Everyone gets so upset that the US has so much. This is most likely going to change very soon. But the reason the US has so much is that the concept of the USA has worked so well. That concept is that every person has the right and ability to work as hard as they see fit to succeed at what they have in their hearts and the government needs to do as little as possible to stand in their way. The government’s role is to help the citizen succeed by providing an climate in which hard work and honesty and compassion are rewarded, and laziness, dishonesty and greed are punished. Greed, as defined as not working hard but rather taking from others, is not an American value, or at least it wasn’t.
Yes the US has had its problems, but is one of the few systems where those problems have worked themselves out because the people put enough pressure on the government and their fellow citizens to make those changes. Our system is one of the few that has given equal protection to everyone. This is was a hallmark of the progressive worldview, yet so many with this mindset can acknowledge that the system our founders put in place is one of the few that has produced so much freedom for so many!
The conservative view also sees reliance for any person on government programs as soul snatching and dignity stealing. A hand-up makes a person grateful and feel part of the human race. A hand-out lulls a person into a pit of indentured servitude. Now many of my progressive friends would disagree with me here, but this is my firm belief. God created us to be creative, to work for something and not receive something for nothing over a lifetime.
Here is something that we as Christians do not want to admit. All the social programs, soup kitchens, food banks and even the work of the Salvation Army has never solved poverty. It has been nothing but a drug to ease the pain. Poverty has only been solved in a person’s life when they have been challenged and encouraged to lift themselves from that poverty. In fact sometimes our good intentions have done more long-term harm than they have good. In the west we have the life-long poor who in many cases struggle with obesity. A little different than in a third world country. In other words, they do not need to work, so why bother? If you are honest you know why. Their souls have been robbed from them.

If we do not add value through our efforts to society we become shells of who God created us to be. Our founders knew this. They knew that government should empower the people by rewarding hard work, not the lack thereof.
So the conservative in me sees a food bank and says, where are the money management classes and the job training seminars to help people never have to return here. A hand-up is a thousand times more valuable than a hand-out. This has been the American way and this view has helped even the least talented among our citizens such as myself live a prosperous life!

"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." – Samuel Adams

2010-03-24T11:49:00.001-04:00

"So this is how liberty dies: with thunderous applause." - Padme Amidala

No more to comment on!

Home is where the heart is

2010-03-22T11:34:00.003-04:00

For the last 10 months we have rented a farm house from some people at church. It looks as if it has finally sold (they have been trying for almost three years to sell it), so we are moving into town. We have loved living on the farm and we thank God for such a amazing opportunity to live there. The horses, the llama, the barn, the 3,000+ square feet of living space, and the quiet of the country.
Our new home, at least for the next 6 months, is about half the size and is a townhome, sharing one side of the home with neighbors.

On the plus side it is super close to work and a newer home. We also welcome back with open arms a dishwasher, which we have lived without for the last 10 months. This will make house number seven since Patsy and I have been married. We celebrate 15 years together this August. This from a man who lived in the same house throughout childhood.

While we have lived in seven houses now, we have but one home. When you have moved around like we have, the saying home is where the heart is becomes an axiom to live by. For us our home is where our family is. As long as we are together, we are at home! As long as Christ is the center of our home, then we are truly grounded in love! It bring s new meaning to the saying "Home Sweet Home" for us!

Happy St. Pats!!

2010-03-17T14:17:00.001-04:00

Gotcha Day

2010-03-17T10:39:00.004-04:00

Friday, March 12th, our family celebrated our first ever Gotcha Day. A year ago we officially adopted David and Chase. Even though they had been with us for two years prior to that day, we purposed in our hearts that March 12th was going to be a very special day in the Martin home. We have come to the conclusion that adoption is something to celebrate and not hide!

So first thing in the morning I ran to the hollowed Canadian chain, Tim Hortons, and bought some donuts! After breakfast we all sat down at the computer and looked at some photos of David and Chase when they were babies, with their biological mother and of the adoption day back in Roanoke. Then, after some school in the morning our entire family went to the most American of restaurants, Chuck E Cheese for lunch (homeschooling rocks!). I am happy to report that with a lot of of Parmesan and peppercorn, the pizza was passable!

Then we stopped by and elderly couple's house. Frank and Ruth Lawrence are from our church. they have been married over 60 years. Frank has been building a model railroad set-up in his basement for years and it is quite a display. He mentioned it to me and I asked him if I could bring my boys over to see it. They all loved it and were amazed by it's sheer size!

At the end of the day we had family video night and cuddled up the couch. What a great Gotcha Day we had.

New blog

2010-03-11T14:58:00.001-05:00

I have started a new blog to support a book I am working on. More information ot follow. Anyways check out the blog here -

http://crazy-characters.blogspot.com/

Priceless

2010-03-09T15:45:00.000-05:00

This what happens when I get bored!

The sound of the vacuum cleaner....

2010-03-05T13:41:00.002-05:00

Another post on family life by Patsy

There is something slightly comforting about the sound of the vacuum cleaner running. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s constant humming drowns out the sounds of the ringing telephone, the way too loud Sponge Bob episode on TV, or the screams from children fighting over the same toy. Anyway, I find it somehow soothing. It can be pleasant to lose yourself in the relative peace of the soft pings and tinks as the vacuum picks up the occasional stray object. One can revel in the knowledge that not only are you grabbing a few quiet moments, but you are also keeping your home “Good Housekeeping” clean. I never mind vacuuming….at least I didn’t…until we became dogless.
I sense confusion, dear reader. Can it be that you do not comprehend the connection between the family dog and the peace of the gentle vacuum sounds? Allow me to enlighten you. You see, while we had a dog, I could vacuum the entire house listening to the gentle sounds of the carpets being cleaned. However, the first time I vacuumed under our dining room table after our dog was gone, I was forced to face a very grim reality. The soft pings and tinks of the vacuum doing it’s job suddenly became loud and continuous thunks and rattles. There was debris in mass quantity under my table! In short, there was enough food under there to feed a third world country! While our dog Tucker was alive, I was happy living in total denial believing that my children were at least eating some of the healthy foods that were placed before them. Now, I was being forced to look at my sons in a very different light. Those little stinkers had been passing their unwanted food to the dog for years!
Believe me, I have been the recipient of whinning and complaining comments about my food for years. I am under no delusion as to my children’s abhorance of healthy green vegetables and low fat meats. I am also completely comfortable in my ability to cook good tasting food. My skills are not in question. It is their taste buds that are to blame. No, it is not the shock of finding they had not wanted their food that caught me by surprise. It was the knowledge that they had somehow gotten the food from their plates to the floor without being caught that really caused me some trepidation. Were my children really this good at deception? I didn’t know whether to applaud their slight of hand, or discipline their unethical disposal of perfectly good food.
I am no stranger to the picky-eater. I had a very good friend whose son would only eat yogurt and cheese sticks. He might occasionally eat a few potato chips dipped in ketchup, but that was it. And definitely no peanut butter! I once tricked him into tasting a peanut butter and jelly sandwich by telling him it was a PBJ. He took a bite, swallowed and said, “Not too bad”. That was until his older brother explained to him that PBJ stood for peanut butter and jelly. He proceeded to throw up. That was the day I learned a very valuable lesson…..always work alone. Of course the whole situation was a little more comical because the boy’s mother was a nutritionalist.
At that time, my first son was just a toddler and I had no real idea of the problems that awaited me. He became a picky-eater the day he started to actually chew food. OK, that does sound a little strange, but he really wouldn’t eat anything that took too long to chew. That pretty much narrowed down the meat choices for him. Hotdogs were OK, hamburger was not. In fact, we have been known to ask for a cheeseburger without the meat at fast food restaurants. (It’s funny…they never believe you the first time you ask for that, and they always give you a slight smile as they repeat your order back.) Of course, as he grew, he learned to eat a wider variety of meats. He now eats cheeseburgers with the meat, but not much else.
One of my adopted sons had a hard time eating any vegetable and could not stand the idea of someone else holding a spoon anywhere near his mouth. The first night we put our “foot down” and actually required him to eat his vegetables is now known in our family as the “green bean incident of 2007”. He was amazing in his perserverance. The child actually held one green bean in his mouth for 45 minutes without chewing or swallowing. I’m not really sure if we can completely claim victory in the green bean showdown, because he never actually “ate” the thing. He just held it in his mouth until a little trickle of green drool started running down the side of his mouth. Finally, I think it just mixed with his saliva and he swallowed it accidentally. It’s a sweet little family memory that we will always cherish.
I have a son that will eat mostly meat, but not much dairy; a son that will eat all dairy and bread, but not much meat; sons that eat a huge breakfast of any kind, but not much supper; and one who can’t seem to find a food he doesn’t like. As long as it is well known that I am not a short-order cook, and everyone must eat their vegetables, I can live happily in total oblivion. But now, I have come to the realization that my “happy place” of ignorance is being threatened. I can see that I have only two options open to me…either get another dog, or stop vacuuming under the dining room table. I wonder how long it takes for food to bi-degrade on it’s own……

2010-02-23T12:37:00.001-05:00

USA! USA! USA! USA!

Acetone and Styrofoam

2010-02-23T08:43:00.005-05:00

Title of Experiment: Acetone and Styrofoam

How I got the idea for this experiment: I saw this experiment done before so I thought why don’t I do this experiment for the science fair? That way I could learn as much as I could about it.
Question or Problem: I wanted to find out why acetone dissolved Styrofoam.
Prediction or Hypotheses: I thought that it was because acetone has some sort of chemicals that would dissolve Styrofoam. I thought maybe acetone had an acid make-up.
Materials used: Acetone, Styrofoam head, glass bowl
Steps taken: I put the Styrofoam head in a bowl. Then I took some acetone and poured it all over the Styrofoam head.
What happened/observations: The Styrofoam head dissolved and turned into goo sort of like really wet mud.
What did I learn: I learned that they put gases into the Styrofoam that makes it all puff up. The acetone just releases the gases and turns the Styrofoam back into a plastic material. Once all the acetone is released the Styrofoam turns into a hard plastic again.

By Tanner Martin

Egg in the Bottle Experiment

2010-02-21T11:44:00.004-05:00

Title of Experiment: The egg in the bottle

How I got the idea for this experiment: My dad gave me the idea, I saw him do it before.

Question or Problem: I wanted to find out why the egg would get sucked into the glass jar.

Prediction or Hypotheses: I thought that the fire would be looking for oxygen and would pull the egg in as it created a pulling suction.

Materials used: A glass jar, a hardboiled egg (peeled), matches, a paper towel

Steps taken: First we boiled an egg and then peeled it. Then we lit the paper towel and dropped it into the glass jar. Then we rested the egg, pointing down, on the top of the glass jar. Then we waited and watched as the egg was sucked in.

What happened/observations: The egg was sucked into the bottle. A popping sound occurred when it happened. The egg got ripped up as it was sucked in. The fire went out

What did I learn: I learned about atmospheric pressure. There is constant pressure from the atmosphere pressing down on the egg. There is equal pressure resisting the egg from below. When the fire took all the air out of the jar, there was no more resistance from below, and the air pressure from above forces it down into the bottle.

By Blake Martin

2010-02-20T07:39:00.000-05:00

Cyber Science Fair

2010-02-18T13:22:00.005-05:00

Hey Homschool parents - Join us for our Mac-Cyber Science Fair 2010! Blake and Tanner will be participating in what looks to be like a fun event! I would tell you what their projects are going to be, but then I'd have to kill ya! ;)

We will be psoting their science projects here on the KidKove blog. If uou want to participate go to http://themacrak.blogspot.com

Here is how it will work: (copied from themacrak blog)

1. Spread the word out there in "cyber-land" that we will be having a homeschool Cyber Science Fair. The actual Science Fair judging dates will be held online March 5th. Judging will take place during the day with the Science Fair winners announced Saturday, March 6th, 2010 & prizes forthcoming!

2. All homeschoolers will need to be registered online by March 1, 2010 in order to receive their Science Fair information packet. Parents: (1)You must at least have email capability, but if you found us online, that shouldn't be a problem. (2)You must also have a digital camera in order to post pictures. (3)Your child must also be a student between the ages of 8 - 18 years of age, actively homeschooling.

REGISTER HERE: http://themacrak.blogspot.com/2010/02/wacky-science-join-mac-cyber-science.html Send an email with your child's nickname or first name only; Age; School Grade; Science Fair Project topic; and your email contact information. You will then receive your participant packet with instructions & guidelines.

3. We will be posting links to our Cyber Projects through a posting thread (with Mr. Linky) on this blog. Each participant can post their Science Fair Project for judging via their own blog (or parent's blog). No blog, no problem - Make a comment below and we will make arrangements to have your project posted. All projects must be posted via Mr. Linky for judging by March 3rd, 2010 by 6:00 pm CST to qualify.

4. WE WILL HAVE FUN WHILE LEARNING!!! Be sure to get started looking for a great project. Subscribe to this blog so you won't miss the Cyber Fair Link-Up Post, nor any of the fun prizes we will be giving away during the MAC-CYBER SCIENCE FAIR!

Martin Valentine's Day Holiday History

2010-02-17T20:34:00.002-05:00

Burning the candle at both ends

2010-02-11T15:06:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been pondering the saying “burning the candles at both ends” and it’s meaning. How does one burn the candle at both ends? Who is to blame? What is the effect on “burnout” on an individual?

I do not have all the answers to these questions, only some personal observations mostly stemming from my own experiences. People tend to burn the candle at both ends by over involvement. This is an oversimplification of the problem though. In reality the problem occurs when we get so caught up in certain activities that we neglect other important elements of our person, like family, health, God, or our emotional well being.

Many times our passion for one thing, such as a cause, business, work or something like this can be the other end of the fire. So we have a burning passion to succeed or make a difference burning at one end and overworking/neglect burning at the other end of the candle of our life. Then we add in the pressures of everyday life and work. Facing the same obstacles and struggles over and over again with no resolution in sight can cause a person to experience anxiety, depression, and burnout.

Who is to blame for this phenomenon? It can be easy to cast the blame on others, the boss, the public, a spouse, co-workers, society in general or even God. In then end the blame lays mostly at the feet of the person doing the “burning.” We choose to ignore certain elements of our life or hyper-focus on others at the expense of the most important ones. Our culture as a whole can share some of the burden though. We tend to value the difference makers and the corporate success stories much more than we do the relational success stories. Still, it is our decision if we are going to be ruled by the culture, or live counters cultural.

The effect of burnout is interesting because it often takes us back to the place where we should be. Burnout can lead to a loss of passion and desire. It can cause a person to rethink their values and refocus on what is important. It can be the impetus to examine your life’s calling and simplify your existence. Burnout may sideline a person from what society sees as the ultimate game – their career or the pursuit of a more money, but it can also allow a person to pursue other things and abandon the pursuit of riches, fame, accolades, security, stability, popularity and respectability.

Burnout can help us put on another set of life lenses and examine our motives, our gifts, our limitations and our dreams. Some people face this by working harder, or buying more toys, or even giving up on what once meant the most to them (God, their spouse or their life). I see this burnout experience as a fork in the road. It often happens to us in our thirties, forties or fifties and can be used by God is a life path adjustment.

So what is God doing in my life as I stare down at a burned-up candle? Right now I am praying and seeking God for guidance. I am also talking with my wife, with friends and with a counsellor to examine my next steps. For the moment though I am trying to reconnect with the most vital aspects of my life, with God, with my wife, with my kids and with myself. God bless you along your journey.

Tim Tebow Super Bowl Commercial-(ACTUAL COMMERCIAL)-Pro-Life-Focus on the Family

2010-02-08T09:24:00.001-05:00

So I am wondering what was so horribly offensive here?

They're not just kids.

2010-02-03T16:28:00.001-05:00

Please listen to this entire video!

Happy Ground Hog Day Madlib

2010-02-01T16:07:00.001-05:00

My kids love madlibs, and as a homeschool parent I came up with the idea of a Groundhog day madlib! You can use it if you want. I simply found a Groundhog Day poem for little kids and turned into something fun for tween boys!

The orginal poem by Barbara Walker

There are shadows you make in the sunshine,

There are shadows you make by the lamp,

There are shadows that lurk in the forest

While you tell creepy stories at camp.

There are shadows that help you with puppets,

And shadows; you make just for play,

But the shadow that's famous is Groundhog's,

When he tells whether winter's to stay.

Let's go out very early this morning

And watch for his shadow, my son;

It may not be at all scientific,

But you've got to admit that it's fun!

There are shadows you make in the _______________ (noun)

There are shadows you ___________(verb) by the lamp,

There are __________________(noun plural) that lurk in the ___________ (place)

While you tell creepy stories at _________________ (place).

There are _________________(Noun plural) that help you with puppets,

And shadows; you __________ (verb) just for play,

But the shadow that's famous is Groundhog's,

When he tells whether ____________ (Famous person) is to stay.

Let's ____________ (verb) very early this morning

And watch for his ________________ (Animal) , my son;

It may not be at all ______________ (adjective),

But you've got to admit that it's fun!

Haiti - Compassion International

2010-01-19T12:56:00.001-05:00

There are so many organizations that are doing relief work in Haiti right now. Some are secular and some are Christian and some are reputable and some are scams.

We as givers have lots of choices in this area and our family is choosing Compassion International for four reasons.

1. We have supported a child in Honduras for several years and I feel confident that Compassion International is a solid organization. A very small percentage of donations goes to administrative costs. They are not a overnight scam organization.
2. Compassion is a first responder with staff on the ground laready in Haiti. They have contacts and working relationships with local churches and organizations.
3. Compassion works with children. If you know me you know this is a must.
4. IN JESUS' NAME: Compassion International does not accept government funds which could at times restrict our ability to meet the physical and spiritual needs of children in Jesus' name. Because of this Compassion International's primary financial support comes from individual donors.

You can donate to Haiti earthquake relief by going here

https://www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/haitiearthquake.htm?referer=105120SocialSponsorshipBlitz
OR
http://bit.ly/HelpHaitiCI

Milestones

2010-01-13T12:03:00.002-05:00

I recently crossed over the 40 milestone in my life. Brendan also turned 4 in December and now my father-in-law John Huene is turning 80 this month. So all these neatly aligned milestones got me thinking about the big differences between four, forty and eighty. Here are a few I observed.

Teeth: Brendan wants to loose his, I'm trying to keep mine and John has already lost his!

Drinks: Brendan loves Kool-aid, I love Dr. Pepper (non-diet) John loves Ensure

Naps: Brendan doesn't want take them, I wish I could take them and John can't help but take them

Books: Brendan likes large pictures, I like large novels and John likes large print

Favorite actor: Brendan likes Spider Man, I like Harrison Ford and John likes John Wayne

Favorite food: Brendan likes candy, I like shrimp, John likes his puréed

Clothes: Brendan likes shirts with dinosaurs on them, I like jeans and a hoodie and John likes Velvet

TV: Brendan likes Nick Jr., I like ESPN and and John likes the Hallmark Channel

Medicine: Brendan takes some when he is sick, I take a pill a day and John has the pharmacy on speed dial

Hair: Brendan hates getting his washed, I hate the dry scalp and John is just glad he has hair

Christmas: Brendan loves the presents, I love the down time and John loves when all the grandkids go home

Memory: Brendan remembers everything, I cant remember what I had for breakfast and John has forgotten more than the rest of us know

Sex: Not going there

Music: Brendan likes Go fish, I like 80s and 90s music and John likes Perry Como

Offspring: Brendan - playbuddies, Me - five boys, really? John - too many to remember their names

All kidding aside I have no issues hitting forty and I hope I can be half as healthy and active as John when I hit 80! He is a good man and a great father-in-law and grandpa!

The Hawk is in

2010-01-07T15:40:00.001-05:00

One of my baseball heroes growing up was Andre Dawson. He was a class act who played with the Cubs during the prime of his career. After many years on the "list" he was finally voted in this year as the true hall of famer is he. I am a big hall of fame watcher. It's one of my side hobbies. The baseball hall of fame is very intriguing for several reasons. It is a very political process, the Veteran's committee is a mess (they have yet to elect a player) but most of all the steroids era and the hall of fame ar about to collide and something has got to give. This hall of fame could be the only hall of fame where all the players that own the major records are prevented from entering (think Bonds, Rose and Clemens). I think eventually this will have to be rectified. Here are my predictions for the coming years. If you are not a HOF follower and do not get into these discussions then sorry, just stop reading here:

Class of 2011

Jeff Bagwell, Rafael Palmeiro*, Larry Walker, Juan Gonzalez*, John Franco

Class of 2012:

Bernie Williams

Class of 2013:

Barry Bonds*, Roger Clemens*, Craig Biggio, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa*, Mike Piazza, David Wells,

Class of 2014: Eric Gagne*, Tom Glavine, Jeff Kent, Greg Maddux, Mike Mussina, Frank Thomas, Jim Edmonds

Class of 2015: Randy Johnson

Remaining Holdovers: Bert Blyleven, Roberto Alomar, Jack Morris, Barry Larkin, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Tim Raines, Mark McGwire*, Alan Trammell, Fred McGriff, Don Mattingly, Dave Parker, Dale Murphy, Harold Baines

Blue – Will get elected eventually by the BBWAA. Some will have to wait until the steroids dust settles.

Red - First year electors to the BBHOF

Highlighted – outside chance of getting elected by the BBWAA or the Veteran’s Committee (assuming the Veteran’s Committee changes its rules eventually).

*Players who have had careers tainted by the use of steroids

Note - I only included players who had a chance of even getting the 5% of votes required to remain on the ballot from year to year. A couple players such as Gagne and Williams may not even make that cut. 2013 will be a very interesting and telling year. What happens that year will determine what happens in many years to come for the steroid tainted players. Other players still currently playing ball will also be affected, such as Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez.

My favorite Christmas gift!

2010-01-03T16:15:00.000-05:00

So my favorite Christmas gift this year was a safe family after a near tragic accident on our way home from an Illinois visit with family. We were only going about 35 mph because of bad snow when we entered a white out and suddenly we saw a load of tailights in front of us. There was no choice for us but to go into the ditch. We missed several other cars in the ditch and almost flipped the van. Fortunately the van went up on two wheels and then hit and embankment and went back right side up. The entire time we were sliding Patsy and I were both asking Jesus for protection (out loud). This made an impression on Blake and Tanner!

The driver's side took the brunt of the damage. This photo was taken before we were towed out.

Here is the newspaper report of the day (the policeman who helped us told us there were 40 cars in the slide-off)

20 vehicle crash cleared at I-94 near Van Buren/Berrien county line
By Kathy Jessup | Kalamazoo Gazette -
January 01, 2010, 6:20PM
UPDATE — The vehicles involved in a chain-reaction accident that may have involved up to 20 vehicles has been cleared from eastbound Interstate-94 near the Van Buren/Berrien county line before 6 p.m. Friday, police officials reported.

VAN BUREN COUNTY — As many as 20 vehicles may be involved in a chain-reaction, slide-and-crash snarl on eastbound Interstate-94 near the Van Buren/Berrien county line Friay afternoon.

Early reports from officials at the Michigan State Police post in Paw Paw said they know of no fatalities or serious injuries. Traffic, however, is slow as police and tow trucks untangle vehicles.

State police patrolling southwest Michigan roads are reporting varying visibility across the area as lake-effect snow bands create near white-out conditions in some locations, while other areas are reported clear.

Streets and highways are reported to be snow-covered and slippery throughout the area today and law enforcement is encouraging drivers to slow down and leave adequate stopping distance between vehicles.

After we came to a stop, firs thing we did was turn around and see if the boys were OK. They were, and all had their seatbelts on. Brendan was the first to comment of the event by saying "I didn't like that."

2009-12-24T10:37:00.001-05:00

Children's Ministry quotes.wmv

2009-12-23T15:54:00.001-05:00

Hacked!

2009-12-16T15:06:00.000-05:00

Wednesday morning, December 9th, I was sitting in my office with a tenacious salesman. He wouldn't let go let me tell you! Jenn, one of the staff members at the church, interrupted saying I had an emergency phone call from Dave Edwards. I went on missions trip wiht Dave when I was 13! What kind of emergency could he be needing me for?

Turns out he wanted to let me know someone had hacked into my Facebook account and was posing as me asking my friends for money. Good news is the salesman left (Mr Salesman if you are reading this sorry in advance)! I tried to get onto my Facebook account but my hacker friend had changed my password. So I tried to sign onto my email to see if the new password could have been mailed there, and he had also changed my password to my yahoo account. So all that day, off and on, I nervously got into all my other accounts and changed the passwords there and slowly got my facebook account shut down. A day later I was able to reclaim my yahoo account and send emails out to everyone apologizing for the annoying behavior of my evil twin.

Sooooo - I did pick up a few security lessons learned so if you are interested I am sharing them here for you:

1. Secret questions should be really hard. I think this was my hackers first entry portal. He creeped my FB account, got a few pertinent details about me, and was able to change my yahoo password by answering two secret questions correctly. These questions were way to easy. Anyone can find out what high school you went to so your high school mascot is a worthless question. Same with your favorite sports team if you have ever blogged or twittered or updated your FB status talking about your team. Most sites let you choose your own secret question, so develop one like "Where were you on December 14th, 2004? or something obscure like that.

2. Do not use the same password for your many accounts. No one wants to hear this. I have accounts with Facebook, two banks, Yahoo, ebay, Google, Paypal, Blogger, Amazon, Kidology, Blackberry, Chase Visa, my work email, and lots of other sites. The ones where damage can be down to your bank account or your reputation are the most important to protect. My Facebook and Yahoo were the exact same password and many of the others were a derivative of that password. Not anymore, they are all very different. I have had to work out a system to help me memorize these passwords. UUUGH!

3. Hide your information on Facebook. Set security so only your friends can see your information. I would still leave my name and picture there for old friend seekers but nothing else. Do not even use the "friends of friends can see" your info option.

4. Remember your secret question answers. It took me a whole day to get my yahoo back because one my secret questions was my youngest son's nickname. Now I have five sons who have multiple nicknames and I couldn't remember when I answered this secret question. It took me a day to get it right. I possibly could have saved my facebook account and not requested for it to be shut off IF I could have gotten on to my yahoo address and had a new password sent there. It was taking too long and I didn't want the hacker out there psoing as me any longer though.

5. When possible with your Facebook and bank accounts and other online accounts have two or even three emails linked to them. that way if one email gets hacked into and then gets used to request access to a site and change a password, this request gets emailed to all your accounts. If I would have had another email address linked to the Facebook account I could have had a request to change the password back to something I knew and sent to another of my email accounts and the hacker would have been cut off.

So five lessons I learned. I have always been Mr. Slacker when it came to security, but I have learned my lesson! I am just thankful most criminals are stupid and for those of you who got the requests for money you knew right away it wasn't us!

Henry Ford Museum Lego train

2009-12-05T14:03:00.001-05:00

You have a to love the combination of trains and Legos!!

Cat vs cat Christmas style

2009-12-05T14:00:00.001-05:00

Star is singing to a visiting cat

Henry Ford Museum - the Knights.avi

2009-12-05T12:04:00.001-05:00

Fun at the Henry Ford Museum on December 4th. thye had a big Lego exhibit, which is why we went!

Door within Trilogy book review

2009-11-24T14:54:00.005-05:00

It has been awhile since we did a Martin family book review. One big reason is we have been reading some series. We finished the Warriors series and also read a Christian fantasy series, The Door Within trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson.
Here is our families review (5 star scale):

Marty 5 stars - As the father of five boys I love quality Christian fantasy and this series fits the bill. We read every night together and during this series we all could not wait to gather on the couch and hear of Aidan's quests and then meet his new friends as they fought side by side for the One True King!

Patsy 4.5 stars - A great adventure and fantasy plus great Christian values. It really taught the importance of witnessing ot others even when its hard.

Blake - 3.5 stars - It had a lot of action and you get hooked on the book and don't want to stop reading it. I just did not find the ending very sastiyfing.

Tanner - 5 stars - It was so good! They were Christians and it showed a great example. I loved the unicorns and knight and dragons and fighting the evil guy who is trying to take over their world.

You can read more about the series and the author at his blog: http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/

Tim Hawkins-My favorite Bible verse

2009-11-18T16:21:00.001-05:00

This is the meaning of laugh out loud!

2 broken legs

2009-11-14T20:50:00.002-05:00

I recently heard a mother of young children fantasizing about having two broken legs and how wonderful that would be. As I sat and listened to her, I found myself grinning like an idiot, because I too have had such daydreams. In fact, as I looked around the room full of mothers, I noticed that all of them seemed to relate to this fantasy. We laughed about it, and then we all divulged our guilty little secrets to each other. One of these woman had recently had a minor surgery and was explaining how much she had looked forward to being in the hospital for an enforced recovery period. I, myself, have often wondered if the reason I agreed to have a second child was because of my mothering instinct, or my need for the relative relaxation of the hospital room. Sure, you are only served ice chips and jello, but at least you don't have to prepare it. No one requests that you get out of bed and do some laundry. The nurses don't ask you if you can help them find things, and sweetest of all....YOU control the remote on the TV! OK, so the choices on the television are usually pretty lame, but the power to control those lame channels is all yours!

Until this time, I had often wondered if I was the only strange and twisted woman who would choose to go through this pain in order to completely relax. Now, I realize just how wide spread this goes. There didn't seem to be many mothers in the room that couldn't relate. And that started me wondering.....do Dad's ever dream of being laid up in bed? Then they wouldn't have to cook, help with homework, do laundry, clean the toilets...OK. I've answered my own question haven't I? No, they don't! But, I think Dads may be on to something here. Maybe (and I do mean maybe), in some small way they are smarter than we are. I mean, let's look at this in depth. Let's say your child is leaving the house for school in shorts and the weather is only slightly above freezing.

Mom would...

1. Scold the child for wearing inappropriate clothing and instruct them to turn around and

put something warmer on.

2.Listen to the child complain that there are no clean pants in their drawer.

3.Walk up the stairs to check the aforementioned drawer and find that there is, in fact, one pair of pants left.

4.Listen to the child whine because they HATE those pants and everybody in school will laugh at them.

5.Force the child to wear these perfectly good pants and then drag them back down the stairs crying and pouting.

6.Listen for the phone all day because she knows that when her child left the house, they were in such a bad temper they will probably do something at school that will get them in trouble.

7. Meanwhile, she does 6 loads of laundry to help her feel better about the humiliation she is now convinced her child is suffering.

That is what Mom would do. Now, let's take a little peek at how Dad would handle this...

“See ya later, son! Have a good one!” At which point he would turn back to Mom and say, “What? He's wearing a coat.” See what I mean? Is Dad really smarter than we are?

Now I am not advocating that we all act like Dads. I believe firmly that God created woman because he knew man could never find his keys by himself. But, I am wondering if some of the stress that we moms experience could be avoided. And just so we are clear on this point as well, I am not of the opinion that breaking both our legs would be a very good thing. I have on occasion been laid up in bed for a day or two and my husband has jumped right in to help around the house. He is a very good man. However, he is a very poor housekeeper. Of course he maintains that I am just too picky when it comes to the house. And maybe I am, since I like made beds, flushed toilets, clean dishes, appropriately cooked food, etc. Silly me!

No, what I propose is that we take just a single page from the book on “How to Be a Great Man”. I would like to experiment with the page that tells dads how to come home from a hard day at work and completely ignore the problems of the household while they take a little time to unwind. What is it about Dad that allows him to drop whatever he is carrying in his hands onto the kitchen table that is half set for dinner, step over the “oops” that the family pet left on the floor, turn a deaf ear on the whining child that has been driving Mom crazy for the past hour and settle himself comfortably on the couch with the television remote in his hand. It is a source of amazement and frustration that he is completely unaware of the chaos he has returned to at the end of his day. And I must admit, the ability that man has to look up with complete sincerity on his face and say things like, “Do you need my help, Honey?” has left me speechless on more than one occasion. This guilt-free ability to walk through a mine-field of family turbulence and relax is a talent that most women would pay dearly to possess.

There are days when I am so tired by the time the children are in bed that my feet are literally throbbing and I am ready to drop. Yet, to my utter dismay, I find myself unable to relax until the pillows are put back on the couch, the shoes are picked up off the floor and the toys are at least piled into a corner instead of strewn about the room. Only then can I sit down with my husband for a few relaxing moments before bed. WHY?!?! Men, I don't know how you do it, but if someone figures out a way to bottle this relaxation technique and sell it, they would make a fortune. Yes, the awful truth is that for some of us, the ability to completely unwind will only come about in a sterile hospital room (or possibly a padded one). Dads, in this instance, I have to admit, I have “daddy-envy”. But, don't get too proud of yourselves. You still have to work on other areas like the toilet seat, bodily function noises, morning breath, the inability to deal with pain and maniacal driving.

LionWW.com

2009-11-11T14:29:00.001-05:00

Free Perfromance on Friday Nov 27th at Forward Baptist, Cambridge Ontario, 7 pm

Dead Sea Scrolls

2009-11-10T14:12:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we visited the Royal Ontario Museum to see, among other things, the Dead Sea Scrolls display. These little scraps of the Old Testament and other extra-Biblical texts have suffered more wear and tear in the last 60 years than the previous 2,000+ years. Some of the Biblical Dead Sea scrolls are almost 1,000 years older than the next-oldest-know copies of the Hebrew Bible. Now
I know there is some "controversy" over the extra-Biblical texts, which some are using to attack the Christian faith and Christ himself. But forget about that. What I took away from the visit is how amazing that there was virtually no change in the wording of God's word after 1,000 years of time passing. I remember learning in college how painstacking the scribes were when transcribing the Words of the torah and the prophets, completely starting over if even one grammatical error was made in the copying process.

Because of its importance and its claim to be the very Word of God, the Bible has suffered more vicious attacks and attempts to destroy it than any other book in history. From early Roman Emperors like Diocletian, through communist dictators and on to modern-day atheists and agnostics, the Bible has withstood and outlasted all of its attackers and is still today the most widely published book in the world.

Throughout time, skeptics have regarded the Bible as mythological, but archeology has confirmed it as historical. Opponents have attacked its teaching as primitive and outdated, but its moral and legal concepts and teachings have had a positive influence on societies and cultures throughout the world. It continues to be attacked by pseudo-science, psychology, and political movements, yet it remains just as true and relevant today as it was when it was first written. It is a book that has transformed countless lives and cultures throughout the last 2000 years. No matter how its opponents try to attack, destroy, or discredit it, the Bible remains; its veracity and impact on lives is unmistakable. The accuracy which has been preserved despite every attempt to corrupt, attack, or destroy it is clear testimony to the fact that the Bible is truly God’s Word and is supernaturally protected by Him. It should not surprise us that, no matter how the Bible is attacked, it always comes out unchanged and unscathed. After all, Jesus said,

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Mark 13:31). After looking at the evidence, one can say without a doubt that, yes, the Bible is truly God’s Word.

As I saw the pesher scrolls of Isaiah 10:22-11:5 read "A shoot will issue from the stump of Jesse and a bud will sprout its roots. Upon Him will be placed the Spirit of the Lord and His delight will be in respecting the Lord," it sent chills up my spine to see the written prophecies of the Messiah transcribed before His appearance! Of course even the pesher (commentary) of the scholars and scribrs of this time believed that a Messiah from the line of David would come and fulfill this prophecy (Jesse is David's father).
So if you are living in Ontario I would highly recomment going to see the scrolls before they leave on Janaury 3rd!

When I'm mad

2009-11-09T16:48:00.003-05:00

One of our boys who will remain nameless had an bit of an explosive outburst of anger last week so in talking to him both of us decided to write a lsit of ten things that we can do when we are mad to clam us down. Here is my list:

1. Count to 10 backwards

2. Take three deep breaths

3. Say a small prayer

4. Be silly

5. Whistle

6. Go into another room

7. Think of Patrick on Spongebob

8. Ask myself WWJD

9. Visualize whirled peas

10. Think of Walt Disney World – the happiest place on earth

Do you have a list?

Child Poverty

2009-11-06T14:14:00.001-05:00

Suffer the Children

2009-11-05T12:49:00.001-05:00

Suffer the Children

Posted using ShareThis

Halloween costumes 09

2009-10-31T21:45:00.002-04:00

The heart that embraces

2009-10-19T13:31:00.004-04:00

This past week our family welcomed Brendan back into our home. We felt such a loss in our hearts when he left and now he is back in our family for good. We have such joy in our home over this. I remember when my wife and I were first getting serious about our relationship and she said she was OK with not having any kids and I said I wanted a big family. Well sweetie who got their way?
On a serious note as I look into his eyes and see him looking at me I can tell there is a lot of tentativeness still in Brendan’s little heart. He has been in six different homes in his 3 ½ years and I imagine he is still not sure this is his last stop. In his eyes and in the eyes of so many kids I see Jesus there. I see Him picking up a child a loving the little ones who so desperately just want a simple love. There are times I know where kids are like the raptors on Jurassic Park, testing for the weakness in the electric fence of the household rules. When they are in this mode they don’t seem like the innocent little children Jesus spoke of. But they still are. Their hearts are more open to love and truth than any adult could ever imagine. They are also more vulnerable to hurt and evil.
So as I took little Brendan in my arms and gave him a huge bear hug and drove home and tucked him into bed I lay there thinking of what he may become one day and how God might use our small family to impact his life. It often strikes me that the older I get the less ambitious I become to “change the world” or to make my impact on the injustice and hurting in this world. There is so much and yet the one thing that we really think will help it all out, money, does really nothing long term to end suffering. It is a band-aid. And then the question is where to choose to put my funds? To end AIDS or cancer or childhood diabetes. To provide clean drinking water, end child prostitution, help the homeless, provide clothes for war torn areas, help missionaries bring eternal hope, translate the Bible into a new language, or buy slaves in the Sudan? So many more worthy causes could be named. We do support some worthy causes. Three of my favourite are Compassion International, Samaritan’s Purse and St. Jude’s hospital.
But in the end its just money and money always creates as many problems as it solves. We still need to give, but in the end it’s not enough. So then we come to doing. Here too we often feel things like short term missions trips, volunteering at the homeless shelter donating baby supplies to the Pregnancy Care Center is “doing our part”. These are also good things but they lack the one thing that truly brings change, long term commitment to a group of people.
While there are many ways to do this, for me I wish to sound the bell that adoption and/or foster care is an amazing way to have an eternal impact on a life. Let me first say that any time you invest this amount of love, time and energy into some one you are guaranteed to feel a lot of pain. But in the end wading through the pain, letting it shape us more into the image of Christ and showing His love through it all is true transformational living.
There has never been in an age like we live in with so many millions and millions of orphans. Is a box at Christmas or buying some fancy water at Starbucks or going to a U2 concert where it starts and ends to address this? What is Christ calling the church to and more importantly what is he calling you to?
When one day we stand at the end of history and look back at those who made the greatest difference who will we see? Ghandi, Benjamin Franklin, Hitler, Osama bin Ladin, Julius Caesar, Bono, Churchill, Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, John Wesley, DL Moody, Steve Jobs, or any other name you can come up with. I don’t think these names are the true movers and shakers. As William Ross Wallace said “the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” Better yet the heart that embraces a child changes history. I made that up myself.

Always something

2009-10-14T14:40:00.001-04:00

Well, it's always something,” as Rosanne Rosanadana would say. (OK, so now you know my little secret... I used to watch Saturday Night Live way “back in the day”.) Anyway, that little phrase that Rosanne used to conclude her news segment has come back to me on an almost daily basis since becoming a mother. This lastest instance involved our 4 year old son. (It seems that quite a lot of these little issues involve him....I wonder why.)
Our family recently moved from the US to Canada. That meant a lot of changes for us. One of those changes was finding a new family doctor. Let me stop right here and make one thing perfectly clear...I am in no way promoting, or bashing Canadian healthcare. It is different from the way healthcare is run in the US (not better, not worse, just different). All systems will have their positive and negative aspects. Since I am used to the system in the US, I was simply a little unprepared for finding a new doctor in Canada, that's all. We were informed by good friends that one of the first things we needed to do when coming to this country was to find a family doctor and put our names in. That sounded very reasonable to a mother of boys who seemed to enjoy infections and injuries, so that is what we did. We called a new clinic that was just opening up and asked to have our family records transferred. They told us they would put us on the waiting list and call us when it was our turn to meet the doctor. Being from the US, I thought that was kind of cute...we would get to “meet” the doctor. They said we would probably be called into the office by September. I smiled and managed to convince myself that there would surely be no need for a doctor between June and September. I wish my 4 year old had understood this as well.
You have to understand that this child was brought into our home with double ear infections and has been in a constant battle with his ears ever since. He has had two sets of tubes put in and we have our own supply of prescription ear drops for him. Now, I am not one of those mothers who advocate over medicating your children. But, when our little man smiles at me and says those magic words, “Mommy, my ear is coming out..” it means one of two things. Either, he has a clear fluid draining out of his ear and it will be gone within 48 hours, or he has a slight draining and he will be up all night spiking a 106 temperature with a ruptured ear drum by morning. (He doesn't believe in giving us a lot of warning when it comes to medical emergencies.) Anyway, that is the reason we have the prescription ear drops. Our family doctor was kind enough to order them for us before we left the US in case we needed them before we could find a new family doctor.
Well, September came and went and we had still not gotten a call from our new doctor. The ear drops were running low and I was starting to panic. I know it seems like a silly thing to panic about, but all you mothers know what it means to have to stay up all night with a sick child. Not only are you deprived of a night of sleep, you are also subjected unending whining and crying through out that night. Then you realize as the sun slowly starts to rise, this child is feeling no better and now you are so tired no amount of coffee will take the edge off your utter exhaustion. Your husband will soon be waking and possibly complaining about his interrupted night's sleep. And as he leaves the house for work that morning, you find yourself crying and asking why he gets to leave the house and not you....in fact, you might even be surprised to find yourself stamping your feet in anger and yelling, “It's not fair!!” (OK, so maybe I'm the only one who throws temper tantrums when I am tired. Let's just forget I mentioned it.) Anyway, I was panicking.
By October, I was wondering if possibly we had somehow missed the doctor's call and had lost our place on the waiting list. (OK, so I am neurotic. Haven't you figured that out by now?) Anyway, my husband finally placed a call to the clinic to check and see if we were still scheduled to see the doctor and he was kindly informed that we were on the list, but our meeting was now scheduled for November. My blood ran cold. November!?!?! I was absolutely certain we would be out of ear drops before that! This was a tiny little bottle! Really tiny! That is the only excuse I can offer for what happened next. It wasn't exactly a lie....it was more like a grabbing a life preserver as you head out to sea in a leaky boat.
The nurse said she felt bad for making us wait that long if someone was really sick. I guess it all depends on how you define “really sick”, but I took that to mean “can't wait until November”. Anyway, we now had the one needed appointment. My son would be able to see the doctor a week from Wednesday. My heart felt so much lighter that even the load of guilt I felt at the slight deception seemed of no consequence. I kept telling myself that all mothers call a doctor for a sick child, get the appointment and then find that as soon as they are ready to take that child to said appointment, the child miraculously shows no signs of sickness. With a jury of my peers (which would have to include at least one mother) I would never be convicted. Of course, I also prayed for an ear infection before the appointment. Of course, God, in His infinite justice, decided to keep my son's ears clear that whole week. So, I did the only thing any self-respecting mother would do....I sent my husband with my son to his doctor's appointment. I figured the whole office was going to know my son wasn't really sick, but maybe if they didn't actually see my face, they wouldn't connect me with the “fake” visit when we had to make later “real” visits. (I know what you are thinking, but I was weak...and my husband is a much stronger individual than I am.)
Anyway, Wednesday came and I stomped down all my guilt feelings as I watched my husband and well child drive off to the doctor's office. I busied myself around the house doing extra house work, and telling myself I would make it up to my husband later. I was therefore, faintly surprised when my son didn't come back from his appointment as soon as I had expected. In fact, the phone call that I received from my husband telling me they were in the Canadian equivalent of an emergency room, came as a complete shock. It seems that though my son's ears were relatively clear, there was a question of a foreign object that couldn't be removed from his nose. I can't begin to tell you the thoughts that ran through my mind as I waited for the next hour and a half. What would they find up my son's nose? And would it be incriminating for myself and my husband? Was it a result of our poor parenting skills? Was it a judgement from God? Such was my guilt over the whole situation that I barely contemplated the probability that my son was the main cause of the problem.
Finally, the phone rang and my husband said one of the doctors thought that the object might be one of his ear tubes that had somehow dislodged and worked it's way into his nose. They were going to freeze his nose so they could try to remove it. Now, I was really panicked. How did a tube get from your ear to your nose? What had I done to cause this medical emergency? Why hadn't I seen the symptoms before this? Was this all the result of forcing him to eat the green beans that he said would “make him sick” the week before?
My husband soon came home with a smiling 4 year old and a small plastic bag in his hand. What was it? A Lego. Yes, a Lego. My husband said that after several doctors had examined the situation, finally one came in and said, “Why don't we just ask him to blow his nose?” It seems that after a few significant blows, the Lego worked it's way to the end of my son's nose and was retrieved relatively unharmed. Smilingly, my little boy said, “Mommy, I sneezed and a Lego came out of my nose!” He is so proud. I on the other hand, must admit that I feel a mixture of shame and relief. I am ashamed of my part in this farce that was played out in our new doctor's office, but on the other hand, at least I have not been branded as an “over-protective mother who sees illnesses where there are none”. I am now proudly baring the title of “careless mother who leaves inappropriately small toys around for her little ones to play with”. I can live with that. As Rosanne would say, “It's always something, if it's not a major ear infection...it's a Lego up the nose.”

350

2009-09-29T13:51:00.001-04:00

We mad this video for a training event we did at Forward.

Jar of Marbles parable

2009-09-28T12:01:00.004-04:00

3900 Saturdays And 1,000 Marbles
3900 Saturdays And 1,000 MarblesThe older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.
A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:
I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about “a thousand marbles.” I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say–
“Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you’re busy with your job. I’m sure they pay you well but it’s a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It’s too bad you missed your daughter’s “dance recital” he continued.”Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.” And that’s when he began to explain his theory of a “thousand marbles.“
“You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.“
“Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I’m getting to the important part.It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail”, he went on, “and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays.“
“I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.“
“Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight .“
“Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.“
“It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!“
You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. “
C’mon honey, I’m taking you and the kids to breakfast.”“What brought this on?” she asked with a smile.
“Oh, nothing special, it’s just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we’re out? I need to buy some marbles.“
p/s … “If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.” – Winnie the Pooh

Another retelling of the Good Samaritan

2009-09-03T15:25:00.002-04:00

Once there was a woman who lived in the town of Nursery. Nursery was located in an out of the way part of churchland. Now most people avoided the road to nursery because of the strange smells and sounds that came from there. They also questioned the devotion of those who dwelt there because of their claims one could worship God in the nursery as well as the sanctuary!
One bright and sunny Sunday morning this woman, the mayor of nursery was left alone with 14 children because of all the nice weather no one showed up in nursery that morning. The mayor did not know what to do, the babies were crying, they needed to be fed and the paging system wasn’t working! She prayed and hoped that someone would walk down the seldom traveled path and would help her.
At last someone did come, a deacon member of the exalted board. He saw the poor woman, dishevelled and wide-eyed pleading for help, but he said I am sorry I cannot help you. I am a deacon and I have a very important meeting to attend immediately after the service, and he passed by on the opposite side of the path.
The woman was in despair; someone had passed by, someone very spiritual, and had just left her there to fend for herself. Surely no one else would come, but still she cried out to God for help! Suddenly from around the corner came a choir member. At once the woman felt hopeless. She knew that no one from the choir would help, but she had to try. “Please come and help me,” she begged. The choir member saw the bugged eyed woman and began to run. As she turned the corner she called out “I’ll find the children’s pastor – after I’m done singing!”
Now the mayor of Nursery was left alone to waller in her despair and dirty diapers. There was no hope anymore. Yet still she mumbled out a feeble prayer of mercy. Then out of nowhere came one of the dreaded inhabitants of student ministry. This young man with a mop head surely would not help. Had he even passed the background check?
Then suddenly he stopped and saw the woman with a glazed look in her eyes. He asked her if she needed help. “Help, yes I need help, I am alone in here with 14 children. We are surely above ratio, she replied. So the young mop head took out his cell phone and texted his mom, his sister and three of his friends and told them the place to be was Nursery. He even offered to pass out Cherrios and tell a story to lend a hand.
Now I ask you which of these three showed love to his neighbour?

Wii don't serve alone

2009-08-26T14:44:00.001-04:00

what an incredible messeage in this simple video. If people in the church can take this simple concept of everyoen lending a hand we could turn the world upside down!

Happy 14th Baby!

2009-08-25T16:38:00.003-04:00

Can you see her though my eyes?

Ode to a Lego

2009-08-11T19:19:00.002-04:00

I think that I shall never know
The awesome power of the tiny Lego.
Why doest Thou bring the young such joy?
Is there some chemical imbalance in each girl and boy?

OK, enough bad verse. But I have to admit, I don't quite understand the strange attraction in this little piece of plastic. Now, don't get me wrong. I do not have any ill feelings towards the Lego itself. In fact, I will go so far as to say that I rather enjoy building a little house out of them now and then. And I did participate in building and racing my own Lego car a few weeks ago at the Lego store with my sons. (Yes, I won! I don't believe in letting someone else win when my skills are obviously superior. I think it builds a false sense of accomplishment. Let no one accuse me of building my childrens' self esteem on a false foundation.) Back to the Lego. It is a wonderful toy that stimulates the imagination and is so versatile that it can be transformed into almost anything. This goes without question. I see it's attraction, I just can't believe the strength of that attraction. My oldest son, for the first time, has a bedroom of his own. His own private sanctuary. A place to retire when life (and parents) are so unfair. A place of solitude from the crazy life he shares with his brothers. In short, a refuge. However, he has willingly given all that away in order to build a place of security for his Lego creations. Yes, he is once again sharing a bedroom with his younger brother and has turned his room into “THE LEGO ROOM”.
The need to store his Legos securely began when his 3 and 4 year old brothers developed a strange need to carry small Lego men in their pockets. Since they did not own any small Lego men, they of course “borrowed” their older brothers. Strangely, even after they got small Lego men of their own, they still continued to “borrow” from their big brothers. In fact, the “borrowing” continued through disciplines too numerous to mention. The final battle ended with a Sponge Bob Square Pants Lego man circling the bowl before being launched into the depths of the septic tank forever. Now, as sad as it was to see Sponge Bob go down, I had no intention of digging up the septic tank to retrieve him, as my son suggested. Though we replaced the entire Sponge Bob set, the need to keep his Legos safe sat heavily on my son's mind. He would run to the bathroom any time he heard the toilet flush and ask, “What did you just put down there?” He would stand guard in front of his bedroom door when his little brothers were playing in the room across the hall. If he was the first one awake in the morning, he would wake his youngest brothers and make them follow him downstairs while he ate breakfast. He admitted to have nightmares about Legos going down the toilet.
Believe me, my son David is the world's greatest flusher. In fact, I firmly believe that if flushing improbable objects down the toilet was an Olympic sport, my son would certainly be a gold medallist. We will never truly know the depths of his flushing accomplishments. The things that have been retrieved before the point of no return are many. The number of things that have been written off with no chance of resurrection are far greater. However, the unusually high percentage of things that are “missing in action” around our house, leads me to speculate as to the true capacity of our septic tank. So, I do share my eldest's frustration with his little brother's habits. In fact, I have on occasion, been tempted to run into the bathroom myself after hearing a flush and demand, “What did you just put down there?” However, I have yet to succumb.
Yet, toothbrushes, dog toys, underwear and the countless other objects that have taken “the big swirl” are not as traumatic as watching a Lego hit the drain to the dark depths. Our family was on high alert for several days before we came up with the Lego Shrine solution. Not only has my son given his room in protection of the tiny toy, but we have also installed a locking doorknob on said room. Oh yes, even Dad was willing to shell out the bucks to buy a new doorknob in order to restore peace in our home once again.
I do have to admit that the room does hold some attractions for me that I had not thought of earlier. For once, I can confidently walk into my sons room at night to close a window, or retrieve a lost cup without the pain and agony of countless little Legos adorning the bottom of my feet. Also the words, “clean your room” are no longer a source of horror for the boys. (I have not been brave enough to utter the words “clean the Lego room” yet.) As strange as it may be, the Lego room has been a good solution to our family crisis. However, I still have a hard time understanding the depth of devotion it takes to give up your own private bedroom for the sake of a toy. My understanding will probably never reach that level. I am still grappling with the age old question of whether Lego sets were meant to be built and then kept together to be played with, or whether they are to be built and taken apart to be re-built into numerous other creations. That's one argument I have no intention of trying to sort out. It will take far greater minds than mine.

Blake gets a pie in the face

2009-08-11T14:01:00.001-04:00

One more year until he enters the teen fray. He has his embarassed look going here. This was at a resturant called Moose Winooski's.

Niagra Falls from Maiden of the Mist

2009-08-11T14:00:00.001-04:00

I visited Victoria Falls in Zambia in 2005 and thought I would not be impressed with Niagra after seeing them. However the view from the maiden of the mist boat is very impressive. The sheer volume and power generated by the horseshoe falls makes me wonder how one can not see the majesty of God in his creation.

Lego Race

2009-08-11T13:57:00.001-04:00

We have a lego store not too far from our home!

Tanner gets a scooter

2009-08-11T13:56:00.001-04:00

Tanner is now in the double digits! This scooter works great around the farm!

Bob the llama

2009-08-11T13:55:00.001-04:00

Bob is hungry here! He now lets us feed him carrots from our hands

Visiting the nieghbors

2009-08-11T13:54:00.001-04:00

Great living in farm country!

Lemonade Missionaries

2009-07-27T11:33:00.001-04:00

Promisland at Forward (Promiseland is our kid's church) is supporting two kids, Paula and Jim, in Peru. Two great girls at our church sold lemonade to raise some extra money. They made $80! Kids can do some amazing things. Way to to go Madeline and Amy!!