Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Been a while


Sorry about the absence. It has been a busy couple weeks with long days of work and my days off spent somewhere besides here. The picture shows that a buddy and I did some fly-fishin' on Clear Creek. The shale beds provided some unusually symmetrical scenery to mark where we turned around. Plus I made a trip to Mom's for part of a day.

But work has been the big story. The university began its fall semester and my life as college minister becomes more intensive as new students are met and helped, new programs are organized and run, and new friendships are tended. The teaching load would not have changed much except that I am doing some preaching on Sundays while pastors are out of town. The challenge is that I would twelve to fifteen hours and be farther from "caught up" because I would realize more needed done than I had thought at the beginning of the day. Plus, whatever I would concentrate on, I knew that something else important was not getting done and may not ever get done. But I draw the line when it comes to my sleep. I need at least a five or six hours to function the next day and eventually I will need more. It's sad, I'm much less willing to do all-nighters than I was just three years ago in grad school.

But the Lord is blessing our efforts. Our Tuesday night worship service is reaching all-time highs in attendance. The students who are coming are the big reason why. They are inviting friends and neighbors. Plus many, many of them are committed to wanting more from the Christian life and growing closer in their fellowship with Christ. They want Bible studies, one-on-one discipleship meetings, and involvement. This fervor is great to see and a joy to minister as it prompts me to dig deeper and work harder to match their hunger for more. Plus their willingness to give back to the ministry means that they are willing to help bear the load in work that needs done and projects needing their particular expertises. This is awesome to see.

Even my youth group at church continues to grow in amazing ways. We divided the class tonight, boys from girls, to start an ever-other-week rotation of my teaching the guys to be men of God, and Amber to teach the girls about being godly women. However, we have some growing pains as I now have ore kids wanting to ride the bus than I have seats in the van. For some deranged reason, they love riding the van with me. I hope their parents are patient with their teens getting home after 10pm.

So that's the news for now. I'll try to sneak in a post more frequently from now on. And I'll try to get some pics to post as well. God bless ya,

Brad

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12)

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Last Voyage of the War-Ox


Okay, so maybe oxen are not your typical warrior animal, unless you live in some third-world country where oxen are more plentiful than cars (Arkansas may be a third-world country, but cars are more common than both oxen and horses combined). But this old pickup has had a lot more in common with beasts of burden than those swifter, sleeker steeds. And it is about as tough as those sturdy bovines as well. But the Mighty Blue Bantha is ready to go out to pasture for good.


Reason? We needed to do some tree-trimming work around the ministry here, so the only vehicle I knew that I could drop tree limbs on while standing on the cab was this old reliable beater. So I filled the fluids on it and drove it to Fayetteville from the farm. Not a good idea. The radiator leak meant that I had only water for coolant which was not enough for the heat we have been having. By the grace of God, it didn't melt down the block. However, the transmission fluid was lower than I thought, so it stopped shifting properly along the way. Again, by the grace of God it didn't lose top gear until I was in town. And while dropping tree limbs, I managed to not break any windows on it. Plus it performed admirably in hauling brush out of town.

Rather than push my luck, I decided to coax it back to the farm Wednesday night after church. Oh yeah, and haul a big load of firewood and on top of that a couch for the youth room at church. It once again taught the lesson that one can get by with less on vehicles if you trust God and check the vitals religiously. So after 15 years of service and unknown number of miles from Canada to Louisiana, the truck deserves to be kept on the farm hauling firewood and stuff. Who knows, if I get the coolant issue fixed, it might come out of retirement again. But she needs a rest. By the way, the 15 years I've owned it, all but six months of that time she has been a wreck (I flipped it in an ice storm). And the unknown number of miles is because for a couple years I drove it without speedometer or odometer while rangering. And I got fewer tickets then than with a speedometer. Hmm.


"Let your conduct be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

I understand, I know you're jealous that you don't have an old truck like I do. I would be too. But be content with the lightweight little vehicle God has given you. My Toyota, "The Yak", is a little jealous that it doesn't yet have the stories like my Chevy has.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

I am honored to know you


We at ABS had a guest for the last ten days from Cambodia. He is actually a Filipino Christian missionary who has introduced many people to Jesus Christ and taught them about their relationship with the Lord. But what set him apart for me was not his impressive resume, but Rainier's gentle spirit and tireless desire to help people. He was zealous for GOD without being obnoxious to others because of his meekness and love. He held himself to high personal standards but was not pushy with them. Instead he inspired us to do more, better, he inspired us to be more. He has been a breath of fresh air at the right time during a sultry wearying summer.

He had stayed in my old apartment (prompting the thorough cleaning it desperately needed) so he was close to us yet had his privacy too. Now he is in Georgia before making the long journey back home to Cambodia. We are getting back to work. Thus my lunch break is over and I need to do the same.

PS. You may have noticed that I have started closing my posts with a quote or thought from God's Word. It is a reminder to me to think, and to remember that encouragement is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, who authored God's Word.

"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9)

Monday, August 14, 2006

I wish I understood

So I had a good weekend. Why? Because with some perseverence and good luck / divine intervention (to whichever you normally show gratitude), my second (now) expensive hobby finally showed some fruit for the first time this summer. My tractor runs!!!


I had spent about $500 getting some catastrophic engine failures repaired and was eager to get to Mom's and try it out. It wouldn't start (sad droopy face here). So Mom and I started tinkering around with the starter, something we are practiced at doing. We took it apart, cleaned it up a little, and put it back together none to hopefully (if you never get your hopes up then the letdown is a little easier that way). The silly thing started working! (Delusions of grandeur of being a mechanic are born during these moments of euphoria.) Quickly the tractor was running, sounding beautiful to the ears (rather than deafening as it had been before Raymond fixed the hole in the exhaust). Once I had a purring tractor, Mom and I scrambled to get the brushhog attached and I went to work, cleaning up the world (around her house), ridding it of villainous tree sprouts and sirecia lespedezea.
euphoria


However, trouble struck again. The tractor inexplicably died. We looked at the tractor, checked the oil and a few other useless gestures of mechanical bewilderment. So we tried starting it again. It ran for a while and then died again, this time with Mom driving the tractor (I wish I'd gotten a picture of that, but I was distracted wondering what was wrong with my beloved tractor). The second time it died I resigned myself to calling Raymond, the real mechanic. He said it had happened to him too, but he didn't realize the significance of it. So he offered a sugegstion of what part needed replaced and how to test to make sure. When it died the next time, I would be ready to test our hypothesis.

So I hopped on the tractor waiting for it to die. It didn't. It wouldn't. I brushhogged the rest of the afternoon getting everything around the house knocked down and somewhat of a firebreak from brushfires for the house.

Yes, more happened than just the tractor fun. I got to hang out with Mom and Brian for the day. Church was fun. But the tractor was what made this weekend unique from the blur of everything else that is always special. Hee,hee, I'm so happy that my tractor is back.

1950 Allis Chalmers
Model B
Bought used by my Granddad Graham in the 1960's.
Used on the farm since then.
We still have the owner's manual!

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." (Philippians 3:20-21)

Saturday, August 12, 2006

It's late and I'm tired


Been a crazy week with lots going on for myself and others with whom I carry burdens when their weeks are crazy. So in honor of going crazy, I'm going home to see my family. Actually I go there to regain my sanity. Whenever I lose my mind, I often find it there or in the woods sitting around a campfire.

Part of the busyness has been preparation for classes to begin at the university, the cue for our ministry to hustle to help students overwhelmed with the new world of college. Summers are not as slow as they used to be, so that adds to the blur now. But I am thankful for the young men I have the privilege of mentoring. And I am thankful for the students (high school, college, or working class) that we get to teach and encourage in their Christian walk. I'll get some action shots to help explain what I mean posted up here eventually.

But for lack of creativity right now and umphto to recount the week, I'll throw in a picture from Zion.

A cool verse that I found this morning while reading. Only God can get those stains out of me. Praise God He does.

"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." (Isaiah 1:18)

Sunday, August 06, 2006

We'd rather be bored together than bored apart.

Well, I got a laugh from my roommate. Not only did he find out that I am blogging now (which was very funny to him, not sure why) but that I quoted him (someone who doesn't talk much as is). So I decided to mention him twice while the opportunity exists (though nothing quotable this time).

Otherwise it was a good weekend considering how it was not what I planned. The teen lockin proved to be a misunderstanding between the host and I. So I wound up finishing the night with my teenagers solo at the church. Good bunch of kids that are easily entertained helps me immensily. We spent an exorbitant amount of time playing a variant on hide and seek - Sardines. One (or two) go hide and then everyone else breaks up and tries to find him or her. Once you do find this person, you join them in their hiding place. Simple enough. Turn the lights off at 1am in a church building and add almost a dozen 12-14yr olds and the fun begins. They spent a good part of the night being scared of the dark. But the boys and girls were well-behaved considering the reputation hormonal teenagers have. I am real proud of them.
{This is what happens when I let their kids do stupid stuff - I take pictures while they eat carpet.}

However, if I spend that long without sleeping more than 30 minutes, I get run down. Appparently so do they. They were still dragging today at church. Made me feel not so old. Saturday afternoon I was so tired that I actually "microsleeped" while the visiting missionary from Cambodia was telling me an exciting story. I'm going to bed soon.

Then I took some pictures of my friends from church tonight with help of my able assistant, Patrick. I'll throw one of those on here too. One of my favorite things about my church (besides my cool youth group who don't even read this blog anyways) is how we seem to enjoy spending time together. Church ended this evening and we spent another 30 minutes or more talking to each other, hanging out. Even more remarkable since we had an official fellowship the night before (that I missed in order to wash clothes and sleep). Good bunch of folks.


Anyways more news later when I don't need to go to bed. BTW, the title is a quote from my teenagers to convince me to let them stay at the church longer Saturday morning before taking them home. Next time I will try not to let them be so bored/boring.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

That is egregious

That is the words of my roommate when he looked around the corner into my bedroom to see the colossal pile of "stuff" at and around my closet. It was a bit much. But I am finally moved out of my old apartment (the "loft") and committed to the "penthouse" (aka top floor of the bi-level duplex (every place in the ABS compound has a nickname including the "compound" itself)) and living with roommates again. It is a relief to have that out of my schedule now, though sorting the mess out will remain in my list of things to do for the rest of the year if not the rest of my life!



Then the reason was worthwhile even beyond being nearly mandatory. We have a missionary-pastor arriving here from Cambodia in the morning Friday and he is staying in my old place (now being styled as a "prophet's chamber" of sorts from 2 Kings 4:8-11). Another friend of mine helped me do the last of the cleaning, vacuuming, and stocking while a friend from the "Oasis" (downstairs from the "loft") made up the bed for Bro. Rainier. It looks a lot better and cleaner than it ever did when I was living there. Jesus said something about, what we did for His servants, we did for Him. So we tried to do a pretty decent job. Maybe not nice enough for a king, but we've tried to use the best we have available.



Other exciting news, my youth group at church was abruptly larger last night. I teach the teenagers on Wednesday nights (We are memorizing the Ten Commandments (not as easy as you might think)). And our group of friends have again brought more of their friends to our merry meeting, including more girls (we had been blessed with a lot of guys but only now are we getting more gender balanced (it would be more so if I had some adult female help alongside me but alas not yet)). A good bunch of kids that I wouldn't trade for anyone else's kids (made official when I turned down an offer to teach someone else's teens). They want to be taught from the Bible, to learn some good stuff, and to have some simple entertainment afterward.

Good times. God bless ya,

Brad