Patrick Mead On Parenting

Often when I am reading Patrick Mead's blog I find myself wishing I lived in his neighborhood. Maybe we could sit on his back porch and I could absorb by osmosis a fraction of the spiritual wisdom that was oozing by.

I try very hard to instill Respect - Discipline - and Gratitude into my children, and I believe when I look at them and look at their peers (mainly my 5 year old) I see a difference in their behavior. My 2 year old is a curious little monster who has her daddy's neatural need to rebel. Even she is extremely curteous often repeating thank you over and over and over till you reply "your welcome."

Anyway, all that about me, when this post is supposed to be about Mr. Mead. Read hisMixed Signals post and you will see what I mean about ooozing Godly wisdom.

5 Reasons I Am Glad to be Home...

What a GREAT week we had at camp!!! I can't say it isn't great to be back at work, because it is... As great as a week of camp is... It is good to be home and back to the simple joys of an IT life.

5 Reasons It Is Great To Be Home...

• 5. Managing an 11 person staff at camp is daunting!!! Being a 1 man IT department is a great gig.
• 4. Late Nights with the teens are a blast!!! Sleeping in my bed, with my wife at my side is next to heaven.
• 3. Water Games and The River can cool you off!!! Air Conditioning works better!
• 2. Camp Activities are Plan-Prepare-Play - It's a 1 shot deal!!! Programming is Write-Test-Repeat - Redos are a great thing!
• 1. Summer is almost OVER!!!!

  1 week to my oldest's birthday pool party...
  2 weeks till VBS ...
  3 weeks till new Baby...
  4 weeks till Oldest Starts School...
  5 weeks till Labor Day Retreat...

The Yuck and The Fires & The Fun

I LOVE CAMP!!!!!!!! It is Monday and we have been out at camp since Saturday morning now!!!! It has been GREAT so far! We have had our annual carnival and out Yuck games. We are tye-dyeing T-shirts and tonight... DR. KAOS will be appearing!!!

It is such a needed respite and renewal for me to be out with these kids. The Late-Night with the teen staff has been great too!!! I am blessed to work at a place where I can take some time to come and be a part of this week.

Please pray for us as we minister to these young people.

I Admit I Made A Mistake

I admit that I made a mistake. I agreed to do to many things this summer. I should NOT have agreed to camp, VBS, and the race track. My schedule just does not allow it. I originally told people NO to VBS but when the ministry list for the year was published my name was on it, despite saying I would not do it. I let it go and decided I would make it work.

I tried a few weeks ago to cancel VBS and was brutally attacked for the suggestion. So again, I sucked it up, put something together and decided to maker it work.

Today I get an ABSOLUTELY HARASSING email from one of our elder's wives.

Kevin,

I plan to be at the cookout tonight, so you can just scrawl out the information I requested below with you and hand it to me then, if that's easier for you.

It goes on from there with the details of what I am needing to scrawl out.

Here is my dilemma... I was very stern in the fact that I would plan VBS and would do the opening and closing program. I was very stern that I would not be able to do volunteer recruitment, but would talk on the phone with any volunteer that needed more direction than my Handout.

I have SERIOUSLY considered leaving this church over the way this lady CONSTANTLY treats me. She is the VERY REASON I did not want to do VBS in the first place!

Now I have admitted I overbooked. I am FIRM now in the fact I will NEVER lead VBS again, but what should I do now?????

Natural Homemade Soap

I have wanted for a long time to find a simple way to say thanks to Real Life Preacher. Why do I need to say thanks you ask.... It was him who recommended my absolute favorite blog on the internet Don't Eat Alone.

Today RLP asked his readers to link the words Natural Homemade Soap to his wife's website in order to help her build page rank in the great Google Algorithm.

So RLP, here is my thank you.

Amnesty International and The Internet

Google Watch at Eweek.com linked to and summarized a report from Amnesty International about Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft and their ongoing "human rights abuses" by obeying the laws of China. As a socially councious person I often find myself applauding the causes (if not always the politicss) Amnesty chooses to involve itself as a part of.

HOWEVER!!!

The basic right to food, water, and humane treatment should never be compared to the "right" to information. I thank God that I live in a "free" society. Here where information is a powerful tool. However, that freedom is not, and should not be considered a Basic Human Right. Thomas Jefferson understood the meaning of God given unalienable rights, Amnesty however seems to have lost their way on this.

The Christian Paradox (Harpers.org)

It has been 1 year since this article was published... I think it minds being brought back to the forefront for a re-read.

The Christian Paradox (Harpers.org)

Sweet Potatoe Breakfast Casserolle

For our church potluck I made a wonderful dish, that lots of people wanted the recipie for so here it is. It took me about 30 minutes to chop and peel everything, but I think it would serve 8 people as a breakfast.

In a Dutch Oven (I used my Le Creuset Doufeu) Combine:

4 Large Sweet Potatos (Peeled and diced)
2 Pink Lady Apples (Peeled and diced)
2 Bartlett Pears
1/2 Cup Crushed Walnuts
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 lb Butter (Cut into small pieces)
1/2 Cup Raisins
2 Pkg Al Fesco Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage

I cooked for 1:15 on 350 and then insulated the dutch oven in towels for another 2 hours before being ready to serve.