Trampolining

Panama City Beach

Photo Album 2005-2006

Moon Jelly

Off With The Old...

Tadpoles are swimming in our pond. We’ve watched them grow and turn into frogs. These are just another batch of tadpoles we’ve found. Some tadpoles even have four legs already. It’s weird to see them become frogs. It is almost like they grow into completely different creatures.
When we are redeemed and washed of our sin, it is - as 2nd Corinthians 5:17 says - like we are different creatures. “Therefore, if anyone be in Christ he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!” We no longer have the burden of shame and sin when Jesus wipes us clean. We can walk with hope, love, and joy!
These tadpoles will soon be frogs hopping all around. In fact, we’ll probably find a few of them in the pool!
“And He [Jesus Christ] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” - II Corinthians 5:15
J. Andrew

Courage vs. Cowardice

The world has a very foggy idea of courage. The courage that used to be inside the patriarchal father has been removed and has been replaced with cowardice. Many believe that riding the fastest roller coaster or jumping from an airplane proves one’s courage. This is not a mark of bravery or courage, but is only daring (or in many cases - just stupidity). Now, I’m not saying that roller coasters or sky diving are wrong. In fact, I’d like to do these things. But let us be clear about the difference between courage and rashness.
For examples of true courage and heroism, I will turn to disasters on the sea. First, the Titanic was one of the greatest events of history that showed courage and bravery. Men who had heard the story of the Birkenhead (see below) and had been taught how to be chivalrous and courageous stood on the deck of a ship that would soon be plunged into the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They placed their children and wives into lifeboats and said good-bye to those whom they would never see again in this world. The water was very cold, and most of these noble men perished by freezing to death.
The second example of courage we find in the archives of history is found in the story of the Birkenhead Drill. The men on this ship were descendants of some of the greatest men in history. Their family trees included names such as Isaac the Bruce, William Wallace, and other glorious covenanters of Scotland. The Birkenhead, one of the grandest ships of its day, hit a rock off of Cape Fear in South Africa. The men drew up in military order as women and children boarded lifeboats. The ship sank twenty minutes after the Birkenhead struck the rock, but all of the women and children were saved in the lifeboats. Most of those noble men were eaten alive by sharks that were swimming in the water. However, not a single woman or child died!
Contrast these noble stories by a ship that showed great cowardice and selfishness, the La Bourgogne. This ship also began to sink, but instead of acting in a manly manner, the men and sailors began killing the women and children and leaping into the lifeboats to save their own miserable lives. Two hundred ninety-five men lived, while only one woman survived, and dozens of children perished. These French passengers were products of the pagan French Revolution.
Praise God that we are seeing Godly fathers and mothers raising up Godly sons with the qualities of nobility, selflessness and courage - even in the face of death!
J. Andrew

Hunting

When I was very young, I thought it was “mean” to kill an animal. I wasn’t a tree hugger, and I did believe that in self defense it would probably be OK to kill an animal, but I thought it wasn’t “fair” to the animal. I adopted this mindset by watching a few movies like Disney’s Bambi, which portrays the hunter as the evil antagonist. Don’t think movies like this affect us? Consider the following statistic: The year following the release of Bambi, hunters spent barely over half the dollar amount they had spent the previous year – before Bambi had made his debut in the “mean, cruel forests of America.”
Benjamin and I participated in a Hunter’s Education Class. Through this teaching I learned that if we didn’t hunt deer, they would overpopulate to dangerous numbers! Many deer that weren’t hunted would die to disease or starvation – due to overpopulation. These facts changed my whole mindset about hunting in general.
More importantly, I’ve also learned how God told man to take dominion over the earth. This may include hunting and protecting endangered species.

J. Andrew

The Gallantry T.R.A.I.N.I.N.G. C.E.N.T.E.R. Acronym: Part I

To Rear, Admonish, Instruct, and Nurture: What it means and Scriptures supporting it.
The first part of our Training Center acronym goes like this: To Rear, Admonish, Instruct, and Nurture.
We have to REAR up a godly offspring prepared to attack anti-Biblical worldviews. We must use the Word of God, which is the Sword of the Spirit, have our feet shod with the shoes of peace, wear the helmet of salvation, and be clad with the breastplate of Righteousness and Truth. Then, armed with the shield of Faith we can combat the fiery darts of the evil one.
The Bible says to “bring them [your children] up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”(Eph 6:4) This basically means to steer your children in the paths of righteousness as found in the Scriptures. When one ADMONISHes a child in the Lord, he may have to use the rod of discipline.
We need to open up the Holy Scriptures as we INSTRUCT our sons and our daughters and teach them the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom.
To NURTURE means to care for and protect. We have to train our children for a life only a Christian can live, while guarding them from the wiles of the devil.
J. Andrew