Think..

I came across this great verse today. It gets one to thinking. As we should always turn our thoughts to Jesus. As we do this our hearts will turn to the same. We will think more like we should and love more like Jesus.

1 Peter 5:8-9

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Estonia Revisited

Well, I thought that I might post my writeup for my church about Estonia. IT was not easy to write for some reason but I finally finished it. Which is good because I always get great encouragement from my church family. Even as I wrote it I was thinking about Netherlands and wanted to talk about that there. Of course I had some help in that line of thought when Bro. Frans preached in Estonia. It was great to be able to fellowship with him and his wife in wonderful Estonia.

Thankfully, I was able to return to Estonia this summer. Again we were teaching English in the village of Kehra. This summer was a busy time for the church we were serving at. A construction team had been there and children from Norway had camp there as well as other events. It was a joy to see the church facility being upgraded and used in the work of Christ. Unfortunately, there is only the one church in Kehra. I saw many people there that need to know Jesus.
The town is small but vibrant. Because it is cold in the winter, the summer is the only time for people to get outside to do things. So it was great to be able to interact with many people. We could have used more workers in order to reach more people. We had a small but great team. The other members were from the Chicago area and varied backgrounds. Through Christ we were able to work together to share His love with those we came in contact with. I again enjoyed chapel time where we sang English songs with the students; young and old always enjoy. We also related the daily Bible story to them in a modern way for them to see who Jesus is and the sacrifice that He offered. Class time was a joy as we taught English but more importantly shared openly about Jesus Christ from the Bible. I enjoyed seeing previous students attend classes in the next level. The continued friendships were great though short in time.
Also I was happy to see familiar folks from past summers. It was good to catch up, see how the kids have grown, fellowship, and share. Also we enjoyed the hospitality of the Estonians. They were very appreciative to have us there working alongside them. We were able to share the Gospel with many people this summer. Please pray for the seeds that were planted and the continued blessings for the church in Kehra. Also, pray for next summer. We are planning to send a construction team for a church plant and 2 English teams. Please pray for the people and support to share Christ’s love with the Estonians.

Think on This

Quotes from Anne Frank

God has not forsaken me and He never will.

I don't want to have lived in vain like most people.

I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I've never met.

I'll bet he was out courting his sweetheart.

Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank

Day of Peace

Today is such a beautiful day. It is just gorgeous outside. Yes a bit cold and quite windy. But the sky is so clear; not a cloud in sight. The sky is vibrantly full of colors. One can see far off into the distance at gorgeous vistas. Yes, this is the day that the Lord has made.

We all seek peace, right? We seek it in our daily lives and for our family and friends. Also, we desire it for our whole lives. We want it in our habitat and in the country that we live in. In fact, we would like to see it in the whole world around us. Many people work towards this in different ways. Many organizations that cross borders and cultures are set up for this purpose. Yet where is it? It is even rarely found in your home much less in any country. What would you do for peace? Would you welcome it in the world. If right now it was offered over a portion of the world, would you welcome it with open arms? Would you? How many things of great importance do you grasp without thought and examination? Did you not seek out a good car and the right home; things that you can resell or trade? What about peace, something that you cannot pawn off if you find that it is not right?

In all matters, we should definitely think. Peace, Shalom and the like.

This is Pretty Cool

Check this out, this bike beats all...




Ha ha, pun intended.

Get a closer look here.

Art

Yesterday was a nice sunny day that was not cold like a few have been lately. I decided to go on down to the art show. There were a bunch of bronze sculptures and some paintings and a few of the like. The sculptures were very nice, especially one titled Apostle. It was a very nice piece of bronze depicting a Native American. It was interesting, he had tribal and Christian symbols. There were also some very nice student paintings. But that is to be expected since only the finalists were displayed. The Keller Town Hall had some nice sculptures as part of their regular regalia. One is greeted out front by a lifesize man on a horse and his two hounds. There is also some sculptures out back by the paths around the pond. Even there is a Picaso-like work there as well.

Weather

I love that weather in Texas. It was hot and cold in the same day. No exaggeration! It cooled over 20 degrees in one afternoon. It's cool, really.

Also time to replace the windshield wipers. Not because they are worn out from use. On the contrary; worn out from not being used. The sun baked them on the windshield for too long. They were rendered ineffective.

Sea of Trankillity

     rows of houses
     they all look the same
     one giant sea of rooftops
     the eaves match the overhangs


     the rows so skillfully crafted
     nature could not have placed them as such
     who could have cared as much
     they will all disintegrate the same


     the gray skies encroach
     the light shies away
     the soaked clouds approach
     the droplets form on the concrete


     across the yard the wind blows
     violently the ranks are treated
     strewn about are the trinkets
     that decorate the dwellings so


     once again
     when the sun crests
     will they be the same
     unchanged by the rain

Minnesota

Until today, I had not been to Minnesota. I flew up to Minneapolis today; and then back home this evening. The place is good country. The weather was much like here, rainy and overcast but about 10 or 12 degrees cooler. The cab driver taught me a lesson about greed and dishonesty when he purposely took me to the wrong place. It seems that they do this a lot. Someone should do something about it. When I was a kid hard work got you money, not dishonesty.

I had a job interview with a company. It was nice to don a suit and talk shop with the boys. I cannot tell if they were impressed or depressed. I thought finding a job was hard, then I got called for this interview. Well, finding a job is even harder than I thought. Though this is an entry level position, they want someone who can do the job like they have done it for a few years. Anyway, the lady working HR had that Minnesota accent so it was worth it.

The airport in the Twin Cities is nice. Good to hang out in and grab a bite to eat. Also the local coffee company is giving the major coffee place a run for its money. The Stars and the Wild are both 5-0. But we know who will win this year.

Go Stars!!

Connection

Here I am again. At the rest stop with nothing better to do. Must blog about all the crazy drivers on the road or something. Not much actually happening. We did get a bit of rain in the Dallas area. I am halfway home so it looks like we may have gotten some there which is more rare than rain in Dallas. I have my camera with me. So I will snap a pic and place it here as well.

It seems odd that it is getting dark around 7 or 8. Usually the impending Autumn does not seem so effervescent. Maybe I just spent too much time (or still long to be in) in places where there is loads of sun into the evening. Here in Texas, we get a double dose during the day.

Hockey

I went to see the Dallas Stars play tonight. It is my first time to see a professional Hockey match. I am taking care of those things that I have not yet done. It was great. The AA Center is a pretty good place. Folks complain that the cheap seats offer a poor view. I thought they were good though. Stars tickets are rather expensive though. The game was great and of course we won. The Stars were playing well. Go Stars!!

Thought for the day

I just read Psalm 63:1
It is a great Psalm and thought.
But it got me to thinking and I wonder if we are really living like that?

And...

Not much has been happening lately. Adventures are far removed from the menu. Too bad. I wait for things productive. So I decided I would go out a shoot some photographs; something I would be doing if I was elsewhere. Of course a bicycle would have been involved instead of a SUV. By the time I left, it was dark so I got to take the night shots I wanted. However, I did not have a good enough camera or view point. It was good to do something anyway.


I was bored and took some photos. My camera has issues so I was not able to show many. A couple are not so good but otherwise enjoy. My links are on the right and the new photos can be found here: