Some more assembly required

We got to bed about 3 this morning and got up about 9:30. I went over to see my mother this afternoon while my daughter and son-in-law did some work at my mother-in-law's. Me and mother went out to eat with my 2 brothers and their wives. It was a fun time of visiting. We went back to mother's afterward and visited till about 7:30.

Tribman has been well received not only Online but also in our church bulletin. I plan to continue publishing it there for those who do not have computers or Internet access. I am writing Tribman in a word processor and plan to print it out as if it were a diary or journal.

I got my older brother to start blogging and he is doing a fine job of it. I asked my younger brother to start a blog. He is the clown of the family and I would enjoy his humorous point of view on life. My older brother's blog is http://barclyde.blogspot.com/ and I will put this link in the column to the right.

We are about to assemble a cabinet for my mother-in-law. Janie said she would drag it back here to the den and we could visit with my father-in-law while putting it together. She went in there, hurting shoulder and all, and when she saw the weight written on the box she changed her mind. I stopped blogging long enough to go drag it back here for her (see the picture she took of me in the hallway). As you can see from this second picture she is about to get it unboxed so I had better get busy. God bless you.

Waco X 2

Went to Waco twice today. Left town about 5:30 this morning for a surgery and got back to Hillsboro about 8:30. After the ladies Bible study we went to the post office and to Wal-mart. Janie has a problem with her shoulder. It hurts when she tries to move it. We are trying some home remedies to see if that will help it get better. We plan to let her RN sister take a look at it on Thursday. May have to see a doctor, we'll see. We went back to Waco tonight for services there and in the morning we plan to drive up to Dallas to see Clint. I will report on his progress when we get back. The picture is of me and my son-in-law trying to figure out a solution to a problem under my mother-in-law's new dishwasher. He came up with the solution and it all worked out just fine. Better head for bed. God bless you.

Monday Morning

Just too busy to blog this weekend. We had good services on Sunday and on Saturday. The district ladies auxiliary met at our church Saturday and the briskets came out just right. The rest of the food was good and the fellowship was great. We had several visitors in our services Sunday. A young lady that has been going to our church for the past several years came forward wanting to be baptized and to join our church. The families that visited seem very interested in join us as well. I have prayed that the Lord would send us help and it looks as though He is.

I am very excited about the future. The way things are going in the world and especially with our country the outlook is bright indeed. My plans are to continue the sermons in Revelation right through September. In August it is back to school for me and serious work on my doctoral thesis. I want to finish it in two years if I can but that is going to mean a lot of time spent in research and study. I am worried a bit about my pastoral duties. Pastoring a church is a full time job. I do not want to neglect the needs of the congregation while I am sitting in a library researching. It will be a very delicate balancing act to schedule my time for maximum effect. My thesis will be a benefit to many not only in my congregation but also to many more outside of it.

Janie has gone to Curves and I need to take a walk. I better get going. Tuesday we have Bible study in the morning and worship services in Hewitt in the evening. Wednesday I plan to visit with Clint and his mother at the hospital in Dallas and will report on his status then. We are headed for Henderson Thursday and Friday to check on my mother and Janie's parents. We want to go to Canton trades day on Saturday morning and then back to Hillsboro. The picture is of our grandson holding a microphone giving his testimony at church camp. We are so proud of him. Janie is suffering with a pain in her right shoulder. I think it may be due to handling and holding grand kids while at camp. BenGay seems to have helped. God bless you.

Home from Camp

We are home from camp. 3 of the kids we took to camp were saved. There were a total of 26 campers saved. Saved means that they admitted and confessed their sins to Jesus Christ, the One who died for them on the cross of Calvary and was buried and rose again the third day, and they sought and received forgiveness of their sins by asking Him to have mercy on their souls and to save them. They have believed in Him as the Savior and have trusted in His promise of Romans 10:13 "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved." The next step for them will be baptism and then a journey which will take them each day to a closer walk with Jesus.

Clint had surgery on his hand Tuesday and this is the message I got from his mother "Surgery pinned ring finger and we are going to call in a hand specialist for the thumb please pray." I have not heard as yet if the specialist has taken a look at his thumb but have prayed that it will be well.

The first thing we did after getting home was to bring all the stuff in and then head for the grocery store. I picked up 2 briskets and brought them home and started them slow cooking. Next we took a nap and then after supper went to pick up some things Janie needed for the Ladies Auxiliary skit. I have the sermon ready to go for tomorrow so after this blog and the Tribman blog I will head for bed. I will insert some pictures taken at camp. The first is of a water slide that the kids just loved. The second is of our daughter and son-in-law and his sister singing a special during one of the services. The third is of our other son-in-law and their two oldest children doing a special in one of the services. God bless you.

We are having a good time at camp. This is the last full day here and the kids have behaved very well. Two of the kids we brought were saved last night. The kids are playing on a giant water slide and having a blast. I am about to go swiming with the boys. I may play softball against the boys if not enough sponsors show up. Janie and I have seen very little of each other. Between the kids we brought to camp and the grand kids we have had few words with each other. It is cloudy and cooler today and that is nice. We should be back home by noon tomorrow. God bless you.

Camp is going well. I am bloging from my cell phone while waiting in the chow line. A big rain storm came through this morning and cooled things off. Kids have been very well behaved. I am looking forward to preaching tomorrow night. God bless you.

As of the time I am writing this we are getting ready to head for camp. Camp is a wonderful time. I think that everyone ought to try church camp at least once in their life. The day starts at 6:30 when we get up and get dressed to head to the tabernacle. At 7:00 we have a wake up song and a morning devotional. Its off to breakfast and then classes at 9:00. After class we take a break and then head to morning worship service at 10:45 which lasts until noon when we all go stand in line for lunch. We get a good visit in with those waiting in line and make some new friends. The afternoon is filled with recreation activities of all kinds such as softball, volley ball, tether ball, miniature golf, swimming, basket ball, or take a nap if you wish. Supper is at 5:00 and the evening worship service at 7:00. When services are over around 8:45 we head to the recreation area and play or visit with friends. We are all back in our dorms by 10:00 and for a cabin devotion and then its lights out. No radios, TV's, video games, no worldly distractions. Surrounded by Christians and Christian activities it is a wonderful time of spiritual revival. If this year is like most we will see some 20 children saved at camp. I reported last Sunday night some amazing statistics about earthquakes from the USGS (see the link in my last post).

Total Earthquakes mag. 6.0 – 9.9 1980-1989 was 1,085 1990-1999 was 1,492, 2000-2009 was 1,516.

Total Earthquakes mag. 8.0-9.9 1980-1989 was 4; 1990-1999 was 6; 2000-2009 was 12

Estimated deaths from earthquakes 1980-1989 was 58,880; 1990-1999 was 114,646; 200-2009 was 463,955.

Scientists, politicians, and the news media seem completely unconcerned about the steady increase in earthquakes. This trend has been upward ever since Israel became a nation again in 1948.

I will most likely not blog while at camp next week. I will catch up when I get back on Friday. I want to give the six boys I am sponsoring my undivided attention. The picture is of our grand daughter, Ruth, on her bunk bed at church camp. God bless you.

LINK

http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/graphs.html check out this link on earthquakes. Add up the numbers and you will see that the Bible is right when it said earthquakes would increase. God bless you.

Clint Fund Raiser

I have been here at the church since 7:00 this morning and the fund raiser seems to be going well. They have washed a lot of cars and I am not sure about the bake and garage sales. They have a concession stand also and I can say that the hamburgers were good. I took these pictures this morning of some of the ladies who are working the sale. There is no A/C in the gym but it was not as hot today as it has been. I have been working on the Sunday School lesson and 1 Peter 4:6 gave me a hard time but I think I have gotten to the root of the problem and have the right meaning of the text. I reviewed over the sermon for Sunday and have it ready to go. We will be back in Revelation 14 again. The lessons I plan to teach the adult class at camp are ready to go. I have chosen to review the end time events with them. I am going to post today's Tribman blog and then get the sermon ready that I will preach at camp. The letters have come which will put our church name on the church bus. I am sure you will be seeing pictures of that project when we get to it. God bless you.