Is this us? Going through the motions.

The youth did a skit on Sunday. It was done very well. In the back ground they played a song call: Going Through The Motions. I know pictures can tell a story but this is what happens.
We walk into the church and sit down. Told to stand to pray. Sit down, then get up again to worship. Sit down. Stand up and listen to God's Word. Sit down.
Sometimes I fell like this. Just going through the motions. What we are suppose to do is get excited. Enjoy seeing others. Really praise our Lord. Want to listen to His Word.
Sometime we get into a RUT. What I believe the kids were trying to shows us THAT RUT.
I know myself I sure can get that way sometimes. I even have fallen a sleep during the reading of God's Word.
So what do we do to fix this? I know I have tried coffee, eating candy during that time. I even sit next to others that seam to be awake, so I will not fall a sleep. I think it is what we are dealing with inside our hearts. Do we really want to hear God's Word? Do we really praise Him? Like I said myself, that is not always in my heart.
I ask that the next time you go to church be ready to hear His Word and get excited about it. I know I need to do that myself.

At Calvary we had one of our baby dedication.

This couple up here are my good friends. Monty and Patrelle and their two children, Chase and Hunter. Hunter is the one that is being dedicated today. Pastor Lee loves doing these, he tells us that he feels this is a privilege and even a honor. 

What is a baby dedication? Well here at Calvary we don't do baby baptism , the reason is there is nothing in the Bible about younger children being that. It is when they are old enough to make up their own minds to do that. 

It talks about what a dad is to do, Palms 127:3-5

Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from him.

Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warriors hands.

How happy is the man whose quiver is full of them!

He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accuses at the city gates.

So just think of this as, when Hunter is old enough to make his chose, he will be able to say I was raised in a Christian home and the people around him will be part of his risen. 

Hey guess who sent me Easter Card? These are from 4th graders of Mrs. Harrison class.

Hello every one, just want to let you all know on Friday I got a wonderful gift. It was a package from my friends at Calvary Chapel Academy. Yes my prayer partners back in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Sent me a package full of Easter cards. It is funny how our Lord works sometime in my life. I start thinking about all that goes on here and then look at it with concerns. I know I have stuff on my plate and pray that the list would get smaller. But then, I get this great package from CCA the 4 graders that have been praying for us, Kevin and myself. I read the cards and just say how good is my God, He know when to answer prayers. He timing is so much better. It is funny how slow our mail system here is. This package was sent out on April 3rd I got it on April 26th. The time I needed to see it.
Thank you Mrs. Harrison, I really do want to say thank you again. I am very blessed to call you guys my family. Please if any one has any questions, please feel free to write to me too.
toms@alcbahamas.org   I would love to hear from them. Maybe they can share all that they have been learning about the mission?

We have babies every where. It really is neat to see how our Lord provides and just blesses us

We have such a great God. Every thing we have is from Him. I was walking around yesterday and just was blown away in how many babies there are. I really think when the kids come in and see babies, they love to pick them up and just hold them. It is like having their own pet. Sheep and goats are so cute when they are young. You just want to go pick them up and hug them and maybe even try to give them names so down the road they will come when you call them. I remember a couple of animals we have had with names. They really did come to you after calling their names out. 

Over all here at the ALC. I am so blessed to be able to be part and even help here. You know sometimes you have a job and you say , do I have to go to work today? But if you really think about what we do here and how many kids get to come and see and even hear about Jesus. I AM VERY MUCH IN LOVE WITH THIS PLACE AND THE PEOPLE.

My problem is sometimes I do look at this place and say I can not do it all. That is my problem, the reason I am say this is. I need to step back and say this is not about me. It is about the future students that come through here and hear about JESUS CHRIST. The reason I am telling you all this is. I have been feeling sorry for myself and I need to just enjoy life and do the tings and LET GOD DO THE REST. Let me backup a little, I made a list about a week ago. This list was all the things that are needed to get repaired or replaced. I got over whelmed. Just found 5 pages of thing to repair or replace. WOW HOW IS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN?

IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT ME. It is all about HIM. He can do it and what happens, happens. REMEMBER HE IS IN CONTROL. 

Thank you so much for your prayers and look forward in hearing from you. 

Last night we had a little get together.

They played a game, not sure of the name. But the idea was to pick the bag up with your teeth and not touch any thing. Afterwards rip a piece off of the bag, so the bag gets smaller and smaller. So you can see the bag got very small. It was idea for the little ones to have their own smaller bag. Which was so cute. Those little ones can bend and stretch and pretty much do anything to get that low. Now looking at the older people. It turned out that they could do pretty much the same. Just look at Mark, he is like 6 ft+ something and got down to pick it up. The winners were, Micheal, Mark and Kevin. Micheal really blow people away. He had first had big trouble getting low enough. But he changed his pants to shorts and did really well. I thought I took pictures of him, but I guess not. Sorry. 

We all had some pizza and other snacks to get us good and full. Then after the game went inside and watch a little basketball and then had cake and ice cream. It is Sam's and Kate's birthday this month and we had a chance to be part of it. They blew out the candles and we ate. It really is neat to be able to call the people I work with FAMILY. The reason I say this is. Before when I had a job in the world, boy I just wanted to do my job and get away from them. I think you can understand what I am trying to say?

I am very blessed to be here and just knowing how life can get so rough and you get so much worry about how this is going to play out. I want to say THANK YOU TO MY FAMILY AND LOOKING FORWARD IN DOING THIS AGAIN SOON..

Moving forward.

Yesterday Tim Ryan (this is Ryan) and Tim Seeley and myself worked on these cement pieces. One is a step to the laundry room. The other is a pad for our new gas tank we need to buy. This tank is 24" and weights many pounds. So hopefully by next week we can buy the new tank and then work on the three other steps needed to finish up the bath house. I have to tell you this, getting the forms ready was a little harder than I thought it would be. making the cement up with a mixer was so easy. 

About three months ago, I talked about how it is illegal to gambling.

As Bahamians it is against the law to gamble, here in the Bahamas. They started up these places called WEB SHOPS. Well this started and then the government tried to see what the Bahamian people wanted to pass a law so it would be legal for them to gamble. The law failed big, don't remember how big but it was like 3 to 1 big failed. So now for the last months, our police (new papers) KEEP SAY WE ARE SHUTTING THEM DOWN. I have not seen it happen YET. But maybe down the road it will happen. 

I had a nice time just sitting at the water's edge.

Tuesday night I took Kevin to church, he had a practice with the drama team. So I stopped at McDonald's and got a large ice coffee and drove down near Fish Fry Area. Arawak Cay. It is a long the north part of the island. Just pulled up and saw these guys with the horses in the water. I watched for a while, then went over to talk with them. Really seam to be good guys. I am sorry but I forgot their names. But the guy in the white shirt is the over seer of the horses. I asked where they live, he said a place called Earth Village. I have heard of it, but ever been there. I gave him one of my cards and ask him to come out and see what we do at the ALC. He told me that he would love to one day.
It is funny but this is the first time I have seen horses with out a sulkily behind them. You know down town there are the driver with their horse giving tours of the island?

This video is some thing we as Christian need to pass on.

This is my first time putting a video on my blog itself. So prayerfully it will work and do what it is meant to be used for. SHARE THE TRUE AND PASS IT ON.
Would love to hear back from you on this. Just drop me a line or two.
Remember they are real and the end is NEARER THAN YOU KNOW.

Today prayerfully hope a inspector comes and check this out.

After the inspector comes and gives us a okay, they can mix up the cement an pour if down into the corners. Then the next step will be the Bell something on top will be pour after that. It is moving forward too.

Don't you think it looks like a real tree?

Yesterday Mark and Tim did most of the work on putting the last layer of cement on our new puppet stage. It really seem to go on faster, but under the branches is some what a problem. So today a guy, named Les, from across the street from the ALC. Will be coming over to see if he can help us with this. He has a couple of guys that do plastering. Maybe they might know how to make this happen. It just seams to be too wet or then to dry to stick to the old cement. Prayerfully they have the answers. Plus if the price is right, have them finish it up. They should be able to get it done in two days macs. We will see what he has to say and go to the next step.

Really take a close look!

This is a drawing my son did a couple of days ago. They call this a pretest drawing. The reason for that is, next month, May. He will be taking his final test in high school. They call them the BGCSEs. These tests are to show what an how good he did for the last 12 years in school. Now for him wanting to do art work later on, thought this might be a great way to use later on in his job search.
Now really look at it close. That is a acorn nut with different kinds of berry inside with other nuts too. Then you see the black and white. That is a called abstract art work. I really am very proud of his work. I think it is great. Just double click on the picture and it will blow up bigger for you.
Drop me a line or two. Let me hear what you think of it: toms@alcbahamas.org

Another day working on the NEW METER HOUSE.

Do you see the pieces of steel on the ground? Well today they will be putting them into the corners and along the top of this building.. Then pouring cement down into the top to fill is up. Boy it is so neat to see how a building to put together.

We are not using these any more. Window Cranks

I am not sure if any one out there had to work on window cranks before, I HATE THEM. The reason I say that with passion is. My parents use to have them in their mobile home. I had to replace many of them. If you have ever had that to do, OH WHAT FUN. hey since I have been here at the ALC, I have replaced ad least all of them at one time or other. That right there are 8 windows. What happens is they get all gummed up, not sure with what? They just stop cranking. So Tim and I desired to pull them out and just open and close the windows by hand. You know, go outside and push or pull on them. The only time we close them is when there is a lot of rain. Over all they pretty much stay open.
Plus I put up a trim piece of 1x2 on the top of the windows too. There as been a gap between the top of the window and the frame itself, before I came. So doesn't it look much better. Oh one ting, that electric box in the Dinning hall. Now has been covered up too. Hey it really is nice to have other people ideas and you see what can happen. Thank you Tim and Mindy for thinking and letting us get this place in order.