Jonah Vacation Bible School Night 3

Night 3 we continue with the story of Jonah with Jonah inside the belly of the big fish, or whale if you read the American Standard Version.  Ms. Ruby & Ms. Tracy did a fabulous job on the back drops for the whale and I love Ms. Jennifer's colorful costumes for the fish. 

 

This would have been a GREAT black light story, but our auditorium doesn't get dark enough for the use of black lights, too many stained glass windows.  Several years ago McDermott did the story of Jonah, the kids and I created a giant black light room where the youth could sit in the belly of the fish and learn the Bible story.   Black light is always a memorable teaching aid; I've used it with the stories of Daniel in the Lion’s Den and; Saul on the Road to Damascus.

Click here to see Jonah Night 1

Click here to see Jonah Night 3

Click here to see Jonah Night 4

 

for as Jonah was three days and three nights

in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man

be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Matthew 12:40 (American Standard Version)

Jonah Vacation Bible School Night 2

 

 

In tonight's VBS performance Jonah head to the docks at Joppa, which he should have never done since Nineveh is a land locked city!  I played the ship's captain, ala Disney-esq Captain Amelia.  There was a little sensitivity to not being scary pirates in front of two & three year olds!

 

For the first time in a decade I sang a solo in front of an audience. I sang Adele's Rolling in the Deep.  To clarify, all of my singing experience includes chorus/choir in high school and college and singing with my mother-in-law in Sweet Adeline’s, not solos!  

 

Caleb did a great job as one of the deck hands loading the boat.  Our Involvement Minister, Mr. Mark stole the show as the parrot!  He was wonderful! In the pictures you can also see the giant fish, or whale if you read the American Standard Version, that came out and swallowed Jonah!  

Click here to see Jonah Night 1

Click here to see Jonah Night 3

Click here to see Jonah Night 4

“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,”

he replied, “and it will become calm.

I know that it is my fault that this

great storm has come upon you.”

Jonah 1:12

Jonah Vacation Bible School Night 1

Tonight we kicked off our Jonah Vacation Bible School.  If you know your Bible or Veggie Tales then you know Jonah was a prophet.  In our opener tonight Jonah receives a message from the Lord God Almighty that he is to go to Ninevah.  Jonah knows that Ninevah is a very wicked town and does not want to go.

 

Having worked on VBS at the Owasso Church of Christ for a decade and then the last several years with Ms. Tami at McDermott, it is a given that if it is VBS then I will be signed up to help.  McDermott has done drama productions for the last several years but this is the first year to do a musical! Ms. Jennifer has amazing musical talents and rewrote iconic pop numbers to fit our scripts.  We worked together as she showed me where in the Bible stories she wanted to insert the songs.    I love working on the scripts because it is the chance to feed the kids the wisdom from scripture and insert humor. 

 

We began each night with our pulpit minister Mr. James introducing each night in a Mr. Rogers meets stand up comedy routine.  This is just a way to settle the kids down from the sing along and excitement and prepare them for the Bible story drama.  I stepped in as the Lucille Ball to his Mr. Rogers only I was the straight man and he was the comedian. 

 

Tonight Caleb was the dingy, slightly misguided Jewish boy that interact with Jonah after he receives word from the Lord. Frankie was assisting with her beloved four year olds and Abigail was working with the kindergarten class.

 

Click here to see Jonah Night 2

Click here to see Jonah Night 3

Click here to see Jonah Night 4

“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it,
because its wickedness has come up before me.”

Jonah 1:2

Camp Blue Haven

Abs Cabin

Caleb's Cabin



Tate & Abigail

Caleb and Abigail have enjoyed the past week at Camp Blue Haven in Las Vegas, New Mexico. They road ten hours each way in a chartered bus with the Brown Trail Church of Christ.  There were four our five other families from the McDermott congregation who attended with the kids. 

Baptism at the creek

Caleb and Abigail absolutely loved Camp Blue Haven.  Something about being up in the mountains along with the strong spiritual focus it was such a special time.  They have already said they want to go back next year. 

Caleb's main counselor was named Joshua and made a huge impact on Caleb.  Abigail too fell in love with her counselor Hannah!  Blue Haven uses the same staff all summer who are trained in how to work with and encourage the kids in their Christian walk.  The counselors are Sophomore, Juniors, & Seniors at Christian Colleges. 

I feel so blessed to have so many great influences on shaping our kiddos!

Kirkwoods, Chaffins & Bronnimans

not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite

and Joshua son of Nun,

for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.

Numbers 32:12

Piano Lessons

Abigail began taking piano lessons probably a year and a half ago.  Every week she visits Ms. Kathy and along with two other students they work on new songs.  They are currently working on accompaniment and composing.  I snapped this quick photo while they were playing 'name that tune' by playing the first three notes in a song.  Abigail and Caleb have both loved Simply Music, and every song Abigail has learned she usually teaches Caleb when she gets home from practice. 

My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being! 

Psalm 108:1

Arlington Museum of Art - Artwork of C.S. Lewis

When we found out there would be an art exhibit in our area featuring works inspired by C.S. Lewis’s writings we jumped at the chance to attend.  The Arlington Museum of Art is a fairly new art museum.  The museum is free to visitors, and is located in the historical district of Arlington. 

.

This exhibition is produced by Faith Artists.   The exhibit features about 40 pieces of artwork based on Lewis publications such as “Chronicles of Narnia”, “The Great Divorce”, “The Screwtape Letters” “The Four Loves” and more…

The exhibit was quaint, it was refreshing to see Christian themed art, it wasn’t near the caliber of work that we saw at the Biblical Arts Museum.   My favorite C.S. Lewis field trip was still the one man production of The Screwtape Letters.

The name of the star is Wormwood. 

Revelation 8:11

Mother's Day 2012

Mother's Day 2012 with the babies!

                              M - O - T - H - E - R
                     "M" is for the million things she gave me,
                     "O" means only that she's growing old,
                      "T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
                      "H" is for her heart of purest gold;
                      "E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
                      "R" means right, and right she'll always be,
                       Put them all together, they spell
                      "MOTHER,"
                       A word that means the world to me.
                               Howard Johnson (c. 1915)

As a Mother's Day gift for the grandparents, we made book marks to send with the cards.  I took a photo in the backyard with the kids and then used Publisher to crop and edit the photo to look like the kids were hanging on to balloons float over the Dallas skyline. 

Before editing

Final Bookmark

Our day today included the usual sermon on mothers.  My favorite passage has always been the scripture in Timothy, because my father's mother was named Eunice and my mother's grandmother was named Lois.  Both women were Proverbs 31 women, it makes me smile to think of the heritage of blessings my family lives under because of the Godly life these ladies lived.

 Recalling your tears, I long to see you,
so that I may be filled with joy.  I have been reminded of your sincere faith,
which first lived in your grandmother Lois
and in your mother Eunice and,
I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
Timothy 1:4-5

Isabel's Baptism



Isabel and Caleb

Our home school community has served in the place of family since we moved to Texas.  We have made so many like minded friends who are raising a generation to serve the Lord and who have put their children's spiritual welfare above everything else.  Tonight was one of those victories in that battle! 

Our sweet friend Isabel decided to be baptized tonight!  We joined together at a friends house and friends expressed warm wishes and words of encouragement with Isabel and her family.  Then we joined outside while her parents baptized her.  It was so moving to see and hear so many well wisher expressing their desire to be their spiritually and physically for this new sister! 

After this Jesus and his disciples
 went into the Judean countryside, and
he remained there with them and was baptizing.

John 3:22

Dallas Zoo - Koala Marsupials NOT Koala Bears!

Abigail at the entrance of Koala Exhibit

Giraffes roaming

Abigail feeding the giraffe



In March the Dallas Zoo opened up their new Koala Walkabout exhibit.  This makes the Dallas Zoo one of only ten zoos in the country to exhibit the Australian marsupials.  In addition to the two koalas the walkabout exhibit also features Australian natives like the blue-tongued skink (a large lizard) and kangaroos.

a kangaroo rolling around playing

Today was just a mom and Abigail day.   It was one of the first times we’ve made it to every exhibit in the zoo.  When we go to the zoo with Caleb, he enjoys reading every plaque and tidbit of information.  Abigail on the other hand is blissfully happy looking at the animals and moving on to the next exhibit. 

One of the highlights for today was Abigail feeding the giraffes.  We have been members of the Dallas Zoo for five or six years and the improvement they have made to the zoo in that time are fantastic.  There was a time when the Dallas Zoo paled in comparison to the Fort Worth Zoo, but not anymore.  If you haven’t visited the Dallas Zoo recently, make the trip!

God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds,
and all the creatures that move along the ground
according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:25

Scarborough Renaissance Festival 2012




Some of the Gang!

Court Jester






Food Court!




Today we joined the Gungan’s, the Terry’s, and the Hansen's and entered the realm of England’s King Henry VIII at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival. We enjoyed great demonstrations of jousting, weaponry, metal works, glass blowing and even a fire whip!

As you enter the kingdom the Royal Court and villagers welcome you into the kingdom. All of the kids dressed for the occasion. We usually attend on their Student Days, when you don’t have to worry about adult beverages and the costumes are a little more modest. This has become a fun tradition for our family here is a look back at our visit in 2008 and 2010.

Fire Whip!

Saw it coming!

the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon
all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen
and the metal workers, 1,000,
all of them strong and fit for war.

2 Kings 24:16