I hardly know where to begin to share the many stories that took place on our mission trip last week. We were in small groups that worked at different sites through most of the week. Many of the stories are stories that belong to the other members of the team and I can only share them as I remember having heard them. I guess I should just start with my own stories and experiences.As an unskilled laborer in the areas that involve construction and remodeling, I knew that I was going to be more of a gopher-boy than anything else. My jobs mostly involved...
Sunday, 30 June 2013
Friday, 28 June 2013
On Mission: Day...whatever
Posted on 04:21 by Unknown
I know that I've missed posting for a couple of days. It's not because of having nothing to report. It's more about limited access with my phone and limited time to write.There have been some great moments this week that I'll share when I'm able to sit at a full keyboard. I'm really looking forward to sharing stories of the people we've met and the blessings we've received.I'd better get some breakfast before it's gone.Have a great weekend!John <>&...
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
On Mission: Day 3
Posted on 14:13 by Unknown
I'm back to our base a little early today.Today I went with the team that is working at the middle school.In both cases (yesterday and today), I find myself way out of my own comfort and calling. While I expected to be doing exactly what we are doing, the evangelist in me wants to put down the tools and the sporting equipment and start telling people about God's great love for them and how He has demonstrated his love in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.I'm looking forward to hearing what the other teams have accomplished today....
Monday, 24 June 2013
On Mission; Day 2
Posted on 19:32 by Unknown
Though today was our second day in Cumberland, it was our first day on the job. An old carport with a rotting roof was taken down and rebuilt. A huge project that involved the demolition and rebuilding of a porch is underway. A bathroom project is almost completed and a kitchen pantry is being rebuilt. These projects took place in neighboring Lynch.In addition to our building work, we have a group working at the Cumberland Middle School during their summer school.It was a busy day and plenty of work was done. Tomorrow will be another work filled...
Sunday, 23 June 2013
On Mission
Posted on 20:05 by Unknown
Today we arrived at our destination, set up our rooms, prepared and had our first meal together, went to evening worship and received our work assignments for tomorrow.There are a couple of other mission teams that are also working with us or along side of us.Cell coverage is limited and WiFi is available in our boarding facility near the office. I'll try to post when I can and offer apologies in advance for the typos that go with phone blogging.John <>&...
Friday, 21 June 2013
A Little on Our Incredible Design
Posted on 14:00 by Unknown
It's pretty amazing. Our bodies are designed with the incredible ability to adapt to the challenges and invasions of living in a dangerous world. While many of the assaults on our bodies come from outside, there are dangers that come from within.We can often (knowingly and unknowingly) aid these internal attacks through the lifestyle choices we make and chemicals that we add to our bodies through diet and exposure. Sometimes, our bodies can turn on ourselves through auto-immune diseases or some other form of self-destructive attack from within.Sometimes...
Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Accentuate the Positive
Posted on 06:12 by Unknown
I hesitate to write the following words that condemn actions and attitudes that I have been guilty of in the past. As I have grown older, it would appear that I have accidentally matured to the point that I no longer want to be the negative, hateful, complaining person of the past. Oh, I still have my moments to be sure; I just no longer want to live that miserable life in general.And I don't want to be around it, either.How do you protect yourself from the negative people that worm their way into your life? Some of them are hard to avoid. Some...
Monday, 17 June 2013
Looking Ahead
Posted on 07:09 by Unknown
Next weekend will find two groups of Hopedale members (around 50 in all) in the fields of services. One group will be headed back to Nicaragua with Project Hope and one group will be headed to Harlan County, KY in the Appalachian Mts. I'll be with the latter group.Harlan County is one of the poorest counties in the country with a per capita income of less than $12,000/yr. (that's less than half of the per capita income of my home Christian County, MO). The 2000 census had the median household income at $18,665.The work that we'll be doing...
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Google+ Comments have been disabled
Posted on 22:15 by Unknown
Well it's one of those things that happen when a not so computer savvy guy tries to do something new with anything that has to do with computers.In tying my blogs to my other Google accounts, I also failed to check the box that would allow non Google+ people to comment. I think that problem has been fixed.If you've tried to leave a comment over the past few weeks and were unable, please accept the apologies of a bumbling blogger. Also, please go back and make whatever comments you may have--other than the obvious--"You're a bumbling idiot and shouldn't...
An Apple a Day...
Posted on 13:33 by Unknown
I like apples. Growing up it was mostly Red Delicious. I think that apples were mostly divided into eating apples and baking apples. As a kid, there were red apples and green apples. I'm note sure how old I was when I realized that some apple were always green. I thought it was just the ones that weren't quite ripe.Today there are many new varieties of apples. Several years ago, I read an article that talked about the genetic engineering of red delicious apples and how they had managed to produce a larger, redder, more crisp apple, but in the process...
Mid-June Notes
Posted on 08:15 by Unknown
Saturday morning, the 15th of June.I figured that I'd write a quick update on how the "new John" is progressing.On June 1st I weighed in at 258# and (once again) decided that something has to be done to get some of this weight off. Since I recently shaved the grey beard and mustache off, I have a daily reminder as I look into the mirror and see a fat, round face staring back at me.I'm not trying to overdo the weight loss by hitting it with a quick loss--been there, done that in the past. I am trying to develop some good habits around eating and...
Thursday, 13 June 2013
Happy Birthday!
Posted on 16:06 by Unknown
Well I have successfully managed to put another year in the history books--not that anything historical happened, it's just that I am another year older.For those of you that are Facebook friends, thank you for all of the birthday wishes that I received. For those of you that are not, you can find me here or on Twitter, here.I have celebrated the passing of another year by: sleeping about 3 hours after working the mid, watching an afternoon Cardinals' baseball game, spending about an hour on the phone talking to my kids, wasting the afternoon...
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Notes from 2013 Kids' Camp
Posted on 09:01 by Unknown
Our weekend Children's Camp is now history--and a life changing history for some of the kids and adults that were there.Every year that I've been blessed to be a part of Hopedale's camp, there have been kids that have made professions of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. This year was no different. I frequently tell people the main reason for our success in this endeavor is that we arrive at camp fully expecting God to be with us, to work through us, and to accomplish great things.This year's camp was a little bit different in a couple of ways.For...
Friday, 7 June 2013
A Couple of Oldies
Posted on 00:45 by Unknown
Hopedale's Children's Camp begins in a few hours. As I am finishing up preparing for my part of the weekend, I was once again thinking about how I ended up as camp pastor for the past decade+ of a children's camp. For those of you that haven't been following Out of My Hat since its beginning, here is a post from seven years ago (just after I started blogging) about how I feel about working with kids. If you are a parent of one of the kids going to camp this year, you might want to wait until next week to read it.The post that followed was also...
Thursday, 6 June 2013
Too Busy to Write
Posted on 14:57 by Unknown
In spite of my desire to write each day, I find that I'm too busy to write here. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm not writing; just that you're not seeing it.On the blog list for next week: Dad's Honor Flight, children's camp (both pre-camp and camp stuff), fitness goals (again), and of course any other random thought that comes to mind.Camp starts tomorrow.John <>&...
Monday, 3 June 2013
June 3; a quick note
Posted on 07:33 by Unknown
Two nights of three of poor sleep. A rare occurrence in my world. I know that Friday night was my own fault and was due to too much evening caffeine. Last night was mostly due to allergies that kept interrupting my rest. The good news is that I feel rested enough and since I didn't have to get up for anything (either morning), sleep in a little later worked out well.Now, on with the day (and week).Most of what would normally be free time (breaks at work, baseball watching time at home) will be devoted to getting ready for Kids' Camp. Messages are...
Sunday, 2 June 2013
June 2
Posted on 06:32 by Unknown
Sunday mornings always provide a few quiet moments to read my favorite blogs and make a check on Facebook. I'm usually able to enjoy a nice cup of coffee, review my Sunday School lesson and keep up with my daily Bible reading.This morning I'm also taking a little time to force myself to to write--even if it's only for a brief moment.After returning from a vacation in Mexico, I shaved off my beard and mustache. I was going to shave it before we left, but opted to wait since my passport photo (and every other photo for the past decade+) has...
Saturday, 1 June 2013
June 1
Posted on 07:10 by Unknown
June first seems like as a good a day as any to get back to blogging.Truthfully, I think about writing often, but usually just don't feel like taking the time to think out a good post. I need to get back to my original intent of this blog and just write to write. It's much easier to write for self and share than to try to write what others might want to read.Since Out of My Hat began about seven years ago, I've followed a number of blogs that have faded into oblivion. I know how life circumstance, desires and demands change and alter our daily...
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