Coming to the Still Waters

Here is another guy I listen to a lot and really get challenged to keep going forward God's way!!! Adam

     I tilled up the garden on the first day of spring and today we planted some lettuce and spinach under some low hoops.  I guess we are trying to make up for some of the time lost last year because of the cancer.  We are so excited about trying some new gardening techniques that we hope to stretch our growing sessions.  Our goal is to erected a hoop house by the fall to see what we can do.  Stephanie worked the Boyne City farmer's market for a friend and bought some greens from a man in Harbor Springs who is successfully growing throughout the winter with the hoop house method.      We are also 1 month into not eating any meat or dairy.  Some would call this a "vegan diet" but for us it is just a response to the many things that we have learned along the way.  The amount of chemo and radiation that I took on last year is the main reason to eat this way to not offer a body that would be open to some secondary cancer.  As far as we know from what we have been research

     Another bike ride in from town to home.  I took the route that climbs 3 hills instead of 2 and all is well.  I think I can see what my summer of riding might be like.  Also I tilled up the gardens on the first day of spring.  I don't think I have done that before.  I also broke ground for a new garden to add some more vegetables for the juicer.  Stephanie is going to have to make a map of the grounds and the gardens to know what is where.  Our goal is to have a hoop house by the fall to ground some greens into the winter months.  Here is a picture of one.      Sunday's sermon went well and leads into another sermon on marriage and divorce and remarriage.  This Sunday will cover passages like Matthew 19 and also 1 Corinthians 7.  I was so thankful to tell the story of Hosea and show how this Old Testament event points us to Jesus.  I will use the story of Ruth this Sunday to again show who God uses a marriage event to point to the ultimate marriage to Jesus.  Jesus is

     I did not ride my bike all last year.  My surgery was in July.  Today, I got dropped off in town by Stephanie and I rode all the way home, 18 miles.  I was able to climb all the hills without going into granny gear.  I am very tired but I think my legs faired better than I thought and I have the typical first ride sore rump.  It is pretty unbelievable that I am doing this in March but I will take it.  With gas up to $4.00 a gallon this will become a necessity again.  I will probably sleep really good tonight or even yet this afternoon but it was well worth it.      Last Sunday's sermon was on adultery and lust and marriage and divorce in the sermon on the mount passage.  Jesus is driving us to go deeper as He did with the murder passage.  Murder starts with unresolved anger and physical adultery starts with mental adultery and divorce starts with unhealthy behaviors toward each other.      Every time I preach on marriage and divorce it seems to lead to the need to preach

     I remember first coming in contact with Steve and Annie through the Focus on the Family series called "Turn Your Heart Toward Home."  They wrote the theme song for the series.  The next times that I came across Steve Chapman was at a couple different wild game dinners.  I was very impressed by his skill through story telling and also relating spiritual matters of the heart through everyday experiences.      Tonight Stephanie and I were able to attend a marriage seminar with both Steve and Annie at a local church.  What a great way to end the day.  When you have someone be totally honest about where they are at and where God has taken them it is so powerful.  Some of the analogies that Annie shared tonight will travel with me the rest of my life.  Her statement that we can't forgive until we see ourselves on the same level as the other person.  You can't forgive someone if you see yourself on a different level.  The world usually raises the offender up through

     Here are some shots from the latest snow storm.  This keeps us busy through the winter.  The kennel for the dogs has a natural barrier now.        Here are a couple trees that are nicely shaped and decorated with the new snow.        I had to relief the branches on this tree that were all the way to the ground.      Our bird feeder is also our snow gauge and this was cleaned off the night before.        A typical winter has me up on the roof relieving the 3 foot that gathers up there.  I thought I might get away with it this year.        Life in northern Michigan has its challenges but I am thankful for the little wood stoves that we have that keep us toasty warm.  The tractor and snowblower are essential along with a snowmobile with a full tank of gas.  We will see how we will get to church tomorrow.  We are all plowed out but the county roads have yet to be done.  Maybe I will get chauffeured in tomorrow. Adam

Some ask me where I get fed. I listen to Francis Chan, John MacArthur, Alliaster Begg, and this guy, David Platt. Take the time and listen to this message that is so different than the gospel that is so much preached today. Adam