Here Comes My Bride

She’s waiting for me. I’ve been preparing a place for her. We can’t wait to celebrate with our friends and family at our wedding!
Oh, Lord you have been so faithful and loving to bring Melody into my life! Help me to love and cherish her like you cherish your Church. Amen
“And I will betroth [...]

A Chance to Die

Some might consider the picture in this post just plain old morbid, but I couldn’t help but clip it out and stow it away when I saw this thought provoking picture of bride and groom skeletons in a souvenir ad from the Chicago Field Museum.

The skeletons in the picture have something to do with [...]

Our Cup Overflows

My fiancée, Melody, and I have been overwhelmed with the generosity of our friends and family as we prepare for our marriage together. As we have been showered with gifts I am reminded of a line in the song that will be sung as my lovely bride walks down the isle to at our wedding [...]

Treasure Hunt

I had to think of some way to get Melody to my favorite spot in the woods so I could propose to her without her suspecting anything beforehand. I wanted to surprise her. In the end, she surprised me!
I figured the easiest way to catch Melody unsuspectingly would be to guise my proposal in a [...]

She Said Yes

After years of dreams, fervent prayers, late night conversations, joys, frustrations, breakthroughs, friendship, work, study, counsel, repentance, more work and more study and lots more prayer… finally it all boiled down to one simple question.
Last Friday, under a canopy of budding trees, I asked my best friend Melody Nicole to marry me. Even before [...]

We’re Engaged!

“Let your father and mother be glad;
let her who bore you rejoice.”
- Proverbs 23:25 (ESV)

What is Courtship?

I wrote an entry on courtship several months ago and thought it would be relevant to put a link to that entry here again.

A Special Thanks To…

A special thanks goes to all of the photographers at the park. You guys are the best!
Thank you Joseph for sharing your party with us. You are growing into a very fine young gentleman!

About the “Future” Banner

I’ll be honest, there is a little photo-shopping going on here. I took the original picture on one of the piers on Lake Erie. Elijah was with us too as you can see from the original picture below!
A special thanks goes to Jeff Meyers and his Passing the Baton newsletter for the clever “The Future” [...]

Veggie Tales Founder Said What?

A surprising quote from a world-renowned cartoon animator…
“The world doesn’t learn about God by watching Christian movies. The world learns about God by watching Christians.”
- Phillip Visher, Veggie Tales founder
What About Context?
To learn the context of this quote I encourage you to listen to Phil’s hard-hitting message that he delivered at the Moody Bible Institutes Founder’s [...]

Building Covered in Bubblegum!

GREENVILLE, OHIO – Heather, Melody and I stopped by the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop (125 N. Broadwat St.) on our way back home from the Homeschool Alumni get-together at Alyssa’s home.
The building is literally COVERED IN BUBBLEGUM!
“Sounds gross, but that’s what people have been doing for years. So much so that the walls have [...]

Big Sis Enters Blogosphere

We are pleased to announce that our sister, Heather, has began blogging. Her website is called Joy in the Little Things. Here’s what Josiah and I have to say about our sister.
Stephen:
My sister Heather is like an ivy plant— beautiful, tender, resilient. She is the oldest child in our family, so she has been [...]

What is Courtship?

Teaching from the positive is a powerful tool. I experienced this positive method of teaching shortly after Melody and I began courting. Melody found an article called, What is Courtship? by Bill Gothard. In his article Gothard places emphases on biblical relationships, majoring on what couples SHOULD DO to glorify God in their relationship under [...]

Niagara Falls Trip Photo Album

Recently I had the privilege of touring Niagara Falls with a seasoned Niagara Falls tour guide and a young earth creationist believer named Terry Kanouse. More than a dozen friends and acquaintances joined me on this trip with participants ranging from 70+ years old to 4 years! Terry was both knowledgeable and enthusiastic in his [...]

Homeward Bound

2008 Boundary Waters Canoe Trip
Day 8 – Saturday
Return to Akron/ Unload Vehicle and Sleep
Coming home is probably the happiest and saddest part of the trip. I am always glad to be coming back home but sad to leave the beauty and serenity of the “land of the sky blue water.” If we make good time, [...]

Back to Civilization

strong>2008 Boundary Waters Canoe Trip
Day 7 – Friday
Break Second Campsite/ Return to Civilization
Today is our last day on the trail. We will complete the last few miles back to the Way of the Wilderness in time for a well appreciated hot lunch at the trails end restaurant! We will pack up our gear and [...]

To American Point We Go…

2008 Boundary Waters Canoe Trip
Day 6 – Thursday
Break Base Camp/ Locate Second Campsite on American Point
We break base camp this morning and will paddle to our second camp site near American Point on Lake Saganaga. I am always baffled on how easy this long paddle is on the first day of the trip in contrast [...]

Exploring the Sky-blue Waters

2008 Boundary Waters
Day 5 – Wednesday
Exploring Day and Fishing
Depending on the weather I like to set out on an exploration trip with a buddy or two at this point in the trip. If weather is good I will set out early and paddle all day, making a big loop. I like to explore lakes that [...]

Gone Fishing

2008 Boundary Waters Canoe Trip
Day 4 – Tuesday
Fishing/ Exploring/Lay low day
Today we plan to fish and explore the lakes and streams around the camp site. This is a good day to lay low, read a book, and relax from the previous hard days paddle.

Perseid Meteor Shower Tonight

The meteor shower will peak before dawn early tomorrow morning (August 12th) but can still be seen tonight after dark. Bill Cooke from NASA advises to “get away from city lights,” for maximum effect. I will be taking Cooke’s advice to the extreme as I will be watching the meteor shower from the vantage of [...]