The Next Chapter
We received a great letter yesterday from our boy, Timothy, in Ghana. Happily, we received a phone call from him yesterday afternoon as well! God is so merciful to us, each one… just the moment we have a need: He’s already there.
So, here’s a link to Timothy’s page… letters are on subsequent pages.
I’m sorting and filing piles and piles of papers, letters, pictures and cards here today… so strolling down memory lane does not allow much time for blogging. More later.
thanks pam, for sending this… blessings —ps
with blessings and love to you all.
Ever heard of a bump key? Well…. you may have never heard of them, but thanks to the internet and easy accessibility, thieves have! Here’s a video showing just how easy (and cheap) it is to effortlessly break into any house. Illegal without a locksmith license, bump keys are easily accessible on the internet for a few dollars. Thieves can efficiently enter your home with little effort or trace of forced entry. This news story is nearly a year old but I just received a mail today with this video clip. O — there are apparently locks you can purchase and install that aren’t opened with a bump key. Here’s the locksmith guy’s website with info on bump keys and secure locks: bayarealocks.com
Have you ever noticed that, in conversation with a relative stranger, when you mention your occupation or favourite subject of study or hobby or whatever, the person will often make a comment about your particular passion or interest. Often they’ll be an expert on the subject and will say something like, you know, there are two things about – thus and so.
Try it sometime, when someone mentions something you happen to have an interest in, just say something like: there are two things about __________. I read that somewhere, some time ago. It’s kind of like that book, Everything I ever Needed to know I Learned in Kindergarten. Well, the Two Things goes like this: “For every subject, there are really only two things you really need to know. Everything else is the application of those two things, or just not important.”
I’ve been mulling over lots of life’s Two Things (try it, you’ll find yourself thinking of many “The Two Things about________…”). Here are some I’ve been thinking about… and each time I think of one, I then think of what I think might be a better one. Or two.
The Two Things about parenting:
1. What’s the most important thing right now?
2. This, too, shall pass.
The Two Things about marriage:
1. Today’s the day to make it the best.
2. Things won’t always be this way.
The Two Things about life:
1. Everyone wants to be loved.
2. Everyone wants to be accepted.
The Two Things about people:
1. Everyone wants to be right.
2. Everyone wants to feel important.
The Two Things about the game of life:
1. Don’t cheat.
2. Don’t give up.
The Two Things about social life:
1. You only have one chance to make a good first impression.
2. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
The Two Things about marriage:
1. Always be the first to say you’re sorry.
2. Always say you’re sorry first.
Here are some more ideas from the Two Things guy – Glen Whitman
The Two Things about Computer Programming:
1. Idiocy increases faster than idiot-proofing.
2. All compiling errors boil down to a missing semicolon.
The Two Things about Blogging:
1. Everyone who runs one is a kook.
2. Everyone who comments in one is a kook.
The Two Things about Women
1. When complaining, they don’t want your advice, they want your sympathy.
2. Don’t you dare tell them you can sum them up with just Two Things.The Two Things about Parenting:
1. There’s no such thing as too much affection
2. It’s not so much what you say, as it is what you do
The Two Things about Driving:
1. Don’t hit anything.
2. Don’t let anything hit you.
The Two things about homeschooling:
1. Education has nothing to do with going to school.
2. It’s not really about education.
More “Two Things” another time.
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Have you had enough of the elections already?!?!
Do you still wonder who you’re going to vote for? Take this test… you’ll see your choice.
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Just think… one of the greatest promises in Scripture is one we might not consider to be our greatest or favourite promise: 2 Timothy 3.12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
Kristen sent this mail… I’m including the text of the mail and a copy of the video clip she sent along with the mail.
Subject: Kitchen Fire
I never realized that a wet dishtowel can be a one size fits all lid to cover a fire in a pan!
This is a dramatic video (30-second, very short) about how to deal with a common kitchen fire … oil in a frying pan. Read the following introduction, then watch the show … It’s a real eye-opener!!
At the Fire Fighting Training school, they would demonstrate this with a deep fat fryer set on the fire field. An instructor would don a fire suit and using an 8 oz cup at the end of a 10 foot pole toss water onto the grease fire. The results got the attention of the students.
The water, being heavier than oil, sinks to the bottom where it instantly becomes superheated. The explosive force of the steam blows the burning oil up and out. On the open field, it became a thirty foot high fireball that resembled a nuclear blast. Inside the confines of a kitchen, the fireball hits the ceiling and fills the entire room.
Also, do not throw sugar or flour on a grease fire. One cup creates the explosive force of two sticks of dynamite. This is a powerful message—-watch the video and don’t forget what you see. Tell your whole family about this video… ”
I was wondering… how long ago was it that we remodeled our upstairs bathroom? A couple of years? Three years? Already? Here’s what was happening in the month of February 2005
Timothy sent new pics… here’s the latest from Ghana and other pics, too – his page here. I love making pages for our children… their adventures and the Lord’s work in and through them. God is faithful. Always.
Timothy’s really working to acclimate to the culture and people of Ghana to get to know them and serve so that he can more fully relate to them and to proclaim the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, his work continues… talking with locals, getting to know them and their families, helping the missionaries there and getting the missions training school ready and well… and becoming a local. ;o)
He’s really pretty incredible with a few buckets of paint. :o)
This is his room now… it will eventually be a ‘boys dorm’ when the young men come to stay and study at the mission’s training school. I think Timo’s pretty pleased with the outcome of the room… it looks to me like a Ghanaian team room. :o)
Now we see why he brought soccer balls and wants us to send more. He uses them to start up conversations – and then friendships are begun. He gets attention by simply being there – but I’m thinking that he is getting attention because he is *living* there. The Lord says to *occupy* till He comes.
O, may we all be found *occupied* with the Lord today – not preoccupied with all the stuff of our plans.
As if you really needed another reason to stay the course and train up your children at home.
Boy wants to Return to School as a Girl
I know, I know… just bcz children go to a government school doesn’t mean they’ll be confused as to who they are or that all gvmnt schools are bad. To be sure though, government schools certainly aren’t teaching children what God says about who and what He created and why He did so — or who they are in Christ Jesus.
Omy. Next week it’ll be a dog.
I love the enthusiasm of this young woman and her love for the Truth.
Here’s that recipe for the best gingersnaps — well, to gingersnap lovers they are! Try ’em today… and with Nutella tomorrow or cheese and gingersnaps – yum!
Yummy Gingersnaps
Blend in the Kitchenaid or the Bosch mixer:
1 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Molasses (Can be half blackstrap and half sorghum)
2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
Blend and then mix into the above ingredients
4-1/2 Cups flour
3 tsps. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
4 tsps. ground Ginger
1/2 tsp. ground Cloves
1/2 tsp. ground Black Pepper
2 tsps. ground Cinnamon
(Additional: Raw sugar for rolling cookies in before baking )
When blended well, roll into walnut size balls and then roll in raw sugar or coarse brown or white sugar and set on cookie sheet – leaving space between each cookie as these spread as they bake. Bake for 9-10 minutes at 375* We use the raw sugar because it’s thicker and looks pretty as cookies are baked. Once baked, remove from cookie sheet and place on racks to cool. Makes about 6 dozen addicting cookies
