Sermon We Listened to Today: Robert Jeffress

The Most Misunderstood Word in America Part 1 and Part 2.  :-)

Triple Play Day

Greg's company sponsored a day of fun at Triple Play on Saturday.  Kylen would like to go back sometime to bowl, play miniature golf, and drive go-karts again.  I was hoping he and Greg would take advantage of their water park, but Kylen has never been big into those.  They also have a climbing wall, arcade, bumper boats, and laser tag.

In the first run, Kylen started out in front and held the lead to the end.

Second Run

Miniature Golf: Greg Won!

Ice Cream

Climbing Wall

Both times we bowled they had the lasers and black lights going.  Super cool!

I threw the ball I'm holding once, and I was done!  Too hard with arthritis!  But I really enjoyed watching Greg and Kylen.

Homemade Corn Dogs

We decided to try making homemade corn dogs.  It was easier than expected, and Greg and Kylen loved them!  They were even good cold, straight out of the fridge, the next day.  When the batter got low, we cut the last few into thirds, completely submerged them, and made mini corn dogs.  If you don't want to mess with the sticks, you could do that with all of them.

Homemade Corn Dogs
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup white sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
2 16-oz packages beef hot dogs
16 flat wooden sticks (found at craft store)

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Stir in eggs and milk.  Chill in fridge.  Chilled batter will stick to the dogs better.

Dry hot dogs.  Preheat oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Insert wooden sticks into dogs. Pour batter into a tall glass.  Dip hot dogs into batter so they are well coated.  Allow some of the excess batter to fall off.

Fry a few corn dogs at a time until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.

Refrigerate leftovers.  We didn't freeze any, but a reviewer said you can place them on a baking sheet and freeze after they've cooled to room temp.  Once fully frozen, put them into freezer bags.  Reheat at 400° in the oven about 20 minutes or microwave individually, covered with a paper towel: 50 seconds, flip, 30 seconds.

Kylen's Baptism

Kylen got baptized on the 8th!  He mentioned a couple times in the past that he would like to be baptized, but for some reason it never happened.  So when he brought it up earlier this summer, we decided to make it high priority!  He and Greg drove around to a couple locations before settling on Corbin Park, a beautiful, peaceful spot next to a river.  It was a small, intimate gathering with a few close family and friends.  Greg said a few words, Kylen gave his testimony, and then we went out for ice cream!

Sermon We Listened to Today: Robert Jeffress

Evolution: Fact or Fiction
The Four Fatal Flaws of Evolution

God's Smuggler -- Book Review

Our favorite 2013/2014 school read aloud was God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew.  The miracles this man witnessed while smuggling Bibles into communist countries are unbelievable.  I came away with a deeper trust in the Lord and an understanding of what it means to love those whose beliefs and actions are abhorrent to me.  When I consider an environment too sinful for a Christian to approach,  I can remind myself of how Brother Andrew went to work in a factory, surrounded by people with filthy minds, and was able to witness in a way that led them to the cross.

This excerpt is taken from the epilogue.  Although this book centered on past ministry to communists, Brother Andrew saw many parallels to today's challenges with Islam.

Andrew has lived to see many former challenges met, many once impossible goals achieved.  "But by far, by far, our greatest challenge lies ahead of us," he says.  "And that's how we face the issues raised by Islam." . . . "There is a lot to admire in Islam," he says.  "You have to pay attention to a religion with this kind of draw."  Part of its appeal, he explains, is the close community support it offers.  It claims to be the answer to economic and social problems.  It emphasizes wholesome living, drug-free, alcohol-free, prayer-centered communities that hold up the father as the responsible head of the family.

"Think of the millions of Muslims around the world," Andrew goes on, "who are not terrorists but peaceable, hard-working, family-centered men and women.  Think of all the Muslims who work in inner cities among the addicted, the homeless, the abused -- people too often abandoned by the churches.  Something like a fifth of all the people on earth are Islamic, and my experience with them is that most are gentle folk, tainted by the terrorist tactics of the few."

The difficulty, Andrew stressed to us, lies in the extremist brand of Islam with the demand of its leaders for all-encompassing obedience.  In this, Islam has a lot in common with Communism.  Neither is monolithic.  There are places in the world where both are more liberal; places where they are dogmatic and totalitarian.  . . . The effect on people's lives of these theological dictatorships that lay claim to body, soul and spirit is the same as under Communism.

"There are Christians in these republics," Andrew told us.  "Not many, but they managed to survive under Communism.  As the fundamentalists gain power, they immediately attack Christians, sometimes even putting them to death.  It became clear to me that here we faced a challenge greater than anything Communism offered.  Totalitarianism is most thorough when it is coupled with religion.  I knew I had to respond to this challenge, but the question was how." . . .

"Of course," he said, "it would be easy once again to raise a whole lot of money by spreading fear and hatred.  But I'll never do that.  I am not anti-Islam, I am pro-Jesus." . . .

Right from the beginning of his ministry to Muslims, Andrew has insisted on the mandate of presence coupled with service.  Such service is rendered to fundamentalists as well as to moderates.  "Love your enemy, Jesus told us." . . .

It is no soft or sentimental concept, this principle of loving your enemy.  There was grief in Andew's voice as he described the persecution of Christians by Islamic extremists in many parts of the world.  "But when Jesus told us to love those who persecute us, He wasn't giving us a suggestion, He was giving us a command."

Andy has even adopted a little acronym, a personal meaning to the word Islam: I Sincerely Love All Muslims."

Recall Notice

I really enjoyed this forward that arrived through email.  :-)

The Maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.  This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units.

This defect has been technically termed "Subsequential Internal Non-Morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.  Some other symptoms include:

1. Loss of direction

2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this SIN defect.

The Repair Technician, Jesus, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs.  There is no additional fee required.

The number to call for repair in all areas is:  P-R-A-Y-E-R.  Once connected, please upload your burden to SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure.

Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.  No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:

1. Love

2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self-control
 
Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E (Believers' Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING:  Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human being being permanently impounded.

For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

DANGER:  The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace.  The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility.

Thank you for your attention!

GOD

Lava Devouring Coke

Aluminum Casting of Ant Colony

Shots from Newport

I thought it would be nice to have my final post about our ocean trip be shots taken around Newport, since that was where we stayed during the second leg of our trip.  My favorite thing about this town was driving across the big bridge.  We crossed it numerous times, but I never grew tired of the incredible view.  Greg decided his favorite town was Florence, though he also liked Lincoln City.  I don't know that I had a favorite!

Our hotel yielded mixed results.  It was a Holiday Inn Express with free breakfast and indoor pool.  Unfortunately, the boys barely used the pool, due to not feeling well.  We liked that the rooms had a "new" feel, but the pillows were terrible and the lighting poor.  Lighting wouldn't have mattered, but since the boys were sick, we spent extra down time in our room.  The alarm clock went off in the middle of the first night, the elevator was out of service for part of a day, and the shower didn't drain well!  I probably wouldn't stay there again, but it worked!

We ate breakfast in our room a couple of the mornings.  This was the one morning we all ate in the dining area.  I took this picture, because each time Kylen got up or sat down, he would lean on our unstable table, causing my OJ to spill.  He could NOT remember to stop doing that!  Lol!  Must have spilled at least three times.

Greg is in the red shirt.

Front of our hotel.

We kept seeing this neat strip mall out our window, across the street and decided to swing by after checking out.  There was a shop with an impressive collection of weapons.

One of those windows was ours!

Other pics from around Newport.

Each time we drove over the bridge, I was reminded that I wanted to get pictures of the boats and town below, but we kept putting it off.  It wasn't very convenient, because we had to pull over at one of the ends and walk back on the bridge next to a busy, scary, noisy road full of fast-moving traffic.  So, we made the stop on the last day as we were leaving.  Of course, there was fog obscuring the view!

I took pictures from one end of the bridge, and Greg took some from the other.  His picture below may be my favorite!  I was so flustered over the fog, it didn't even occur to me to look around and take one of the bridge itself.

That's when I realized how incredibly blessed we had been.  The weather was unusually good during the entire vacation.  A little rain or overcast skies here and there, but really fantastic weather overall.  And no fog in Newport until the last morning?  Praise God!

Lincoln City was directly in our path on the way home, so we got one more chance to say goodbye and an excuse to order a last round of coffee drinks from Logic In a Cup.  The wait was long, but WOW! were the drinks good!!!  It was a great way to conclude an awesome vacation.  :-)

Cape Perpetua