tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102573292011-10-25T04:13:55.736-04:00So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. - I Corinthians 10:31Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.comBlogger2331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-57661347212476344652011-03-26T21:06:00.000-04:002011-03-26T21:06:28.431-04:00

Having experience with three children now, I would like to put forward some theorems on the physics of pacifiers (pacis, binkies, etc.). These are all based on my observations. Theorem of Paci Uncertainty: It is not possible to know the location of all pacis designated for a single child at any given point in time. Theorem of Paci Induced Equilibrium: It is necessary to know the location of at

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-76094784632389203892011-01-21T23:16:00.000-05:002011-01-22T21:36:53.299-05:00

First, the announcement for those who may not have seen: Philip McLeland Nickles was born 12/16/2010 at 1:46 pm. He weighed 9 lbs even and measured 20 3/4 in. long.Tuesday, 12/14 - Appointment with doctor. Everything looked fine, and she seemed indifferent regarding an induction at that point. While I had an overall good induction experience with Lydia, I wanted to avoid that with Philip. However

Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247073616784962481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-82248751029646271542011-01-16T14:58:00.014-05:002011-01-17T22:40:45.392-05:00

In honor of Philip's one-month birthday on Sunday, here are pics of all three at one month old.Stephen:Lydia:Philip:

Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247073616784962481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-38744114882870427442011-01-14T17:51:00.000-05:002011-01-14T17:51:00.104-05:00

My wife was given the opportunity to download a free copy of God's Technology, a video about training our children to rightly use digital technology. It is produced by HeadHeartHand and features David Murray, a professor at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. Here is a review. Dr. Murray presents some guiding principles in how Christians should think about digital technology and some

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-86254854485792852402011-01-06T10:05:00.000-05:002011-01-06T10:05:26.501-05:00

Greetings all - I've started a new blog: A Theology of Technology You'll find it here: http://theotechno.blogspot.com/ It's a place to put my various thoughts on how to think about technology as a Christian.  Please come look if you're interested.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-9848641005852492502010-12-15T07:38:00.000-05:002010-12-15T07:38:00.963-05:00

But there will be no poor among you; for the Lord will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess—if only you will strictly obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today. For the Lord your God will bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-36366655036750786212010-12-12T17:24:00.001-05:002010-12-12T17:24:43.987-05:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-5289682772342146822010-12-08T07:26:00.000-05:002010-12-08T07:26:00.299-05:00

Interesting article about the relationship of technology to short-term missions. When we didn't have the ability to keep up with friends and family while in a far-flung place, this wasn't an issue as it wasn't really possible. However, now that the Internet is so pervasive, I would think it is a strong temptation for short and long term missionaries to remain closely connected to their home,

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-79283020251544193692010-12-03T07:25:00.000-05:002010-12-03T07:25:00.191-05:00

I recently read Failure Is Not An Option by Gene Kranz, a former flight director (among many other jobs) at NASA. He's the flight director that is the main focus of the Apollo 13 movie. It's his memoir of his life, focusing mostly on his time in NASA and on the missions he was a part of. In short, I loved this book.  Spaceflight is terribly interesting to me, and I'm still amazed that they

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-85361117218504461272010-11-28T16:07:00.000-05:002010-11-28T16:07:01.642-05:00

A fellow named John Dyer has an interesting post on his blog about how since his father cannot access the Internet, he does not get all of John's updates about his life. He must use "older" technology like the phone or postal mail to keep up or send pictures. This inspired a few thoughts.  One is that we have higher expectations of others to keep up with our lives.  We expect them to use the

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-59736872125649302882010-11-21T19:28:00.002-05:002010-11-21T19:38:05.710-05:00

This is a quick, fun project:http://blabberize.com/view/id/333269

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-48870537242366954382010-11-10T07:46:00.000-05:002010-11-10T07:46:00.298-05:00

These are pictures from this summer and fall that I finally got off the camera.  This covers the local festival, VBS, beach trip, summer fun, Raleigh trip, birthdays, and Halloween.  I'm also testing out this embedded thing from Shutterfly to see how it works. Click here to view these pictures larger

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-84600309805864963782010-11-08T07:54:00.000-05:002010-11-08T07:54:00.160-05:00

Here's a fun story for those that are or were grad students.  I sincerely hope you have never had an adviser like this. http://www.credenda.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=206:heaven-taken-by-storm&catid=102&Itemid=122

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-84535590252261295542010-11-05T09:50:00.000-04:002010-11-05T09:50:28.083-04:00

Kristy, Stephen, and I got flu shots yesterday.  I've been faithful in getting them since I had flu one time many years ago.  Stephen was scared, so I went first.  He was fairly brave though he cried a bit.  Soon after, he realized it wasn't that bad AND he got a sticker form the nurse and a rice crispy treat from dad. I was thinking about this last night and realized I'm glad he's afraid of

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-69134129959078910182010-11-03T07:47:00.000-04:002010-11-03T07:47:59.784-04:00

Yes, we're still alive.  Yes, we voted today. First, the family update.  Kristy is at nearly 34 weeks and is BIG.  Her intuition says this baby is coming early.  I'm teaching a class this fall, so I think I'd better make the exam out early.  Also, I hope everyone understands if we don't get Christmas cards out this year on time.  Stephen is 6 now, and Lydia will be 3 soon.  I'll let Kristy talk

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-35469926131898300802010-08-09T10:39:00.000-04:002010-08-09T10:39:36.850-04:00

Well, Stephen is now "Kindergarten age," so our decision to homeschool is now "official." Our first day will be August 23. He has been in preschool for the past 3 years for 2-3 days/week while I worked. I'm done with my job, and I've been gently telling Stephen that once Kindergarten begins, we will be having school at home. He was reluctant at first, but thankfully, we have many friends who are

Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247073616784962481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-69545921146984986102010-07-10T17:43:00.002-04:002010-07-10T17:57:55.508-04:00

Let's see how today went1:30 am - get up with kids who are scared with the power out - check8-ish am - get up with kids for breakfast, take care of sick Kristy - checklazy morning watching Gummi Bears - checkkeeping the laundry going - not reallyfix lots of different things for lunch for the kids that they don't eat - checkdrive 45 minutes to the nearest splash pad - checkfun time wearing out the

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-30948407756341747052010-07-07T21:09:00.000-04:002010-07-07T21:09:00.053-04:00

Lists of books to read combines two things that I've liked for a long time - reading and lists. One of my earliest ones was an attempt to read through all the Bobbs-Merrill Childhood of Famous Americans books in my elementary library (the older ones); I even kept a journal with a one-page entry per book I read. Well, I didn't finish that one, but I still remember a lot of the history I learned

Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247073616784962481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-3905438919459317682010-06-22T12:55:00.002-04:002010-06-22T12:57:42.447-04:00

Here's a truncated transcript of the graduation talk given at the University of Southern California. I have to say, this may be the best graduation speech I've ever heard. Great three questions to ask of them - one would hope that a Good education would prepare them to answer them.Steven B. Sample, president of the University of Southern California:What I should like to do today is pose three

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-53900450980398324552010-03-26T22:13:00.005-04:002010-03-28T15:54:16.811-04:00

Our family went out to a local restaurant last week, and I keep reflecting on an incident there. We were in a row of booth/tables and soon after we sat down, a young couple (probably undergrads) were seated next to us. At least I assume they were a couple as they came in together. They said less than 10 words to each other the whole time we were there.Why? The guy spent almost the entire time

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-19169159600865190322010-03-11T13:06:00.001-05:002010-03-11T13:07:21.415-05:00

Do you want your kids to be happy?Before you answer, read this:http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-dont-want-my-children-to-be-happy.html

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-74930997542048603292010-03-10T23:28:00.005-05:002010-03-10T23:50:45.411-05:00

Though we don't think about it much, technology surrounds our lives in modern-day America. Technology is even in my job title, so it is something I tend to think about frequently. However, I won't claim to have a full worldview framework through which to understand it, perhaps because I'm usually wrapped up in getting a particular technology to work. I recently finished The Soul in Cyberspace

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-52369852273536446072010-02-07T07:46:00.005-05:002010-02-07T21:10:47.183-05:00

Disclaimer: This post is my own opinion and does not at all reflect the opinions of my wife on the show.I quit Lost. Yes, after only the first two seasons. Why, when so many enjoy the show?First, I want to be fair and give some praise to it:High production values - it is very well made; the acting, sets, effects, etc.Mainstream science fiction - I have to put it in the science fiction genre,

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-32535369184323316152010-01-30T19:19:00.003-05:002010-01-30T20:12:45.857-05:00

It was an adventure. It really started yesterday afternoon about 3 when Kristy let me know I needed to go to the store. There was "wintry mix" coming down at the time and about 38 degrees, so not too big a deal. Ingles was fairly insane. (We of course needed, bread, milk, and eggs.) It was really coming down by the time I left and was sticking nicely to the road. I didn't think I could make

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-76328624752712506322010-01-20T17:42:00.000-05:002010-01-20T17:42:00.221-05:00

This is a sad finding within the PCUSA. A survey was done of PCUSA members. Responding to the question "Only followers of Jesus can be saved," the following percentages of each member type responded with "strongly agree" or "agree"Lay members: 39%Elders: 45%Pastors: 35%Specialized Clergy: 22% (I'm not sure what this category means)There are other interesting statistics found here. I hope this

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-78786297496141584672010-01-19T13:50:00.001-05:002010-01-19T13:51:48.852-05:00

2 minutes of thoughts from John Piper on God's Word.Just go watch. You won't regret it.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-69021240824134864752010-01-17T18:48:00.004-05:002010-01-17T20:38:53.595-05:00

This weekend was the (sort-of) usual annual get together with some Clemson buddies. The plan was to get a cabin near Hendersonville, NC and just hang out starting Friday evening and leaving Sunday morning. Well, it wasn't all according to plan. The "cottage" turned out to be a rental house in a residential neighborhood of Hendersonville. This wasn't all bad since it was close to everything in

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-50260815737260522422010-01-12T07:42:00.002-05:002010-01-12T07:57:32.674-05:00

Stephen has just started reading! Video evidence:

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-47093129858414723342010-01-04T23:07:00.002-05:002010-01-04T23:27:22.507-05:00

I often enjoy picking apart commercials and various marketing text. However, this one just made me sad. It's text from an advertisement for a magazine called "Details" which I had never heard of until now.DETAILS is the guys' magazine that's focused squarely on what's coming down the road. Style. Music. Film. Cars. Electronics. Careers. Money. Sex. Celebrities. Whatever you're into,

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-66386181383018929922010-01-02T13:15:00.004-05:002010-01-02T13:19:11.434-05:00

So we don't leave Lydia out of the videos, here is one of her shaking her head. She loves doing this. I think of it as her tryout for shampoo commercials.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-39179709477528691432010-01-01T17:49:00.005-05:002010-01-02T13:17:22.139-05:00

Being off work is great. Stephen and I made another movie. Compared to the last one, it has a similar plot, different protagonist and new Special Effects.Enjoy! In case you didn't quite catch the title, it is "Dinosaur Rescue the Princess from the Globbies Good Luck." Once again Stephen's choice. I have no idea where "globbies" comes from.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-39144215286839668382009-12-23T07:15:00.002-05:002009-12-23T07:15:00.345-05:00

The carnage from Stephen's target practice with snowballs.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-16465658059831182942009-12-22T08:40:00.000-05:002009-12-22T08:40:00.307-05:00

Stephen helped shovel snow this past weekend.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-39530100010409193042009-12-21T13:42:00.002-05:002009-12-21T13:43:02.136-05:00

The power was out for a while Friday evening

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-87514020675529494732009-12-20T07:12:00.002-05:002009-12-21T13:47:17.527-05:00

Another from Friday's snow. This is looking up the street from our house.We will be visiting my inlaws this week, so I don't know if I'll keep up with DPP or not, but it was certainly fun.EDIT: I'm posting a few in advance that will show up as the days go along.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-59504346570338881142009-12-19T17:29:00.001-05:002009-12-19T17:30:56.702-05:00

Or at least they are in a museum in SydneyAh, the movies, the ghetto blaster, the fluorescent colors.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-2657588766926102262009-12-19T07:34:00.000-05:002009-12-19T07:34:00.145-05:00

From yesterday's snowStephen thought it would be fun to hit himself in the face with a snowball. This is his reaction.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-65078237065523180422009-12-18T07:16:00.000-05:002009-12-18T07:16:00.327-05:00

This is a little stretch of road I drive through every day going to and from work. It's near the main entrance to campus. I love it for the year-round green and the view of the rocks, which tend to be covered in ice in the winter.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-87308573499743105812009-12-17T06:26:00.004-05:002009-12-17T06:26:00.341-05:00

Yesterday, there was a fire in Hoey auditorium, which is right across the street from my building. Here you can see the smoke:Trucks from three fire departments responded. Thankfully no one appears to have been injured. I grabbed a new camera we have in my office that makes panoramic images. Here is the result from the scene (click on it for the larger version):

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-53290352900336426452009-12-16T07:30:00.000-05:002009-12-16T07:30:00.971-05:00

This is a bit fuzzy, but you can see the large stack of books that is on the orange bin. Lydia did that all by herself!

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-44680303381308702232009-12-15T07:21:00.001-05:002009-12-15T07:21:00.684-05:00

Speedwell Baptist Church, Established 1902. It's about a mile from our house and I think it has an interesting look. It's about 100 yards from Cullowhee Valley Baptist church (one way) and Speedwell Methodist (the other way). (I've mentioned these three churches previously.)Also: whoo hoo! 200th post on our blog!

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-22180450904177567762009-12-14T08:20:00.000-05:002009-12-14T08:20:00.222-05:00

Stephen took this picture of Lydia while we were in the car.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-83509327439278150952009-12-13T08:20:00.000-05:002009-12-13T08:20:00.385-05:00

I stood in the same spot as Day 10, just different angle.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-45491693306785983642009-12-12T07:59:00.002-05:002009-12-12T07:59:00.059-05:00

Stephen's Kindermusic concert was last night in Dillsboro. (He's the third from the left in the back row). One big part he played was to do the finger cymbals - he was the only one to play them. He did very well of course.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-25545658823645647522009-12-11T08:07:00.002-05:002009-12-11T08:08:59.595-05:00

The stockings were hung on the...hutch with care.And no, Stephen's is not bigger, they're both from Land's End. The angle just looks that way.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-55487455848223163842009-12-10T07:54:00.002-05:002009-12-10T07:57:02.803-05:00

View this morning from the front yard.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-31099289796162438512009-12-10T07:29:00.001-05:002009-12-10T07:31:50.188-05:00

I confess I haven't read any of these books, but this post has some very interesting thoughts about them. Agree or disagree, I think this needs to be dealt with when considering whether or not to have them in your house.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-73723975200359786962009-12-09T07:22:00.000-05:002009-12-09T07:23:09.279-05:00

Stephen in the tub

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-41561756370398893732009-12-09T07:19:00.001-05:002009-12-09T07:22:40.769-05:00

Lydia getting ready for bed

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-25595140870186844412009-12-07T07:50:00.001-05:002009-12-07T07:50:00.109-05:00

Lydia and her gingerbread house creation (actually graham crackers, but hey, who's keeping track). Note the icing on her face from eating part of her building materials.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-9062126740164236152009-12-06T21:11:00.000-05:002009-12-06T21:13:01.237-05:00

Some of Stephen (and his daddy's) Lego creations

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-678464916021052932009-12-05T07:45:00.001-05:002009-12-05T07:45:00.434-05:00

When it rains hard, this little rill and waterfall appear across the street.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-83556956982404150162009-12-04T07:21:00.002-05:002009-12-04T07:24:16.468-05:00

My currently insanely messy office at work.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-70792885833259539652009-12-03T08:10:00.001-05:002009-12-03T08:10:00.446-05:00

Stephen is in charge of arranging our Nativity scene. He thinks that all the people should be crowded around looking at Jesus rather than the spread out scene you see more often.He's got some good theology there.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-22919014838426932762009-12-02T09:09:00.001-05:002009-12-02T09:12:08.243-05:00

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-51767797313256914732009-12-01T07:38:00.003-05:002009-12-01T07:42:56.352-05:00

A friend of mine participates in the December Photo Project. Basically, you post an interesting photo to your blog every day for the first 25 days of December. We'll see if I actually keep up with it.Here's today's picture. I'm slightly cheating since this is from our drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway a few weeks ago.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-80642522828475104522009-11-30T09:49:00.002-05:002009-11-30T10:13:16.347-05:00

As a parent, it is so much fun to watch the kids grow and develop. With Stephen being 5 now, there are a number of traits about him that seem fairly stable. I'm recording this for fun now and posterity later to see how he develops later in life.Stephen is incredibly creative. He can pretend all sorts of things, making up new names for whatever new invention he made. Many are based on the last

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-20696540891043542552009-11-24T06:58:00.003-05:002009-11-24T07:01:01.225-05:00

I found this blog post by Doug Wilson not long ago and have re-read it several times. It is very encouraging about having your children in worship with you.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-9976701709527105812009-10-25T21:21:00.001-04:002009-10-25T21:23:55.801-04:00

For those who like a little theological humor for Reformation Day:Yes, the animation is bad, but it's still funny.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-2729394716120405192009-10-11T15:20:00.005-04:002010-01-02T13:17:43.831-05:00

Kristy was gone to a sale in Greenville (got some good stuff) so I was home yesterday (Saturday) with the kids. Stephen's creativity always amazes me, so I decided to work on a creative outlet to encourage that.We made a movie.Here it is in all it's glory. We got through our creative differences, various production issues, and managed our low budget. We did all the set design and video

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-30868422871588951272009-09-13T19:26:00.006-04:002009-09-17T21:34:31.429-04:00

Summer is over, and we're settling into our routine. We have fun things going already and lined up...Stephen started school (Pre-K at a nearby church in partnership with a Christian school) on August 17. His teachers have been very sweet, and he enjoys it as usual. He has one good friend from whom he is always being separated. Boys... He goes MWF, 9-12. I work MW, so I have Friday mornings

Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247073616784962481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-50572456764849708612009-09-09T21:41:00.003-04:002009-09-09T22:12:32.382-04:00

There are so many things, big and small, to be thankful for in life. I just want to publicly list a few that come to mind this evening.Kristy - she's an awesome wife, the most rational woman I know, and she takes good care of meStephen and Lydia - they're a handful and I love them dearlyMy time at Clemson - so many friends and memoriesMy friends here - they've loved on us so much latelyPapa

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-5623143166612072582009-09-02T21:13:00.003-04:002009-09-02T21:22:37.502-04:00

The memorial service for Silas was this afternoon. We just had a few family come visit for it - a small group. Our pastor had a brief but profound worship service for us. I am thankful to reflect on God's purposes, which are higher than mine, for all my children. Silas is busy praising our Lord now, which is a great and high calling. And, he never had to go through all the pain and trouble

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-15993002917726746922009-08-29T10:22:00.005-04:002009-08-31T07:09:37.857-04:00

(This is mostly for friends that follow this blog and are not on Facebook)Silas George Nickles was born at 1:57 pm on August 28. He weighed 1 lb. exactly. The doctor believed he passed away at least a week beforehand. We were about 20 weeks into the pregnancy.I am thankful for friends and family that have been so helpful and gracious to us at this time. The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-72353389857536138202009-08-16T07:28:00.008-04:002009-08-16T23:56:34.893-04:00

While in Savannah, GA last weekend (10th anniversary! Yay!), we had three very interesting worship experiences. I apologize for the length of this post in advance.The first was morning worship at Independent Presbyterian Church. Getting beyond the oddity of an "independent" presbyterian church (all TE's are in the PCA), the worship was extraordinary. I must commend them in so many ways. They

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-76633173521865947312009-08-03T20:44:00.006-04:002009-08-03T20:59:19.820-04:00

Kristy has been feeling awfulLee caught the nasty fever/ache sicknessStephen also got the nasty fever/ache/throwup sicknessWe discovered the throwup part while in the carLee skidded into a ditch while trying to assist with the throwup partNo adult felt up to cleaning up the car until a day laterWe missed the first day of Stephen's soccer camp today (he probably wasn't up for it anyway)Lee

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-46849923125162491732009-07-10T09:02:00.003-04:002009-07-10T09:16:51.093-04:00

Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.-Prov. 22:6Contrast with this:http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=59055The article is about a middle-school student that made a lewd parody site about her principal. The main point is whether or not the school district can punish her.Does anyone think that what she did wasn't wrong? Anyone?

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-92041893997136667632009-06-02T15:35:00.001-04:002009-06-02T15:36:58.858-04:00

Yay!

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-10154669558431507522009-05-28T19:44:00.006-04:002009-05-28T23:04:11.415-04:00

Stephen and I have been working on a little project. Here's the setup: the wobbly leg on our TV stand finally gave out, so the TV is now on the footlocker for a while and the old stand/table was in our bedroom until we could decide what to do with it. Around this time, Stephen was watching some TaleSpin episodes (which he likes as much as the Rescue Rangers). He would then go in to our room,

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-73368575092821806422009-05-12T21:18:00.000-04:002009-05-12T21:41:18.743-04:00

I've been following events in the PCUSA, particularly related to what marital/sexual standards are required of ministerial candidates (mostly through the GA Junkie blog). The amendment to remove restrictions on candidates has been defeated, but by a more narrow margin than similar actions in previous years (handy summary and comparison chart).While this issue is of interest, I have to wonder:

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-38309139775561195492009-04-29T12:43:00.000-04:002009-04-29T12:44:16.388-04:00

For those who might not have seen it...

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-73035827206617117532009-04-24T07:30:00.002-04:002009-04-24T07:30:01.026-04:00

Ok, some more thoughts on church unity.I'm not familiar enough with other general strands of protestantism to know how prevalent (or not) this is, but there seems to be a strong tendency in Presbyterianism to divide. I point you to a diagram of Presbyterian splits and merges just in the United States. Does anyone really think that diagram looks like unity? Looks more like spaghetti to me.I

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-10060129899359863642009-04-23T23:01:00.003-04:002009-04-23T23:05:30.148-04:00

Found this recently:HT: Jollyblogger

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-25279482840230130202009-04-17T09:00:00.003-04:002009-04-17T09:00:00.927-04:00

We went to a Clemson friend's wedding recently that was held at Pretty Place. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful, worshipful wedding. And, we got to take some family pictures while there.My favorite people:This family picture turned out quite well. Lydia was slightly shy and cute. Stephen was slightly smirking and holding a stick. A very accurate portrayal.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-60619623325246203702009-04-16T10:30:00.001-04:002009-04-16T10:30:00.170-04:00

That last post was mostly about Stephen, so this one is about Lydia. Here's some random pictures that will likely embarrass her in about 12-15 years.Lydia likes to get her pink seat and push it close to her keyboard and play music. She sometimes doesn't judge the distance well (either way)Stephen took this picture in one of his random picture-taking moods, and I thought it was a nice close-up

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-21975971750971753242009-04-15T09:00:00.002-04:002009-04-15T09:00:00.213-04:00

Stephen's school had an Easter Egg hunt. That was this past Thursday and I took the day off (mostly to get tires on my car and get the lawnmower fixed), which allowed me to go and take pictures. Everyone in Stephen's Pre-K class was able to go, no matter what days they normally went, so they were a good crowd. Everyone got to take 11 eggs home and they were all filled with goodies. They were

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-6743804850155503322009-04-14T10:00:00.003-04:002009-04-14T10:00:01.050-04:00

After church, we had a great dinner at home. We pulled out the fine china since we think Stephen is ready to handle that - and it helps make the day special.Stephen had a great time with our fancy lunchLydia also got a salad plate - and seemed suspicious (probably about her brother)Daddy and the kids

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-72836889420212833702009-04-11T16:00:00.003-04:002009-04-11T16:00:01.200-04:00

Some friends of ours found tadpoles in their pond and gave us a jar with a few of them. Stephen really liked having them around and it was fun to talk about how they grow and develop.Kristy found out that tadpoles eat boiled lettuce, so she made some and we fed them. They seemed fairly happy and were starting to grow their legs. However, the jar was getting cloudy and rather than figure out

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-70065359811179050762009-04-10T15:58:00.003-04:002009-04-10T16:06:18.615-04:00

We just got done dying our Easter eggs. Kristy had us try something different and it worked quite well. She punched out dots and cut strips from mailing labels and stuck them on the eggs before we dyed them. It turned out quite well! I like the polka-dot one myself. Stephen was a big help this time. Stephen helping dip an egg.Stephen mostly paid attention. Amazingly, no dye was spilled in

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-3427711137085382422009-04-10T15:24:00.004-04:002009-04-10T15:52:58.674-04:00

Enough of my babbling posts...back to some family pictures!We've been highly negligent in this department - partly because our camera battery was dead and we kept forgetting to get a new one. Anyway, these are from the mid-January snow (not the one earlier this week).Sledding with Lydia (who really liked it)Stephen being sillySledding with Stephen (who really liked it)Our snowmenCute Lydia

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-58974932705958215202009-04-06T16:30:00.000-04:002009-04-06T16:30:00.338-04:00

In my last "unity" related post, I alluded to NAPARC and the lack of unity among highly compatible conservative, reformed, presbyterian denominations.I get discouraged when I see that, for example, the PCA and OPC have considered merging in the past and have failed to do so for whatever reason. What divides those two so much that we can't make one denomination?Though not seminary trained in

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-81992220833903054922009-04-05T20:42:00.003-04:002009-04-05T21:28:24.041-04:00

My friend Brian posted a response to my last blog item. This is a follow-up to that and my previous post.I hear him - I am glad there is somewhere for me to go that aligns with my convictions. And I also hear him that there's a home for particular types/groups of people. But, that doesn't look like unity to me. I think my problem is that at least one of us is wrong. Perhaps about sola scriptura

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-19881935223249286062009-03-29T21:26:00.003-04:002009-03-29T21:40:06.939-04:00

These are my notes from a single-Sunday lesson I did this morning on the Christian view of technology. It's a one-off, but I could see expanding this some day into several weeks. Note that I'm drawing largely from the book Responsible Technology, which I've blogged about before.1. IntroductionWhy care?Technology is pervasive in our lives – How many of you are wearing technology?Consider the

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-31232246184844369742009-03-28T08:45:00.007-04:002009-03-28T23:51:40.971-04:00

With a possible PCA church plant here in north Jackson County, I've been pondering churches, particularly in our area. We drive about 40 minutes to Emmanuel Presbyterian Church (PCA) where we are members. I'm sure many think we're crazy - after all there are presbyterian churches in Cullowhee and Sylva. However, I believe your denominational affiliation matters. The denomination your church

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-72656691004031853882009-03-25T21:53:00.004-04:002009-03-25T22:11:12.193-04:00

We've been working on getting Stephen to wash ("scrub") himself in the bathtub. He's at least willing now, so that's good. But, the past few times, he's tried to wash his bottom first. We'll stop him and remind him "face first, bottom last." He's getting there.This reminds me of a similar situation when I must have been about his age. I don't know if my mom remembers this, but I believe I

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-72707446167247302162009-03-25T00:10:00.005-04:002009-03-27T00:22:13.724-04:00

This past Tuesday evening we went to a meeting for people that are interested in starting a PCA church plant in the Sylva, NC area. We knew nearly everyone there, so that was encouraging. The meeting itself was encouraging as well, but as I look back I noted a few things that make the road look very long and bumpy. This is likely very truthful, so that's a good thing.Rev. Jonathan Inman came

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-24980183877151445542009-03-24T13:06:00.003-04:002009-03-24T13:14:52.487-04:00

A few evenings ago, Lydia started using a bit more communication. She'll say "ma-ma," "da-da," and "see-see" which means passie. But, Kristy has also worked on hand signs with her. She's now regularly using "more" at dinner. She'll also use it when reading books - signing "more" when she wants you to read a book again (and again, and again...). She's also started using "please" more when she

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-27702840676466698782009-03-15T21:58:00.005-04:002009-03-24T13:45:16.013-04:00

I've been teaching on Covenant Theology in Sunday School these past three months or so. It's been very eye-opening to me to study this topic and I would encourage others in the same. The most helpful book has been the very readable The Christ of the Covenants.In my research I've come across various websites for and against Covenant Theology. Sadly, many use terms like obvious, clearly, ignore,

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-75440971674666877332009-03-13T12:26:00.003-04:002009-03-13T12:36:35.597-04:00

As a father, I find myself asking unusual questions of my children. Here's one from two mornings ago:"Stephen, why do you have toothpaste on your face?"His answer took about 2 minutes. Note that I asked this at the breakfast table and he had not brushed his teeth yet that morning.Others recently include:"How did the sand get in your shorts?""What was in the macaroni?""Do you want the blue ice

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-22534555154106660572009-03-01T23:07:00.003-05:002009-03-01T23:13:35.613-05:00

Here's a few phrases from Stephen's extemporaneous prayer this evening (with daddy commentary):"We thank you for our love." (In the prayer we usually pray with him we say "we thank you for your love")"Please give us holy." (I don't know if he gets what this means, but he's on the right track)"Please don't let my toys be broken or scratched." (The scratched part almost made me laugh)"Please let

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-36036963540817184372009-02-25T07:08:00.004-05:002009-02-25T07:25:42.782-05:00

I'll just summarize...Amount of sleep I got last night: 4.5 hours totalComplete sets of bedding (sheets/blanket/comforter/pajamas) that need laundering: 3 (includes the sleeping bag)Loads of laundry: to be determinedSpecial Blankets we went through: 2 (first one just came out of the dryer)Amount of pizza Stephen ate for supper: not sayin'A pitiful Stephen getting back in bed and saying "Thank you

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-3609442603393278462009-02-16T07:59:00.003-05:002009-02-16T08:00:23.879-05:00

In case you haven't seen this yet, it's from Fred Thompson from this past December about our economy.

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-27298183781995096162009-02-03T21:59:00.001-05:002009-02-03T21:56:30.564-05:00

Giving Stephen my old Legos (yes, I say "Legos" - sue me) has been great - we've spent a good bit of time together working on them. Typically, Stephen finds one of the instruction books and asks me to make whatever it is. While I'm doing that, he proceeds to make something out of his own imagination out of various other pieces lying around. We've built probably 2/3rds of the space sets I had,

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-47342315213270854002009-01-27T23:03:00.004-05:002009-01-27T23:19:12.237-05:00

Lydia finally took two steps without holding on to anything, and it was completely by accident. She's been more interested in standing and cruzing along the couch lately, but definitely was not interested in letting go with both hands. Here's how it happened. Yesterday evening, I was watching her for a bit while she was playing. She got her little chair and sat in it for a minute. Then, she

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-9869929981804827042009-01-13T23:25:00.000-05:002009-01-13T23:26:10.329-05:00

Here's a funny on my father-in-law ("papa" to Stephen). While we were at the cabin in Myrtle Beach, papa was on the couch taking a nap and Stephen was sitting at the foot of the couch watching a cartoon. A commercial for something came on ("magic sand?" don't remember) and Stephen said "Can I have that papa?" While still asleep, papa grunted "uh-huh" and shifted a bit before continuing to

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-34329143334403326842009-01-11T21:50:00.003-05:002009-01-11T21:53:33.657-05:00

I think I'm going to give up and just post the link to Shutterfly of our December pictures. Maybe Kristy will pull out her favorites later, but this is a fun few minutes anyway.While it was fun to see so much family and be a part of the Christmas Morning thing in Greenville, I think we're going to find a way to be at our own house starting next Christmas. It was lots of traveling and we'd like

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-37133188251608621452009-01-11T20:25:00.003-05:002009-01-11T20:36:40.853-05:00

Greetings all! The time off over Christmas break was great. We went with Kristy's parents to Myrtle Beach State Park until Christmas Eve, then drove to Greenville. The kids had a great time and got almost more loot than we could haul home (good grief!). We're working through the pictures and will be posting them soon. One comment as I'm going through the pictures - apparently Stephen took a

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-30612159369808631322008-12-14T17:58:00.000-05:002008-12-14T17:59:22.188-05:00

We're finally back home. Kristy is fine, just low level pain at this point (easy for me to say).

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-29825243358282500862008-12-12T15:43:00.003-05:002008-12-12T15:46:47.243-05:00

Kristy had her wisdom teeth out this morning. All went well. She's mostly been sleeping since then (thankfully). The pain comes and goes, but the medicine has helped (though made her a bit nauseous). She's up to applesauce, so we seem to be on the road to recovery.No fun, but we're getting there. We're in Greenville through Saturday - always good for the kids. Stephen is trying to wait for

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10257329.post-30018036032693770912008-12-07T22:27:00.002-05:002008-12-07T22:57:57.566-05:00

The PCA Book of Church Order discusses some details of the office of Deacon (see chapter 9). It certainly emphasizes the ministry to those in distress within and without the local congregation. In addition, it notes that the deacons are responsible for the upkeep of the local church's property and various other duties (encouraging the congregation to give, etc.). Thus far, our little diaconate

Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679521003036402055noreply@blogger.com1