The kids have been busy the past couple of weeks with some extra-curriculars. My daughter is having an absolute blast taking ballet lessons. All of a sudden, pizza and ice cream have very different meanings in our house nowadays. I am really looking forward to the class recital in December - it should a joy a to watch. Plus I am looking forward to seeing how my daughter does in an actual performance. I'm anxious to know if she can (at this age) concentrate on what she needs to do without being distracted by having lots of people watching her.
My son has been staying after school one night per week for "Mad Science" classes. The first week the class learned about the science of magnets, performing various experiments. He brought home his very own magnet kit. This past week the class learned about mirrors and each person in the class built a periscope. When I arrived to pick him up, I found that the class had started late and many of the children were still working on their periscopes. But my son had already completed his project and was actively helping another child at his work area. It was great to see him being helpful to his classmates.
We are now one week away from the induction date. We have been told by the hospital to be ready at 6:00 AM and they will call us when they are ready for us to come in. It's going to be a long day for sure. The good thing about the date is that it is on a Thursday and I only have one class that day, and I can make up the lecture from an mp3 recording online.
We have the nursery all ready. The car seat has been loaded into the van. The stroller is waiting in our storage room downstairs. My mother will be flying out next Wednesday to stay with us for a while and help us adjust to our new addition.
Last Saturday the women of our church held a baby shower for my wife and the wife of the other intern working with the church. It was a wonderful event and to say that the families of the church were generous is an understatement to say the least. Despite the problems the church is facing, the people there have truly loved us well since our arrival.
Needless to say, my wife will be working until the beginning of next week and then (obviously) she'll be off for a while. This means a couple of things for us. First, money will definitely be tight as the only income we will have coming in will be what I'm making working for the church. Second, it will clear the way for my wife to complete the necessary requirements the government needs to complete her background check. From there we will simply be waiting for the background check to complete. Once the background investigation is complete, her new job should allow us to stabilize our financial situation for the remainder of our time here ... for me, that day can't come soon enough. But be that as it may, it is extremely encouraging to know that we have that to look forward to, and we are thankful to the Lord for his provision for our family.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
The Countdown Continues
We are on a two week countdown to the arrival of baby #3. The plan now is that my wife will call on Monday to schedule an induction for October 1. Now of course, she could go into labor any day now, but based on our history it is likely that we'll have our new addition on either October 1 or 2. According to the doctor, all is going well with the baby. We are all excited and are eagerly awaiting delivery.
The family watched the movie "The Sandlot" tonight. For the first 2/3 of the movie you would have thought it was the scariest movie the kids have ever experienced. I'll admit, the beast is pretty intimidating. During the movie, I had to keep telling my daughter that the doggie just had a bad tummy ache, but there were still several times when both kids would pull their blankets up over their eyes. But in the end, both of the kids proclaimed the movie a huge favorite and they love recounting the exciting scenes.
As you may recall, I have been working as the Worship Director for a local church here in the St. Louis area. Since our arrival the church has been going through some struggles. This past Sunday the members were faced with a vote to either dissolve the church or commit to a revitalization effort. The vote was to pursue a revitalization effort. To that end, I will be stepping up my efforts and duties to ministries beyond worship. This will be an exciting time, but one requiring extra effort and every one's part. Having a baby in the midst of all of this will really make for some interesting times ... but we knew this when we decided to make the move out here.
Last week we started Covenant groups at the seminary. These groups meet for an hour each week where small groups of students and faculty get together to talk about our stresses and joys, and then spend some time praying for each other. It has been a real joy to get to know some other men that I do not share classes with. A couple of the men are actually older than I am, which is a nice change to be able to talk with men who have a little more life experience under their belts. But my group is a great blend of men who are readily willing to share and be transparent. It has really become one of the highlights of my week.
The family watched the movie "The Sandlot" tonight. For the first 2/3 of the movie you would have thought it was the scariest movie the kids have ever experienced. I'll admit, the beast is pretty intimidating. During the movie, I had to keep telling my daughter that the doggie just had a bad tummy ache, but there were still several times when both kids would pull their blankets up over their eyes. But in the end, both of the kids proclaimed the movie a huge favorite and they love recounting the exciting scenes.
As you may recall, I have been working as the Worship Director for a local church here in the St. Louis area. Since our arrival the church has been going through some struggles. This past Sunday the members were faced with a vote to either dissolve the church or commit to a revitalization effort. The vote was to pursue a revitalization effort. To that end, I will be stepping up my efforts and duties to ministries beyond worship. This will be an exciting time, but one requiring extra effort and every one's part. Having a baby in the midst of all of this will really make for some interesting times ... but we knew this when we decided to make the move out here.
Last week we started Covenant groups at the seminary. These groups meet for an hour each week where small groups of students and faculty get together to talk about our stresses and joys, and then spend some time praying for each other. It has been a real joy to get to know some other men that I do not share classes with. A couple of the men are actually older than I am, which is a nice change to be able to talk with men who have a little more life experience under their belts. But my group is a great blend of men who are readily willing to share and be transparent. It has really become one of the highlights of my week.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Never Forget
Eight years ago today we witnessed the truly horrific. I was working for a manufacturing company in northeastern PA and my wife was working for a government office outside of Philadelphia. That morning I was helping some folks who were having computer problems. When I overheard someone say something about a plane flying into a building in New York City. Seeing that we were only 90 minutes or so from the city, I went to watch the television coverage of the morning events. At first we thought it was just an accident ... and then the second plane hit. We knew then that our country was under attack.
Today, we remember those who were senselessly killed. We honor those heroes who gave their all to help save some knowing full well that they themselves might not be saved. And we also reflect on the aftermath of those events: the wars that they have led to, the over-reaction of hating all things Muslim, the insistence of some religious leaders that this was God's judgment on our nation for tolerating certain sins, my own initial reaction of wanting justice (or was it vengeance) to be brought to those responsible.
In that reflection we must begin with the understanding that nothing we say or do can erase the past. Things have been done and decisions have been made and we must deal responsibly with the consequences of those actions. And while we can't change the past; hopefully we can learn from it. I will not take the time to expound upon that which I think our government should have learned from these events ... that would take way too long and I don't think Uncle Sam reads my blog. Instead, I'm going to focus on what the Christian Church should ponder.
In the days and weeks after the attacks I heard Christians say that we should turn the Middle East into a parking lot. I heard sermons preached on the "Just War Theory". I heard television preachers say that this was God's judgment upon this country because of its acceptance of various sins including homosexuality and pornography. I perceived that some Christians were truly fearful that we might one day become the United Muslim States of America. I heard the indirect questions of "Where is God, and whose side is He on anyway?"
It's actually that last question that is the most dangerous for a Christian. Once we begin to ask that question, we have already imposed so many assumptions on God that it's no wonder that it feels like we are drowning in an ocean of doubt. And doubt we did. But the problem is that we were asking the wrong question from the get-go.
This morning Professor Jerram Barrs preached to the Covenant Seminary community on Joshua 5:13-15.
13When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" 14And he said, "No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?" 15And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
This episode in the life of Joshua comes just before the famous battle of Jericho. But notice that Joshua, on the very verge of a battle that God had instructed him to fight, asks the same question this pre-incarnation of Jesus that we ask of God today, "Whose side are you on?" And the answer is "No." God does not exist to serve our interests, even when we are acting on his behalf. Instead our focus should be on holiness of God and our worship of him.
Let there be no mistake. The events of September 11, 2001 were evil. I am not calling into question the subsequent actions of our government - enough people are already doing that to serve their own agendas. But as the chosen people of God, we need to learn from our immediate reactions to that event. We need to see, in our own lives, where we did not respond with a heart of worship. The emotions of that day and the days following were fraught with intensity. But in those raw emotions, we dare not ask, "Whose side is God on anyway?" Because God's answer is, "No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come." He calls us first to worship. Joshua still went to battle, but Joshua did not make the walls fall down - God did.
So on this day when we remember the fallen heroes, let us also remember that even in the midst of evil, our first calling is to worship God.
Today, we remember those who were senselessly killed. We honor those heroes who gave their all to help save some knowing full well that they themselves might not be saved. And we also reflect on the aftermath of those events: the wars that they have led to, the over-reaction of hating all things Muslim, the insistence of some religious leaders that this was God's judgment on our nation for tolerating certain sins, my own initial reaction of wanting justice (or was it vengeance) to be brought to those responsible.
In that reflection we must begin with the understanding that nothing we say or do can erase the past. Things have been done and decisions have been made and we must deal responsibly with the consequences of those actions. And while we can't change the past; hopefully we can learn from it. I will not take the time to expound upon that which I think our government should have learned from these events ... that would take way too long and I don't think Uncle Sam reads my blog. Instead, I'm going to focus on what the Christian Church should ponder.
In the days and weeks after the attacks I heard Christians say that we should turn the Middle East into a parking lot. I heard sermons preached on the "Just War Theory". I heard television preachers say that this was God's judgment upon this country because of its acceptance of various sins including homosexuality and pornography. I perceived that some Christians were truly fearful that we might one day become the United Muslim States of America. I heard the indirect questions of "Where is God, and whose side is He on anyway?"
It's actually that last question that is the most dangerous for a Christian. Once we begin to ask that question, we have already imposed so many assumptions on God that it's no wonder that it feels like we are drowning in an ocean of doubt. And doubt we did. But the problem is that we were asking the wrong question from the get-go.
This morning Professor Jerram Barrs preached to the Covenant Seminary community on Joshua 5:13-15.
13When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" 14And he said, "No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?" 15And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
This episode in the life of Joshua comes just before the famous battle of Jericho. But notice that Joshua, on the very verge of a battle that God had instructed him to fight, asks the same question this pre-incarnation of Jesus that we ask of God today, "Whose side are you on?" And the answer is "No." God does not exist to serve our interests, even when we are acting on his behalf. Instead our focus should be on holiness of God and our worship of him.
Let there be no mistake. The events of September 11, 2001 were evil. I am not calling into question the subsequent actions of our government - enough people are already doing that to serve their own agendas. But as the chosen people of God, we need to learn from our immediate reactions to that event. We need to see, in our own lives, where we did not respond with a heart of worship. The emotions of that day and the days following were fraught with intensity. But in those raw emotions, we dare not ask, "Whose side is God on anyway?" Because God's answer is, "No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come." He calls us first to worship. Joshua still went to battle, but Joshua did not make the walls fall down - God did.
So on this day when we remember the fallen heroes, let us also remember that even in the midst of evil, our first calling is to worship God.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Counting Down To Baby - One Month To Go
The Vagabond clan is eagerly awaiting the arrival of our newest member. It is likely that the baby will arrive within the next 30 days or so (give or take). The whole clan took a tour of the hospital earlier this week. This is our 3rd child and also our 3rd different hospital to deliver in. At the latest doctor appointment the baby was reportedly "head down" which is much better than the breach position from the previous appointment. The next few weeks will only increase the excitement - I don't think the kids really have an understanding of how imminent this change is, but I'm sure they will adjust according as the time for delivery arrives.
My bride is coping rather well I think. The past several days/weeks have been unseasonably cool for the end of August beginning of September. This has been an extra special blessing this year for her. I reminded her the other day that this was evidence of God being extra kind. Still I don't think the next 30 days will pass quickly enough for her - even though she probably would say that, "there is still so much to do beforehand."
Earlier this week, my daughter was able to attend her first ballet class. She has been longing for these lessons for quite a while now, and I can say for certain that the first class did not disappoint. She came home very excited wanting to demonstrate all of the stretches and positions she had learned. I'm not exactly sure what the technical terms are, but there was a lot of talk about butterflies (which I understood from the stretches we did in H.S. soccer) and ice cream cones.
My son continues to do well in school. His daily behavioral report is always on "Super" - which is the highest rating. We need to do some brushing up on some spelling words and writing of certain letters. This year he is learning to tell time on a regular "face" clock, and he likes using his flash cards to test himself on various times.
I've made it through the first full week of classes and so far so good. I've been able to keep up with all of my assigned readings for the four classes I'm taking. We'll have to wait and see how I'm doing a month from now, but I'm sure that we'll manage somehow. I'm really enjoying each class for what it has to offer. Some of the things are new and some are more of a refresher, but all of it is needful right now. I also really enjoy being able to attend our chapel services twice each week. The speakers are great and it's just a great time to worship together with my fellow seminarians. It really puts the classwork into perspective.
My bride is coping rather well I think. The past several days/weeks have been unseasonably cool for the end of August beginning of September. This has been an extra special blessing this year for her. I reminded her the other day that this was evidence of God being extra kind. Still I don't think the next 30 days will pass quickly enough for her - even though she probably would say that, "there is still so much to do beforehand."
Earlier this week, my daughter was able to attend her first ballet class. She has been longing for these lessons for quite a while now, and I can say for certain that the first class did not disappoint. She came home very excited wanting to demonstrate all of the stretches and positions she had learned. I'm not exactly sure what the technical terms are, but there was a lot of talk about butterflies (which I understood from the stretches we did in H.S. soccer) and ice cream cones.
My son continues to do well in school. His daily behavioral report is always on "Super" - which is the highest rating. We need to do some brushing up on some spelling words and writing of certain letters. This year he is learning to tell time on a regular "face" clock, and he likes using his flash cards to test himself on various times.
I've made it through the first full week of classes and so far so good. I've been able to keep up with all of my assigned readings for the four classes I'm taking. We'll have to wait and see how I'm doing a month from now, but I'm sure that we'll manage somehow. I'm really enjoying each class for what it has to offer. Some of the things are new and some are more of a refresher, but all of it is needful right now. I also really enjoy being able to attend our chapel services twice each week. The speakers are great and it's just a great time to worship together with my fellow seminarians. It really puts the classwork into perspective.
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