There is a first time for everything

It finally happened. I was finally able to take my two older boys camping. I have said before that I need to show my boys what they need to enjoy. Yesterday afternoon we loaded up the van with the things we needed and headed to the Roughrider Campground.
We found a great spot under some trees and set up the tent. The boys were excited to put their things in the tent.
We then found a playground and the boys thought it was interesting to sit inside this tractor tire.
After playing for a while we went back to our camp site to eat. As we ate a large storm rolled in and the temperature dropped. We felt a few drops of rain but the storm didn't amount to much. We started a fire and the boys warmed themselves.
This morning we awoke and all had a bit of coffee. It was a great time together - just us boys.
*You can see more pictures of our time together at our family website. There are pictures of Ezra and Asher.

"...spoke, thought and reasoned like a child."

It all started with a Batman dispenser in college. "What a strange thing" I thought, "a toy that dispenses candy from its throat." I placed the dispenser on my shelf in my sculpture studio and it was quickly accompanied by several others. They were gifts from one of my professors who frequented estate sales. It quickly became a collection. I didn't really start the collection - it started on me. It's an odd thing to collect - but they are inexpensive ($1 will buy 1 dispenser) and there are always new faces to collect.

Kirsten has been kind to allow me to keep my childish collection over the years. She even allowed these dispensers to be a part of our wedding. She is a fine woman.

We are beginning to discuss a possible remodel on one of our rooms in our basement. The room we are thinking about remodeling is the one that houses all of these dispensers - all displayed in neat rows on shelves. As we begin to think through what we would like to do to the room it seems as if these candy-throated dispensers keep getting in the way. Our sons like to throw objects around this room and if you have ever seen dominoes fall on top of each other - hundreds of cartoon-headed dispensers do the same. So, here I am - 30something years young and I am faced with a decision. Should I a.) throw the dispensers away? b.) try to sell them? c.) take them to the local recycling establishment to see what I can get or d.) let the reader decide?

There are pros and cons to each. When all is said and done - they must leave my house. I don't need them any longer. They are taking up space, collecting dust, always fall over and I think the Peppermint Patty dispenser is up to something strange with the Wonder Woman dispenser.

What should I do? Stay tuned for details of the death of these, my candy-throated friends.

Spurgeon on long-winded prayers

I've been reading some Spurgeon recently and the quote below is something every public prayer should read. Spurgeon's insight and honesty is refreshing!

Long prayers either consist of repetitions, or else of unnecessary explanations which God does not require; or else they degenerate into downright preachings, so that there is no difference between the praying and the preaching, except that in the one the minister has his eyes shut, and in the other he keeps them open. It is not necessary in prayer to rehearse the Westminster Assembly's Catechism. It is not necessary in prayer to relate the experience of all the people who are present, or even your own. It is not necessary in prayer to string a selection of texts of Scripture together, and quote David, and Daniel, and Job, and Paul and Peter, and ever other body, under the title of 'thy servant of old.' It is necessary in prayer to draw near unto God, but it is not required of you to prolong your speech till everyone is longing to hear the word 'Amen.'

On a practical note...long prayers make Obed angry and you don't want to make Obed angry!

Happy Mother & Birth Day

Today was a day of celebrations. It was Mother's Day. My wife is by far the best mother in our house and I would say she is the best mother around! She cares for her boys. She serves them. She shepherds their hearts. She makes them great lunches on monkey plates. She is a great mother!
Today was also Ezra's birthday. He is 4 years young today. He was most excited for his birthday. What a great day of celebrations.

Church Member Meeting

Here is an interesting video clip from a member meeting at Covenant Life Church. I know none of us deal with these same issues of choices for the education of our children but I thought you may be interested in hearing/seeing this. If you don't want to watch the video I will sum it up for you - we should be primarily devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ - over and above educational choices we make for our children.

Meetings

I don't know if this is because of the influences of their father being a pastor or if it is a part of being American - but our boys set up a meeting of the minds today. We were loading the trucks with concrete to begin building the new rail system around Front Room Proper when Ezra (the foreman) decided we needed to circle up for a meeting. During the meeting we discussed what trucks would be loaded first and where the tracks would be set for the train that is expected to come through Hallway County (to the southeast of Dining Room Estates). I was a bit disappointed that the financial aspects of the deal were not a part of this meeting but I am certain this was noted in the minutes and it will be on the agenda for the next meeting.

Thank you for your cooperation during the planning phase of this project.
*for those of you wondering - this meeting took place on the same floor from the noise making in the previous post.