Child Labor Story: Alone

This is a well-done portrait of the awful child labor saga happening in Africa.

Listen to the commentary on the pictures. You might need a free membership to view them, but it's worth it.

It's a story about a 9 year old boy named Alone who lives with his grandma and crushes stones to make sure he and his grandma can live. It takes him about 3 weeks to make $3.00 from crushing stones into powder.

He has one toy: an aluminum cover of an auto air filter.

Only the Royals...

How could this happen?

another friend giving some brilliance...

so check out my friend's blog.

i like him.

I tried to convert an axe murderer last night...

So it started with a group of us going to a horror movie. Oddly enough, the movie was playing in a trailer. One of those trailers that litter the grounds of overpacked high schools. While we were watching the movie we felt the trailer start to rise from the ground. We looked out the window and we were looking through teeth into the throat of a ginormous T-rex.

It was at this moment that I realized I needed to get these people out of the trailer and to safety. So I proceeded to tell everybody to "Get OOOUUUT!!!" And we all stumble and fall out of the trailer, which the T-rex finishes off with loud crunches.

As we run, we see men coming at us with all sorts of yard maintenance tools. We thought they were coming for us, but then they went past us to the T-rex. Thank God for men with lawn maintenance experience.

But before we got away we realized that some of the men had begun to chase us. I quickly told all the people to run and went another direction, pulling apart the group of lawn maintenance murderers.

After outrunning most of the men, I turned and saw that there was still one fast on my heels. And he was weilding an axe. Angrily. Angrily holding and waving the axe. At me.

Then I remembered something my wife had told me. "Whenever you are being attacked by an uknown person, ask them their name. That way you will throw them off and make it personal."

So I did that. As I ran.

"What's your name?"

Footsteps. No words.

"What's your name?" I ask again.

"Luke," I hear through the heavy breathing.

"Oh Luke. I love that name. Have you ever heard of Luke Skywalker or the Luke guy in the Bible?"

I hear the axe swinging at me and turn and dodge it. He's too close to turn and run again.

I look him in the eye as he swings the axe again. I grab the axe. Looking into his eyes I say, "Both of those men, the other Luke's, had experiences where they had to choose good over bad. Both of those men chose to become better men. What are you choosing, Luke? You can be so much more than this."

I wrestle a little more and yank the axe from him.

I wake up. I wish I had finished my dream...but I didn't.

Off to camp this week

I'm off at camp this week, so I'll leave you a picture of my dearest roadside companion, who I see every day on my way to work. Enjoy.

Pick me!

So, we took the youth group to the river the past two days. Tuesday we took the high school hooligans and yesterday we took the junior high jacks. Whew, what fun it is to be on the river, tubing and swimming in the hottest days of the summer. most of the kids came back looking like tomatoes...

but there was a cool story in the middle of all this.

it started on Monday. I was sitting at the table after dinner with Aubrey when I got a call from one of the parents of a middle school boy. From the conversation I learned that his son was scared to come to youth group activities because of another boy who had "bullied" him. it had gotten so bad that his son didn't even want to come to the River Day. I did the usual "well, I'm sorry about this. I'll have a conversation with him" type thing and that was that.

Then yesterday, the boy came in and saw the "bully" and immediately clung to his mother and said, "I knew he would be here. I can't do this." His mom told him to hang in there and to give it a chance. End of story as far as I know.

Later that day while we were all swimming, he comes up to me. He says, "remember what my dad said to you on the phone the other day?"

I said, "Yeah. Is everything okay?"

He said, "yeah, it's over now. I'm OK."

I got curious at this point. "Why's it over?"

"because he picked me to be in his group."

And that was that. All that had to happen was for that kid to feel like he belonged. I know the other kid, the supposed bully, only picked him to be in his group because he needed 6 other people in his group in order to go swimming first. I know that the scared kid was the last to be picked. but he was picked!

Oh the power of including others...

Vacation Foto Time 2

And now more photos...

Me and my sis, Susan, before she heads off to work...she's cool.

Aub's family came and visited on friday...quite the fun time. That's Mark and Diana right there.

This is a scary photo of my parents, but fun anyway. Not sure what are in my mother's hands. Oh yeah, those are crispy crappy hotdogs. And in her other hand is the pasta salad we ate all week. Thank God for leftovers.

This is me during our levitation ceremony. I got pretty high before my mom broke her concentration and dropped me 10 feet onto the deck.

Actually, this is me jumping into the great river. Boy, what a riot. I actually did this jump like 5 times before we got the actual air shot. Not that I am complaining... And this is Mark on the kayak that we bent in half trying to empty it of the water we had logged in it.

Vacation Foto Time

So here are the first few selected pics from vacation...

here's dad walking down our dock. notice the lilly pads...at high tide they're almost covered, and at low tide, they stand about 4-5 feet above the water.

Aubrey and I chillaxing on the tube...trying not to get taken away by the current.

my huge catch.

my catch beside my dad's catch.

all of us, besides sue (somebody had to take the picture), hanging...and the sunset...

what a beautiful day.

vacation is awesome.

Book Review and Recommendation

So I've journeyed into reading a book written by a friend of my father, and now a friend of mine, Jeff Edmondson.

The Premise:

We are all called by God to something that takes guts. Through prayer, scripture reading, asking friends, and obedience, we will find our place in God's great story, carrying out his dream for the world.

The Highs:

I loved his stories. Jeff does an excellent job at getting to the point through bringing the Bible to life. It felt a little like Ray Vander Lann's 'Echo's of His Presence' at times.

Having questions at the end of each chapter, allows the reader to really engage with the concepts that Edmondson is putting out there. And most of the time, the questions weren't cheesy (always a fear)! They took the reader farther.

I felt that Edmondson offered quite a bit of hope for all of us, in following the way of Jesus.

In dealing with the question of evil, Jeff doesn't try to give exact reasons for the source, just that it happens. he doesn't try to pass it off on others or put all the blame on me and you, but says the real test is what we do with what we're given.

The Lows:

I think the main point of it all, found in chapter 12, was delivered too late. The main point is this: "Everything must be filtered through love of God and our neighbor." I wish that this had come up before the closing of the book.

Best Quote:

"God is looking for those with the guts to allow him to move in during tragic times, to bring healing to pain and suffering, to bring love to the unloved, to bring justice to the maligned. He is searching for those who, during their times of weakness, will turn to Him, allowing Him to show His incredible compassion for their situation. God is looking for those who will choose to allow Him to prove how powerful He actually is. He's desperately seeking those who will free Him to display His perfected power during their times of weakness."

Who I'd give it to:

Graduating High School Seniors

Peeps in their 20's who are trying to figure out where to go in life

Anybody who likes Jeff Edmondson

Small Group Leaders

Mission Week Last Week, Vacation This Week

So last week, had a dandy time with our youth in york and this week am hoping for a relaxing time with the family in VA.

July 4th Celebrations

Here are a few pics from our time with my dad and his brother's family on Tuesday. Ah the joy of having meals (check Jordan's blog on this one) and making funny faces for the digital camera.

We're thankful for our family and the time we get to spend together.

Facelift for the Lady

Well, I think the French will be mad about this one.

But if all mega churches spent their money in this way, I guarantee the world would be a better place.

Beat that eBay!

So I spent two smacks and a quarter for 9 books at a yard sale the other day. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

I got my fast pleasure reading: ludlum and seinfeld.

And I got my grueling pleasure reading: Hugo, Potok and Steinbeck.

another friend in the blogosphere

so i have a friend named Jordan.

one of those types that if you don't talk to him for 3 months it's exactly the same when you do talk to him. he's a good man.

he's joined the blogosphere and is journeying out to Mars Hill grad school in the NorthWest.

So check out his thoughts here.

It must not go out!

Leviticus 6. Priests instructed to not let the fire on the altar go out. The command is repeated within two verses.

For some reason, this verse has been banging around in my head ever since I read it 4 weeks ago.

Irreverence

"Irreverence is a most necessary ingredient of religion...Not to speak of its importance in philosophy. Irreverence is the only way left to us for testing our universe."

Spoken by Leto
Children of Dune
pg. 269

With my friends

So we (Aubrey and myself) went to DC to hang with longtime friends, Doug and Jon and their ladyfriends, Elizabeth and Jess. Jon's married to Jess, and Doug's getting married to Elizabeth. It's always great to connect, and we found a sweet middle location, 2 hours from both of us.

It's good to be with people who you don't have to perform for.

Thanks Dude

So the other day I was working and getting everything together for this huge event called Creation. And I had to get all these tents and things together, but you know what? I couldn't do it alone, at least not if I wanted to eat supper with my wife by 6. So, my good friend Dan helped me out.

Thanks Dan!

Christianity Rediscovered Chapter 10

We come to the final chapter.

Can't wait to hear your thoughts again!

It's been a quality journey with you my friends.

My Last Two Weeks in pictures

Went to Aubrey's sister's graduation Party. Before which, Dad in Law had to tie Jeff's (Diana's boyfriend) tie,

During which bro-in law, Mark and I had a fun time with chocolate strawberries.
And then our summer intern, Melissa arrived.
And we had our annual tailgate party (welcoming the new 6th graders)
with plenty of good food

and what party would be complete without hot dog launching?

In addition to the funness, Aubrey and I had a scare with the baby, but thank God everything is OK. I felt a little like Abraham, wondering what God was going to do next, with the only available option being to trust Him with my child's life.