Weekend at the Farm

Well it has been far too long sense my last post and I am sorry about that.

This past weekend, I had the great opportunity to interact with some great new Christian friends on a farm in Harlan, Iowa.

The annual weekend at the farm was hosted by Arlin Sorensen and it was just as good as expected. It offered, spritual guidance, great music, awesome testimonials and of course great iowa cooking.

The event is scheduled for june of next year and I highly recommend that if you have a day or two to be part of this, Arlin has a unique way of mixing business and God like no one else that I have ever met.

o one more thing, if you get time to read the book that we discussed over the weekend, I think it is a must read "Lead Like Jesus" by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges.

Taking a little travel break

Well the next few weeks, I am hanging back in good ole Grimes. That will be good to just get caught back up and get some connections reestablished. The fair is coming up as well, and you have love Iowa in the Summer, great food, friends and the weather is perfect!

Cindy and I in the woods around Lewistown. This area is on John and Lavina's farm.

This is the "new" house that I promised her when we move to Montana. What do you think January?

Obviously a cool hat at wall drug!

Trying to do that "cool" Montana preacher thing - how is it working?

At the wedding reception, what a cool place to have the reception.

I wish I could tell which one of Connie's girls this is, but man they can both do this cool jump roping. Now if I could do that I would be in shape too!

A break

Today is the first day of a almost two week vacation. Cindy and I are off to Montana with NO kids and me with no electronics. I am taking a break from the blackberry and the pc for this period. It is going to be very interesting. I welcome the time away from work but am wondering who I am without the virtual world, of electronics. This should be a great experience.

Ethan had a fun time yesterday, Cindy bought this 3D sidewalk chalk. I thought how could that work, but it does. You wear these special glasses and the combination of the colors and these glasses, make the images rise and create the 3D effect.

Here is the man with these cool glasses

He loved the glasses so much that he wanted to wear them all the time. I am wondering what he was seeing with no side walk chalk to look at?

Ehtan and the JD gator, he has plenty of fun with this. But I think he spends more time trying to take it apart vs. driving it.

And yes Olivia was there too, she is of course wearing her grandpa's favorite onsee - Pioneer logo!

It was a fun day, short but fun.

Tyler's High School Graduation

Jaimie and Mindy Reetz came to the graduation, it was great seeing so many freinds. Mindy wanted to attend the graduation and seemed to have a great time.


Grandma Baker went to the graduation as well, and was able to stay with us for a few days surrounding the graduation.

The happy parents and Tyler.

They tried something new this year. Each student was given a rose and told to present it to a person that influenced them during these 4 years. Good move Ty, presenting to your mom was correct and a correct move.

This one was taken just before the potatoe party the day before graduation. It was a perfect weather day, and honestly the weekend in general turned out very well. As always there is a lot of prep and I want to thank Cindy for doing most of it. I was along for the ride and it was a nice time seeing old friends and just remembering old times. Thank you to all of you that were able to make it so special for Tyler.

A Noticeable Difference

I know that it has been far too long from my last post and I have probably lost any followers that I may have had, but I felt compelled to try again and this is the devotion that spoke to me this morning.

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13

There is no mistaking a life transformed by God! The disciples had been vain and fearful when Jesus enlisted them. James and John sought to outmaneuver their fellow disciples in order to gain the places of greatest honor next to Jesus (Mark 10:37). Over and over the disciples' actions showed that they did not truly undertand who Jesus was (John 6:6-9); Mark 6:49). Even after three years with Jesus, Peter was afraid to confess Christ before a young servant girl (Matt. 26:69-75). Anyone who knew these men would soon realize they were not the kind of people on which you build a worldwide kingdom. Yet something happened to them as they were with Jesus. The Holy Spirit transformed them, giving them new boldness and wisdom. Now they could perform miracles and preach fearlessly and persuasively to multitudes. Even their enemies noticed in their changed lives the same power they had witnessed in Jesus.

Sometimes we desperately want others to believe that we have changed, don't we, that we are more godly, more devoted, more like Jesus? It is not necessary, however, for those who have been truly transformed by Christ to convince others ot the difference; the change will be obvious. If you have to prove to someone that God has really changed you, He has not! Those around you will surely notice when your life has been transformed by your relationship with Jesus and how you look and act with our relationship with everyone else.