Cadet Davenport

Tyler has been getting everything ready for Air Force field training. This is first time we've seen him in uniform...not bad! Look at the shine on those shoes. :)

Relocation

Today marked my first full day working at the Good Samaritan Rescue Mission in Bay City...long time coming. Over six months ago, my position changed from being volunteer director/development for the Saginaw Rescue Mission to human resources/development for Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan (the name for all three of our facilities). At that time I was told I would be moving to Bay City where office space is available. As it turns out, my office is what used to be a storage room, but hey, it has a big window overlooking a courtyard and has its own thermostat, so I'm happy. The room is freshly painted, and I hung some of Ashlea's flower macros for decor (shameless plug). I also took a basket of live plants to dress up the metal file cabinet. It's coming together very nicely. But what I really like about the move is that I now have a ten minute drive to work instead of thirty. Time is a precious commodity, and I was thinking last night about how I could use the extra forty minutes each day. My intentions were noble...reading, exercising, cooking, maybe even house cleaning...but the reality today was...zzzzzz. ;)

On another note, for those of you that like the political videos that I've posted, you should check out the creator's web site: http://politicalmath.wordpress.com. He details the process and sources behind the videos. Who says math isn't fun?!

Cherry Festival Air Show

Yesterday was almost picture perfect for the Cherry Festival Air Show in Traverse City. Although the Blue Angels weren't there this year, it was still a quality show, and it was worth the drive just to see Ty's face light up when the A-10s were doing their maneuvers (that is the plane he hopes to fly someday - the picture with two planes). Also pictured are Trojan Horsemen and a F/A 18 Superhornet.

And yet another great video...

Celebrating our Independence with a T.E.A. Party

We attended our second T.E.A. Party tonight at the Midland County Courthouse. The crowd might have been a little smaller, but we were very pleased to see the progressing organization of "We the People of Mid-Michigan" in the form of monthly meetings, action bulletins, a website in the works, etc. We're not a radical group..."We exist to unite, inform, strengthen, and call the people of Mid-Michigan to actions in our common, national cause to support individuals, organizations, candidates, and elected officials whose actions prove that they will protect and defend the principles that are the basis of self-government in our Democratic-Republic."

Ad Nauseum? I Love It!

The Power of the Word

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

This morning, I listened to a Q & A session from a Ligonier conference, and a question was asked about the public reading of God's Word. The panel of speakers - consisting of R. C. Sproul, John MacArthur, Sinclair Ferguson, and Robert Godfrey - all agreed that it is extremely rare in modern evangelicalism for passages of the Bible to be read as part of worship services. Some pastors might quote Scripture, sure, but they don't see it as a priority. That has often been our experience. When we were visiting churches a few years ago, we asked one pastor why his church never had Bible readings, and he was quite surprised by our question. The only answer he could offer was that it had never been part of their service. (In our estimation, they were more interested in the musical component of the service.) Apparently, many Christians do not believe in the power of God's Word to transform lives, nor in the importance of its centrality to worship.

John MacArthur shared this illustration from his church. Some years ago, a leader of the Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade named Robert was dying of AIDS. He was scared and asked one of his friends if he knew of any church that could help him. The friend suggested Grace Community Church, so Robert attended a Sunday morning worship service and sat at the back of the church. After the service was over, Robert approached John, saying that he had heard in the Psalm that John read that God's grace would deliver him, and he wanted to be delivered from his sins. As they talked, Robert said that there was only one thing about the service that irritated him...the long speech that followed the Psalm. He was convicted by the Word and couldn't wait for the sermon to end, so he could talk to John about his spiritual condition. He received Jesus as his Lord, was baptized, and had a powerful testimony for the few remaining weeks of his life. The Bible is clear...it is living and powerful, and holds the power unto our salvation and sanctification.

NOTICE

You are invited to attend the T.E.A. (Taxed Enough Already) Party on Friday, July 3rd, 6:00 p.m. at the Midland County Courthouse. Bring your signs and enthusiasm!

"We the People of Mid-Michigan believe in the fundamental truths upon which our system of self-government was founded and these must be restored as defined in the Constitution of the United States."

Analogy

Over dinner this evening, I brought up what Joel calls my "bucket list" of activities I want to do, or that Joel and I could do together. When I mentioned that maybe we should take up competitive walking, Tyler burst into hysterical laughter and kept it up for a couple minutes. When he finally gained his composure, he said, "That would be like racing NASCAR with an Amigo!" Sometimes he's such a brat...but he's probably right. ;)

Getting to Know Calvin

Since this is the 500th anniversary of John Calvin's birthday, I decided at the beginning of the year that I would follow a reading schedule and complete his Institutes by the end of the year. I am embarrassed...well maybe not so much anymore...to admit that I reneged on that goal about six weeks into the schedule. It wasn't that the book was boring...I really enjoyed the parts I could understand. ;) Oftentimes, I would read a section, then I'd have to reread it, then I'd wonder why he couldn't have said the same thing in about one hundred words. I guess I was wanting a Cliffs Notes version.

All is not lost...Joel and I will be attending the "Calvin for the 21st Century" conference in Grand Rapids in August. I'm hopeful the very gifted slate of speakers will be able to communicate Calvin in 21st century language. In the meantime, I'm reading John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, & Doxology, a collection of nineteen essays by a group of leading Reformed pastors and theologians. Their goal was to faithfully depict the life and teachings of this giant among theologians. They dispel the erroneous caricatures of Calvin and show him to be a humble man with a passionate heart for God. I'd like to share the following quote that challenged me as I read the book today...

"I call 'piety' that reverence joined with love of God which the knowledge of his benefits induces. For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by his fatherly care, that he is the Author of their every good, that they should seek nothing beyond him - they will never yield him willing service. Nay, unless they establish their complete happiness in him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to him." John Calvin

Hot Issues

"[T]hat you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." Philippians 2:15

I participated in a webinar yesterday with the Engstrom Institute on the topic of "Practical Strategies for Godly Development of People." EI encourages churches and Christian non-profits to have policies in place in order to be good stewards of God's people. I was somewhat surprised at their list of "hot issues" of human resources that should be addressed even by Christian organizations. Realities such as the pervasiveness of pornography, sexual harassment, violence, and concealed weapons in the workplace now prompt Christian employers to develop aggressive strategies to both protect their employees and hold them accountable for violations. This is a sad commentary on Christians. What happened to our call to be "blameless and harmless...in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation?" Have we become so worldly that we don't even desire to be salt and light? Are we committed to renew our minds with God's Word on a daily basis, so that we will walk in a manner worthy of our calling?

WORK?

The Rescue Mission's Day of Love golf outing is always a great time. Marcia and I enjoyed the beautiful day by driving the snack cart around the course...not a bad job, at all!

Orphan Train

In our current age of extensive child advocacy, it might be difficult to envision a time in our country when thousands of children existed as, to borrow the term from the Academy Award winning movie, "slumdogs." But that is precisely what happened in the East in the mid-1800s, particularly in New York City. It was estimated that around 1850, thirty thousand homeless or abused children roamed the streets of New York City, often as gangs, relegated to a deplorable life and subject to crime and disease. Authorities didn't have a suitable solution, until a minister named Charles Brace proposed and implemented the orphan train experiment. Between 1854 and 1929, up to two hundred thousand of those children rode the trains to the rural farming communities in hope that they would experience normal family life. When the train stopped in the communities, the children were put on display for consideration by local families. Some were formally adopted, while some lived as indentured servants; some experienced loving families, while others experienced further abuse.

This post is not completely random. My earlier post on the brick mural in my home town sparked some discussion about the orphan trains. In one of the pictures, three children are representative of that part of Concordia's history. Last year, Concordia opened the Orphan Train Museum and Research Center at the restored Union Pacific Railroad Depot. Interestingly, it was discovered that two orphan train children eventually became governors of North Dakota and Alaska.

"Health Care is Not That Complicated!"

American Thinker posted an article that reminds us of the original intent of health/medical insurance. Using the analogy of auto insurance, the author explains the impracticalities and inefficiencies of what has become expected "health care." The article by C. Edmund Wright is a worthwhile read for everyone!

Happy 50 1/2?

On Saturday night, my sister hosted a Mexican buffet as a 50th birthday party for her husband Dale. And since I reached that milestone six months ago, my family thought I needed to be "honored" as well. They prepared a slide show of pictures from years past (Tyler can't stop talking about my bad perm years) and ordered my own cake featuring my kindergarten picture. (Notice the current similarity?) I humored them by wearing the sombrero, but I let Dale have all the fun with the pinata. After all, the "blindfold" looked better on him. : )

Family Photo Shoot

Ashlea flew to Kansas on Thursday, and we were all together with Joel's parents for one night...the first time in three years.

The Wall Project

While we were in Concordia visiting Joel's parents, we were able to see new brick mural depicting various historical sites and industries of Cloud County. The wall was several years in the making from start to finish...the artwork, the carving of the bricks, the numbering and firing of the bricks, the brick laying. Each brick (made locally) weighs 22 lbs. and the wall is 140 ft. in length (7 sections of 20 ft each), so this project was quite a feat. They intend to finish off the area with a brick patio and landscaping, providing an interesting focal point as you drive through town. (Click on pictures to enlarge.) For more info, visit the blog.

Way to go, TOTUS!

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The Davenport Family Gathering

I'm sitting in my car in a motel parking lot just so I can update my blog and Facebook with photos. Sure would be nice if the whole world were wireless. Anyway, we had a great time with most of Joel's family yesterday, some we hadn't seen for five years! And this was our first time to meet little Ella, Emma, and Jackson. We also celebrated Gary's 55th birthday...I'd say he really qualifies as a senior now. :) By the way, Joel was charged the senior drink price at McDonalds yesterday. I keep telling him it's time for the Grecian Formula. :P