Hello! So, I was thinking again, and I thought about how I've never posted any pictures of Justin! So I decided to fix that! Hope you enjoy them!
Hey everyone! Hope all is going well with you all! A quick update on Justin: He's doing awesome! He's gaining weight like a maniac, but hey, when you eat like a pig what do you expect!? :P He is still on 1/16 liter of oxygen, but the doctors are thinking that he'll be off of that pretty soon. We're thanking God that he is doing so well though! Thanks everyone for your continued prayers! :D
Sooooooooo................. I've been thinking (why do you look surprised!? :P)......... and reading.......... and I'm pretty sure that most of you will agree with this statement. God truly is amazing! Sometimes I'll be lying in bed at night just thinking, ya know? And I think about what God has given me. It's amazing! No, I don't have all the money in the world. No, I don't live in a mansion. No, I don't have every little thing I could ever want (then again...). But you know what? That's ok. Because God has blessed me beyond belief! He's given me so much! Yet, a lot of times I find myself just taking it for granted. Now there's the real special stuff (of which I am very thankful for) that is an obvious blessing, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about everything. My parents, my siblings, my great friends etc.. But it goes even deeper than that. Way deeper! God has blessed me with a great dad. He has blessed me with a great mom! He has blessed me so much with each of my brothers and sister: Ryan, Amy, Katie, Sarah, Jason, Jonathan (while he was with us), and Justin. I could elaborate further on that but I don't wanna bring the google server down :P I don't know, I guess I'm just rambling. But really, have you ever thought about how much you have to be thankful for? Sure, everybody's got those times when you think you've got it all bad. But look beyond those times. How much have you been blessed? How much has God given you? Thank Him for it!
Psalm 103:1-5
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
So anyways, just some stuff I've been thinking about!
Keep strong in the faith! God Bless you all!
Kevin
I heard this new song by Casting Crowns called "To Know You", from their new album "Until The Whole World Hears. The lyrics are excellent! For those who want to hear the song, I have it at the bottom of my playlist.
Darkness. Black nothingness. And a whole lot of it. I looked all around. I couldn't see a single thing. It was strange. Almost like I wasn't there or something. But yet I was. How or where I couldn't tell you. It almost seemed like I was just watching everything take place. I don't really know. Then suddenly I could see a bit. It was still just as dark as before, but I could see through the darkness somehow. I could see movement. Slowly I was seeing clearer and clearer. There, right there. I could see something. It looked like a person. Yeah, there was people all over. I looked around and saw that I could see everything. Like literally everything. I mean the whole world. And it was was pitch dark. Yet people were still living their lives like normal. They acted like it wasn't even dark. I was pondering on this, when I happened to see a man walking around with a candle. The strange thing is, it wasn't lit! I couldn't believe it! He was living his life normally. The only thing weird I noticed about him was that occasionally someone would point to his candle and say something to him. He didn't seem to have time for it. Before I could think about that very much, I saw another man holding a candle. It was lit. The light flickered in the darkness, brightly. Everywhere he went he was noticed. I looked closer. I could see people make their way towards the light. They hesitated and shrank back into the darkness as soon as the light from the candle fell on them. The man began to hand out candles to everyone he met. Most looked at it warily. Many, many people threw it down and ran away. They seemed to think "Why do I need this! I was just fine before!" and turned their back on the light, walking back into the darkness. The man then told the people that there was only one way to lite the candle, and then told them how. Some people began to get angry at the man, saying that he thought he was special for having the light. They could not see that they were stumbling around, as if blind all their life. Others of them were afraid. And then I saw one man step directly into the candlelight's beam and stand there. He asked a question. He then knelt down, as if to pray, and remained in that position for some time. After awhile I saw him move and looked hard. I saw that the man who's candle was lit was standing over the other man. Suddenly I saw that there was two lights. The other man's candle had been lit. He stood up, and said something, then walked away, light shining forth. Not because of light from himself. But from the candle. He had realized that he was blind without it, and needed it to see. I began to look around closely, and saw that here and there around the world, there were candles lit, and sometimes groups of then. I saw that many, many people held candles in their hands. Very few of them were lit. Then, I couldn't see anymore. It was just black. But I knew. I began to think hard about what I had seen. Suddenly I felt my mind whirling about me, spinning out of control. The image before me began to transform. White. White brightness. And a whole lot of it. Suddenly I realized I was looking at my ceiling. I looked around and saw I was in my room, and in my bed. I almost laughed. But the image of those people though, stumbling around in the dark was still there. And frankly, I hope it never goes away.
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This was not a real dream by the way. I made it up, as you probably guessed. Just something that's been on my mind lately! Justin is doing great, and he's growing, slowly but surely! Thanks for your continued prayers!
God Bless You All!
Kevin
Wow. Has it really been that long since I updated you all on Justin? Sigh. I'm so sorry guys, I've been just sooooo busy I haven't had time to do anything! Ok. To any of you who have emailed me and I haven't replied... well... I'm sorry about that too. Anyways...
Justin! He has been improving rapidly, way beyond what the doctors expected. The bleeding on his brain that they found, had stopped before birth and has practically dissolved into the surrounding tissue. The doctors don't think there is going to be any serious problems from it. He has been gaining weight rapidly and growing rapidly too! He is eating the maximum amount of breastmilk that they allow for his size and age. And on top of it all, they are saying that he will be coming home from the hospital next week! The doctors have been saying the whole time that he will NOT be coming home before my mom's due date, which was November 14. Well, forget that! All I can say is Praise God! For everything! Thank you all for your prayers!
Well I better get going, got some stuffs to do, especially since it's my birthday. Oh, did I forget to say that? oops! ;) Yep, 17. I've been thinking about what I would like to do in this year. This is what I came up with:
1. Get my driver's license! I NEED it, though my parents might disagree ;)
2. Finish school! Okay, I do NEED to finish school! :D
3. Have a better and closer relationship with my family members :D
4. Most important, to grow closer to Jesus Christ, maturing spiritually, and focusing on Him.
5. All the other stuff that fills in the 365.25 days in a year ;D
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God Bless you all! Press on towards Christ, and do not take your eyes off of Him!
Kevin
In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features save for the one wall covered with small index-card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings.
And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match.
A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I Have Betrayed."
The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I Have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed At." Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've Yelled at My Brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger," "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped.
I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my 20 years to write each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.
When I pulled out the file marked "Songs I Have Listened To," I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented.
When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.
An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: "No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In an insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it
Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.
And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key.
But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus.
I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one?
Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.
Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.
"No!" I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.
He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."
I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.
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Convicting? I think so.
Joshua Harris, author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Boy Meets Girl, dreamt this while in Puerto Rico on a Billy Graham crusade at the age of 19.
I don't even know where to start. I'm soooooooooo sorry I haven't updated you all on my mom and the baby. I've been insanely busy lately. I actually did start writing a blog post, but I never finished it.
Ok. The baby was born @ 29 weeks by emergency c-section two nights ago on August 29. He is 2.6 pounds and 14.5 inches long. There are many complications that can occur when the baby is born so young. One of the main concerns that the doctors have had was that, without amniotic fluid, there was a possibility that the lungs would not develop properly, and they would not be able to complete the respiration process. The first problems they noticed were that his lungs were underdeveloped for his age, and he had a low red blood cell count. He was given oxygen immediately, as well as a blood transfusion. Thankfully, he has been improving since then.
So today when we arrived at the hospital, the doctors had found that he has some bleeding on the brain. This could result in a number of things, including mental and/or physical disabilities. We're hoping and praying that God will intervene and heal him of this problem.
I want to thank everyone who has been praying this whole time, and to ask you to continue praying. Also I want to thank the people who have posted prayer requests on their blog regarding my mom and the baby.
Oh, wait...did I forget to mention his name? Oops :P His name is Justin Nicholas Wegner :D
I'll try to keep you all updated! :D
God Bless!
In Christ,
Kevin
Well, I finally bought myself a camera. It's a Fujifilm FinePix F60fd. Since I haven't taken too many pictures with it yet, they are all random. Enjoy! :D
Ryan packing for his trip to Panama. As you can tell, he is only packing necessities :P
At Mr. R's Today in Capac getting ice cream with some friends :D
Me :D
Jason doing school :D
Our miniature poodle Rugby! :D
I took this while testing the different settings on my camera :P
That's all for now! God Bless You!!!!!
In Christ,
Kevin
Hello Everyone! I was reading in 2 Peter yesterday, and found a portion I really liked. It’s in Chapter 1:5-11. In my Bible they titled this section “Character Qualities To Develop In Life”. Here they are:
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11 for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We must be diligent in our pursuit of growth. I know I need to work on being more patient. I can have a problem with getting frustrated when people are slow or something. It says to add godliness onto that; and then brotherly kindness. And then love. It says if you have all of these things then you will NOT be unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ. In verse 10, making sure of our calling and election. Peter said that if we we do all these things, we will NEVER fail! If we have faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love, we don't leave much room for failure. So I'm asking the Lord to help me to become these things, so that I may have a more intimate relationship with Him, and so that I will never fail :D
Press On Towards The Goal!
In Christ,
Kevin
Hello! I was reading in the book of Matthew the other day and the first ten or so verses of The Sermon On the Mount caught my attention. They really convicted me to fall under the "blessed" category. Again I am pressed for time, but I will write a longer post soon, I promise :D
3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
God Bless You All!!!!!!!!!!!
Kevin
Hello! It's been awhile since I last posted so I thought I'd updated you all :D
I've been busy with work lately, though I won't be busy with that soon! I'm getting let go for the year at the end of the week. That's ok, I guess it will allow me to focus more on school (yeah I know :P ).
Ok, most importantly I think I have told you all that my mom is expecting right? Well if I haven't then I'm telling you now :D Well anyways, there has been some complications with the baby. The baby is supposed to be floating in amniotic fluid inside the placenta. Well, there is very little amniotic fluid, which could cause the baby to be born prematurely and have some seious health problems. If you could all be praying for my mom and the baby I would greatly appreciate it and I'm sure she will too :D
Thanks and God Bless!
In Christ
Kevin
Yeah I'm still here...no I didn't forget I had a blog...and yes I am updating it right now :P
Hello everyone! :D I hope and pray that all is going well with you all!
Hmmm let's see...today is Thursday, June 18, my brother Jason's 5th birthday (Happy Birthday Jason!!!!!). It has been almost two weeks since Jonathan passed away. The funeral was very nice, well, at least as nice as funerals can be. Sometimes I still think he's here. For instance, today when I was walking around the house playing guitar, as I got closer to my parents room, I automatically quieted down and wondered if I might have woken him. But then I remember, and it hurts. But God has been good to us and our hearts are healing :D
Well I don't have that long to write right now, so let's see here...
Not too much has been going on here ( ;P ) lately. I've been kind of busy with work, but they told me today that I don't need to come in until Tuesday. While I am glad I have Friday and Tuesday off, that means that we are really slowing down. They have already let 8 out of the original 14 people go, so I've been barely hanging on for awhile now. But whatever cause I wasn't supposed to be there this long anyway. I'm just happy (and thankful) that I still have a job.
I'm gonna have to get going, but before I do let me...oh there we go :P
Romans 8:5-8 KJV
"For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things if the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject tothe law of God, neither indeed can it be: and they that are in the flesh cannot please God." :D
God Bless You All!!!!!!!!!
In Christ,
Kevin
Oh Jonathan. I remember how every time I got home from work, I would take you over and show you the cuckoo clock. You loved it sooo much. Since the mechanism had stopped working on it, I would open the little doors myself and make the sound of the little birdy. Oh how you loved it. I remember just after I took that last picture of you, I made the sound of the little cuckoo birdy and you turned your head and looked at it. You reached your hand out to say you wanted to go see it. I got up and took you over there. I did the ritual of asking you where the cuckoo birdy was and then opening the doors. You got so excited. But I didn't hold you too long. How I wish I would have held on to you for a little while longer. It was the last time I would hold you before you left us.
I remember the little "smooch face" you would make when you were in that certain mood. It was so sweet. Just this morning, when I was making myself something to eat and everybody was in the living room, I thought I heard you whimper like you were in there with everybody. And then I remembered. You're gone.
I remember thinking about what you would be like when you were a little older. What kind of personality would you develop? Already you had a very sweet one. I'd look down into your bright blue eyes and think about what it was going to be like to have you walking around the house. It was hard to imagine.
I remember the two mornings before you died, you were rolling around the floor back and forth getting stuff to play with. I commented to mom saying how much more active you had gotten lately. She agreed.
I remember the evening after I took that last picture, I was cleaning up the mudroom, and you came rolling in there in your walker. The more shoes I picked up off the floor, the farther you would come in, until finally you could get to me. After I had finished you were over in the kitchen and when I walked by you, you started to whine and cry a little bit. And do you remember? I just gave you some toys to quiet you down. Oh how I wish I would have picked you up and calmed you down. It would have been the last time I held you.
I remember the last time I saw you. You were in your diaper laying in mom's lap sucking on your bottle. Every few sucks you would turn your head and look away.
I remember that I never said goodnight to you. I just got into bed. Oh Jonathan if I would have known what was about to happen I would have held you close and told you how much I loved you. I do love you Jonathan...and I always will.
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These are definitely not all of my memories of Jonathan. If I was to recite them all I would bring down the blogspot server. I am going to look for pictures of him to post soon. I love you all and thank you for your prayers and support.
May Jesus Bless and Keep ALL of You!!
In Christ,
Kevin
This morning, around 4:25, Jonathan passed away. He went to be with Jesus. It came as a complete shock to us since he was getting so much better. In my twitter updates down and to the left, I have uploaded the last picture taken of him. Just click the link. My next post will be a tribute to him. Please pray for our family. I do not have too much time so goodbye all for now.
In Christ,
Kevin
My brother Ryan has written the story of how it happened. Click here to read it.
I apologize for the absence of updates on my blog recently. I know you’ve heard this before but I’ll try to be better :P
Almost a century ago in a place not very far from where YOU are, there was a little girl that lived alone with her Dad. The little girl (which we will call Sarah for ease of writing) was her Father’s joy, and very rarely did he have occasion to be upset with her.
One day, Sarah went for a walk over by their garden with her Dad, all the while planning what the garden would look like later in the year.
“We’re going to have a wonderful garden this year, Father!”, she exclaimed.
“Yes Sarah, I believe you will do a wonder with these plants. But beware of the poisonous huckleberry bush, it’s beautiful…but deadly. If it ever grows in your garden, make sure you uproot it as soon as you find it. Search your garden often to see if this weed is growing, for it has no place there.”
“Don’t worry Father, I will”, Sarah answered.
Days and weeks went by and if you would have seen that garden, you wouldn’t have recognized the place. There were tomatoes and broccoli and peppers and well…almost every vegetable you can imagine growing inside. Evidently, Sarah had done an excellent job keeping up the garden.
A few days later, Sarah walked to her garden and looked it over as her Father had instructed her to do. She had almost finished, when she came upon a small plant that she had never seen before. The colors on its leaves were golden and it was beautiful. Her Father’s words echoed in her ears, “…beware of the poisonous huckleberry bush, it’s beautiful…but deadly…”. Sarah knew what she had to do. She went over to the shed and got a shovel. She pointed it at the ground just in front of the plant, and was just about to jump on it, when someone shouted,
“Hey!”
The little girl said, “Huh?”…..
“Hey you”, the voice said again. The girl looked down and said,
“Plant? You talk?” The plant answered,
“Yeah, what do you stink? Haven’t you ever heard that talking to your plants was good for them? Well plants talking to you is even better.”
“Wow. I’ve never met a talking plant before.”
“Hey sweety I’ll cut you a deal. If you put that shovel down, I’ll keep talking.”
“I’m gonna uproot you.” the girl said.
“Why would you do that?” the plant asked.
“My Father told me you were poisonous, and I believe him.”
“Well your Father’s a good guy I’m sure, but did he also tell you that plants could talk, you know what I mean?”
“No, I guess He didn’t” she replied.
“When I get bigger, you can hide in my branches, my leaves are soft and cuddly, and did I mention the smell? No one can beat that smell!” By this time the girl had pretty much forgotten her father’s instruction.
Things passed by normally, or so it seemed to anyway, until one day when the girl went to look at her garden…
“Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed. The “little” plant that did not seem like anything much, had grown into a huge, disgusting looking thing that had taken over the whole garden. The pollen from the plant was making her eyes itch because it was poisonous. She ran over to the shed and came back running with an axe (which is not a safe thing to do BTW :P).
“Aaaahhhhhh! What are you going to do with that?” the plant asked Sarah.
“I’m going to chop you down. Here goes!” She swung and the axe just bounced of the trunk of the plant, leaving it unharmed.
“You can’t get rid of me!!!!!” the plant yelled.
“I just have to swing harder,” Sarah said. She swung again with all her might but she didn’t harm the plant one bit.
In desperation, she grabbed the plant by her bare hands and tried to pull it out. After several failed attempts, she fell to the ground, to weak to get up. She started to cry. Hearing his daughter crying, her Father came to see what the matter was.
“Look Father,” she said. “You told me to never let the huckleberry bush grow, but I did it anyways. Now it has taken over the whole garden and I can’t get rid of it. Can you get rid of it for me Father?”
“I’m sorry Sarah, you can’t get rid of him anymore,” her Father said.
“Then what am I going to do?” she asked.
“You could build a fence around it,” he suggested. “Would you like my help?”
“Yes Father! Yes I would like your help!”
The Father and daughter together built a solid fence around the plant.
“Now you must never let this fence get run down, or the plant will once again rule the garden,” the Father said.
“Don’t worry Father I will!”
The girl had learned an important lesson, one that I think we also need to learn. Sin can look very attractive, but the end result is always pain. That is all for right now. I have to go cut grass.
God Bless!
Kevin
1) CRACK open your briefcase or handbag, peer Inside and ask "Got enough air in there?"
2) STAND silent and motionless in the corner facing the wall without getting off.
3) WHEN arriving at your floor, grunt and strain to yank the doors open, then act as if you're embarrassed when they open themselves.
4) GREET everyone with a warm handshake and ask him or her to call you Admiral.
5) MEOW occasionally.
6) STARE At another passenger for a while. Then announce in horror: "You're one of THEM" - and back away slowly.
7) SAY -"DING" at each floor.
8) SAY "I wonder what all these do?" And push all the red buttons.
9) MAKE explosion noises when anyone presses a button.
10) STARE, grinning at another passenger for a while, then announce: "I have new socks on."
11) WHEN the elevator is silent, look around and ask: "Is that your beeper?"
12) TRY to make personal calls on the emergency phone.
13) DRAW a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers: "This is my personal space."
14) WHEN there's only one other person in the elevator, tap them on the shoulder, then pretend it wasn't you.
15) PUSH the buttons and pretend they give you a shock. Smile, and go back for more.
16) ASK if you can push the button for other people but push the wrong ones.
17) HOLD the doors open and say you're waiting for your friend. After a while, let the doors close and say "Hi Greg, How's your day been?"
18) DROP a pen and wail until someone reaches to help pick it up, then scream: "That's mine!"
19) BRING a camera and take pictures of everyone in the lift.
20) PRETEND you're a flight attendant and review emergency procedures and exits with the Passengers.
21) SWAT at flies that don't exist.
22) CALL out "Group hug" then enforce it.
23) If the lift is full of women you look at the floor and say, "Nobody move their feet, my pet rat is on the loose". (Spiders and roaches work good too).
24) WALK on with a cool box that says "human head" on the side.
25) SPEAK into a mobile phone and say, "Yeah, the doctor said it was very contagious"
Thanks to Frank for this funny post.
Hope it put a smile on your face :D
In Christ,
Kevin
I was reading in the Proverbs the other day and came across the following verses:
Just a quick question to you all to see if you like my new blog template. If you do not, do not be afraid to say so. I need the input!
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Mother's Day. The time of year that makes you think about your mom. How much she's loved you. What she's done for you. And what she would do for you if she had to. You know what everyone? What on earth would we do without our mom's? You know what I mean? Good!
Hello! I am sooooo sorry I have not updated you all on Jonathan. Some of you have asked me for an update, but (here goes my lame excuse) I have been so busy with school and work and driver’s ed that I have not had much time to do anything. Anyways, no excuse. Ok! Here Goes!
So last….um….I think Tuesday, my mom came and picked me up after work and we went to Jonathan’s pediatrician to get some blood tests done (poor guy). Since it was going to be a long wait (like over an hour), I decided to stay in the van and listen to talk radio (The Bob Dutko Show!). So after the wait, my mom came out with little Johnny, and announced that he had gained almost three pounds! Praise God! But, the amount of protein that was leaking from his bloodstream was still extremely high. Since Jonathan originally went to a doctor at Children’s Hospital in Detroit, the pediatrician decided to send him a blood sample.
Fast forward about a week and a half, I’m sitting on my bed doing homework for driver’s ed, when the phone rings like this……oh yeah, you can’t hear it :P Anyways, my mom answered the phone. To my understanding, it was the doctor from Children’s Hospital calling to give the blood test results. Apparently he has almost completely stopped leaking protein. In the doctor’s own word’s “It seems like his kidneys are healing themselves”. Ahhh, but I know better than that. Praise the Lord for the work He has done! Hopefully he will continue to improve. Than you all SO much for all your prayers for him. Our God is great! If any of you have more questions, just ask them in a comment :D
I better get a move on, cause I still have some stuff to do :)
God Bless You All!
Kevin
Have you ever been out on a dark, clear night when the stars just seem to glow all around you? When you look up and see the vastness of it all, and then you think of yourself. A tiny nobody. A grain of sand. And when you try to imagine our Savior…His greatness… His majesty...it makes you wonder…how could He care about me? Why would he care about me? I mean, look at everything around me. Why would He care whether I die or not? And yet, He died for me? How could anyone do such a thing? When I think like that, it makes me ashamed of myself. He gave His life for me, what have I given to Him? What do I, from day to day, give Jesus?
Slightly off topic:
Have you ever asked yourself the question “If I was to become like Jesus, what about me would I have to change?” It’s a very convicting thought.
Off topic again :)
How could I, knowing what Jesus did for me, be so selfish as to not give Him everything? Sometimes I think like that. Who do I think I am?
After reading over this I see how jumbled up my thoughts are. Sorry! Hopefully you can make sense of it all! :P
Sorry I have not been commenting on any of your blogs lately. I have been sooooo busy with driver's ed, school, and work!
God Bless You All!
Kevin
Hello!
I was reading in Hebrews chapter 12 the other day and really liked the following verses:
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
What first caught my attention was the laying aside of every weight in verse 1. If I have no weight to drag me down, then I can run at peak performance like a runner who is in good shape. Daily time spent in God’s Word, will help to keep us in the condition we should be in.
Ok. Read verse 2 again. We are to look unto Jesus who “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross”. I thought about that line for awhile. In a different verse, we are commanded to faithfully carry our cross daily. Do I endure my cross like Jesus did? It’s a humbling thought. When I get angry, do I faithfully bear the load and ask Jesus for the strength that he has promised to give us? In 2 Corinthians 13:5 it says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
Your Brother In Christ OUR Redeemer,
Kevin
If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the best you've got anyway.
In Christ alone my hope is found He is my light my strength my song This Cornerstone, this solid GroundFirm through the fiercest drought and stormWhat heights of love, what depths of peaceWhen fears are stilled when strivings cease!My Comforter my All in AllHere in the love of Christ I stand In Christ alone! - who took on fleshFullness of God in helpless babe!This Gift of love and righteousnessScorned by the ones He came to saveTill on that cross as Jesus diedThe wrath of God was satisfied -For every sin on Him was laid:Here in the death of Christ I live There in the ground His body layLight of the world by darkness slainThen bursting forth in glorious DayUp from the grave He rose again!And as He stands in victorySin's curse has lost its grip on meFor I am His and He is mine -Bought with the precious blood of Christ No guilt in life no fear in deathThis is the power of Christ in meFrom life's first cry to final breathJesus commands my destinyNo power of hell no scheme of manCan ever pluck me from His handTill he returns or calls me homeHere in the power of Christ I'll stand!
I really, really like this song. I would write more, but I don't have time :'( (:P)In Christ,Kevin
Hello My Friends!
I am so sorry for not updating you sooner. I have been soooooo busy! Anyways, my brother Jonathan is at home now but is still having to go back for testing. The doctors are not sure what the problem is at this point but they think it is the thyroid. They gave him thyroid medicine and it appears to be working. Praise God! They aren’t sure yet though, so we will have to wait and see. I try to remember the verse in Romans
Working at the greenhouse lately has kept me pretty busy. Whether I’m hanging pots, planting flowers, or tagging, that and school keeps me pretty busy! The amount of plants that we work with are staggering. My boss said that there were 17,000 Begonia plants and like 15,000 Impatiens. He said in total, by the end of the flower year we will have planted about 200,000 plants!!!!!!!! I am not exaggerating and neither is he! Trust me, there are a ton of plant in there. Also there are 63 greenhouses, with over 5 ½ acres under glass.
I will try to be better in the future on updating my blog!!! SORRY!!!!!!!
Also, I encourage you all to visit The Believers Gathering if you haven’t yet and apply for membership. Just click the link on the right. Thanks!
Keep walking in the Spirit!
Your Brother In Christ,
Kevin
My brother Jonathan is in the hospital. Since I already made a post about it on The Believers Gathering, just Click Here to read about it.
I was tagged by Bethany. We'll see if I can make it to 50!
1. I am 16 years old
2. I am 6 ft. 6 inches tall
3. I wear size 13 shoes
4. I am in 11th grade
5. I enjoy listening to Josh Groban
6. My favorite books of the Bible are Galatians, Philippians, and James
7. I enjoy Paul Washer's teaching
8. I like almost every sport (especially basketball, volleyball, and ice hockey)
9. I LOVE coffee, particularly Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino
10. My favorite season is summer
11. I want to buy a Saturn Vue
12. I work at a greenhouse
13. I milk a cow
14. I have 6 brothers and sisters
15. I have one dog
16. I enjoy reading Fur, Fish, and Game
17. I like Ice Cream (okay, who doesn't!)
18. I am the second oldest sibling
19. I enjoy hunting
20. I am going to take Driver's Ed this Spring
21. I do not enjoy school that much unfortunately
22. I like trapping
23. I have never broken a bone
24. I had my arm bone moved out of place three times
25. I currently have braces and will for a few more months
26. This is harder than I thought it would be
27. I want to learn computer programming
28. I love Jesus
29. I want to serve Jesus with my life
30. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was 14
31. My blog's purpose is to encourage others
32. I like to joke with my family (too much)
33. I like skiing
34. I fell 15 seconds after I put skis on for the first time
35. I ran someone over while I was skiing!
36. I really enjoy listening to The Bob Dutko Show (103.5 FM WMUZ "The Light")
37. I love being with my family
38. I really enjoy Foosball
39. I am not going to make it to 50 :(
40. I do not know what I am going to do for a living
41. I want to please Jesus with everything I do
42. I want to witness the Gospel to more people
43. I cannot wait until I graduate
44. I work 28 hours a week while I'm doing school
45. I want to do the Lord's will in everything
46. I have only 4 more facts to go
47. I can do this!
48. I know I can!!
49. Almost There!!!
50. Woohoo!!!!!! I did it (I kind of cheated there in the end, but....)
Oh, my. Wow. That was hard. I hope you know more about me now.
In Christ,
Kevin
Staying unstained from the world. It’s something I often think about. The Bible says in 1 John 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
Now, it can be taken to an extreme. Obviously you cannot be completely separated from this world, because it is where we live. What I’m talking about is the sinful things of the world. Not even necessarily going to places that are sinful, but going somewhere where you are purposely putting temptation before you. I know, you can’t go shopping in a grocery store without facing some temptation (and I’m not talking about buying too many boxes of donuts!). But should we go somewhere that we know will cause us to stumble? For example, I’m not going to go somewhere where no matter where I look, I am constantly being tempted to lust after a woman. It seems to me that going somewhere like that would just be setting myself up to sin. Can you go somewhere like that and not sin? Probably, if you look at the ground the whole time. But chances are, you are going to slip. Why would you purposely put yourself in the way of temptation? Isn’t it unwise? I know, I know, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”. Like I said before, is it possible to not sin when you are tempted? Yes, there is always a way of escape. But why, seriously, why as a Christian who is striving to serve the Lord, would you purposely put temptation to sin in front of you? It’s not logical. For example, if you’re on a diet, you just don’t go into a donut shop. Ok, that’s not the best example ever, but try and get what I’m saying. Exactly what am I saying? Good question! No, seriously, if you want to keep yourself free from the stain of this world, you must guard yourself against it. Flee from temptation!
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8
In Christ,
Kevin
As some of you know, the ultimate goal of my blog is to share what I have been thinking and doing, and to encourage people in their walk with Jesus Christ. So with that in mind, I would like to ponder about how much love Jesus has for us. I know, it’s something everybody knows, but I find that it helps me to keep my eyes on Him.
What kind of love is it that enables a person to give his life for the people that are killing him? Jesus bore the wrath of God for us, taking on himself all OUR sins so that we might be saved. He was horribly treated, the soldiers spitting on Him and hitting Him, after which, He was beaten with a lead-tipped whip. All of the religious leaders were probably looking on with scorn and satisfaction as all this took place. Then Jesus was forced to carry the cross up a hill just outside of town. Because of the wounds He had received, Simon had to carry it part way there. Jesus was then placed on the cross, held in place by nails through his hands and feet. The religious leaders mocked Him, asking why He did not save Himself. What they did not realize, was that He was dying for them, the very ones who were killing Him. Do you think He couldn’t have come down? He very easily could have saved himself. Please, try and grasp that. Anytime that Jesus wanted to, whether it was while he was being whipped, while spikes were being driven through His hands and feet, or beforehand in the
In Christ,
Kevin
For a little while now, I’ve been wanting to get a part time job. You know, nothing that would take too much time away from my day, yet something that will get me a little money. So when a friend told me that a local greenhouse was hiring, I wanted to apply right away. The only problem was getting my school done. I figured that I would probably be able to work for a few hours a day, and get all of my school done. So I asked my parents if they would let me work there. Not surprisingly, I didn’t get an answer that day. I prayed about it a little, wondering if I even wanted to work at a greenhouse. I didn’t know if I would apply, even if my parents said I could. Then one morning, three days later, my mom told me that my dad had decided to let me apply. Hmmmm…. I talked to my mom about it a little, but still, I didn’t know what to do. I was wondering if maybe I should apply at Krogers, or maybe Tractor Supply Company. I don’t really know when it happened, but I started feel better about the idea of working at the greenhouse. When my mom asked me if I wanted to apply that very day, I said I would like to. I called my friend and asked him where I was supposed to apply. He gave me directions to follow once I got to the greenhouse (It is a rather large one), which I didn’t think I would be able to remember. But, off to the greenhouse I went.
In Christ,
Kevin
“12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Colossians 3:12-17
I really, really like these verses. In verse twelve, it directs the elect in Christ to put on mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and longsuffering. Continuing on into verse thirteen, it says to forbear one another, and forgive one another, even as Christ has forgiven us, so also should we. But above all these things, it says to put on charity, or love, which is the bond of perfection. I think these things are essential in our walk with Christ. They make up much of the characteristics of a Christian. Mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, forgiveness, love; these are things that I want people to associate with me. I pray to the Lord to help me grow in these areas.
This morning I was listening to the radio, and they were talking about a man who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. The only proof the jury for sentencing him was the victim’s identification of the man. The fingerprints the police had gathered did not match his own. His friends all gave testimony in court that he was with them at a party playing some cards, when the crime was committed. Still, the jury pronounced him guilty. Now, twenty years later, this 39 yr. old man has passed away, dying from an asthma attack. More than half his life was spent in prison for a crime that he didn’t commit (I hope and pray that that man found peace in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ). Can you imagine that? Can you imagine spending all those years in jail, for a crime YOU didn’t commit? I think that it would be very easy to grow bitter in that situation, not only towards the man who had really committed the crime, and the jury, but towards everyone and everything. But as Christians serving Jesus, that is not how we should be. Kindness, longsuffering, forbearance, forgiveness, and love all come into play here. It would be extremely hard to forgive, and love people for that. Yet, His Word says we can do all things through Christ, who gives us the strength we need. Thank-You Lord!
Let everything you do, be in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord!
God Bless You, Brothers and Sisters!
In Christ,
Kevin
My family shares a dairy cow with our neighbors, and we milk it every morning. I milk on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. My sisters Amy (13) and Katie (12), milk together on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Since my brother Ryan works during the week, he only milks on Saturday. Anyways, here is what my typical mornings are like. It varies slightly from day to day.
Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday (My days to milk)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday (My sisters’ days to milk:)
