Becca goes to Camp

We dropped off Becca at Bluegrass Christian Camp. Becca and Emily are staying together there again.

With Adam gone to the National TSA Conference, Carmen is now an only child again. You can see her great enthusiasm in this picture.

I'm not sure what Emily and Becca were planning but it appears that they were eager for Jackie, Carol, Carmen and I to leave them alone...

While we driving out, they had already made a dash for the carpet ball.

TSA National Conference in Nashville

We sent Adam off with four van loads of middle schoolers and high schoolers to Nashville this morning for a week at the National TSA Conference.

Adam has reconstructed his transportation project with a gear box that he designed as he built it, much like the ever expanding deck that I built on our first house.

When Adam first started thinking about how to do his State project, he tried to drag me off to Lowes to buy tools to make it. One of the tools he requested was a big drill bit like the one we used to install a dead bolt lock on one of our doors. Seeing how that drill bit was larger than his car, I challenged him to draw up a design before we bought him any tools.

While working on his National project this week ( at the last minute, late into the night, way after Lowes was closed ), Adam accused me of slowing him down because I expected him to "make the project with rocks for tools, like I was living in the forest or something".

Being able to improvise was very important as you can see that he needed to make a last minute axle extension. He used a deck screw into the wheel, cut off the head, then hot glued a metal sleeve over the original short axle and the screw.

I took this picture while Adam was taking a break to eat some peanut butter pie that his mother made him. Adam's National project has a much higher center of gravity than his State project so I'm eager to find out if it flips over during the climb. I also warned him not to use it too much before the 16 foot event because I was concerned that the gears weren't quite as robust as his state project.

It wasn't until today, that I realized that his experience this past week reminds me of one of my favorite shows that I have liked since I was a kid. I wish I had more time to watch shows like this one:

Withered Tree

Matthew 21:19
Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, "No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you." And at once the fig tree withered.

Last Sunday, Mike preached about the vine and the branches and he asked the question, "What good does the fruit do for the branches?". Obviously, the point he was trying to make needed the body to respond, "No good at all".

But.. I kept insisting that the fruit draws water through the branches until he asked me to go back to teaching Children's Church.

I don't know if it is true, but I've been told that my Japanese Crimson Queen Maple may lose its branches this year because the leaves froze off this spring. Being a fruitless tree, these branches will dry up and die because there are no leaves.

Jackie heard that there is a chance of "shocking" a tree back to life by putting a box of Miracle-Gro on it once a week. Of course, I assumed that was just a good marketing scheme by the makers of Miracle-Gro.

As you can see from the picture, leaves are returning to the base (top of the trunk), but are not making it down the branches.

For this season, I may have many questions:
1. Did the leaves "suck" water?
2. Would fruit have "sucked" water better?
3. Did the Miracle-Gro have any affect on the new growth?
4. Will the leaves return to the branches next year?
5. Will the whole tree wither and die?

Given all the freezing and thawing in life as a child of God, I do know there is one thing that I have no question about:

... having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
Colossians 2:6-8

Vacation Bible School

I started playing football in the 6th grade and worked out summer after summer on my bike and winter after winter in the weight room to earn the right to wear a high school football jersey in the early 1980's.

Twenty five years later, those same game jerseys serve as practice jerseys for Adam and props for VBS Game Day.

In today's society that worships athletes, it is hard to think about how far most children come from being able to compete in athletics.

What a refreshing piece of news for these children to find out that Jesus has made it easy to become a child of the King and a member of the greatest team to ever be assembled.

Somebody else already rode the bike and lifted the weight. All we have to do is accept the trophy and build on the established foundation.

Unfinished work will remain unfinished

Adam has an opportunity to learn an important lesson this year in regard to submission to authority. Having attended 6th and 7th grade at Southern Middle School, he will not be permitted to return for his 8th grade year.

He had a problem with interrupting class for two teachers and this was not acceptable for an "out of district" student. The talking and disrespect was reported multiple times for several months. One of the teachers even called me during the day for direction on how to resolve the problem.

The consequences spread far and wide. One narrow and tall consequence is pictured on the left. I don't think I will be able to finish painting the goal posts. Last year, I painted as high as I could reach from 16' step ladder. This year, I intended to finish the job after finding a taller ladder.

His 7th grade year in football was exciting, as were all the musical performances and One Way throughout 6th and 7th grade. There are many great teachers at this school. It truly was worth saving, I'm just saddened that we were not able to finish there with Adam and Becca.

I appreciate the relationships that were started there and hope to continue them as Adam completes 8th grade separated from his Southern friends.

I find it ironic that the post that we painted was clad in a "CREEK" sleeve on the night of the 8th grade recognition.

It will be a test for Jackie and I as well. We both want to make a positive impact on the community and are extremely loyal to any cause that we invest in. This one hurts.