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posted by James on 12/9/07

The Christmas Conference continues! With snow still on the ground and the ITC so nicely decorated, it is the perfect time and place to get to know individuals and families who have labored in the IBLP ministry.

The morning opened with two rejuvenating messages by Ken Pierpont and Bill Federer focusing on the role of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life. The richness of one accord continued over brunch as I met the Felber family. Having worked with their son Britton for the past week or so, it was great to get to know his family.

A major highlight of the day was a quick trip to South campus for some recreation and continued fellowship. On the way, I had the chance to join in conversation with Senator Daniel Webster from Florida who was also attending the Conference. As a successful politician and supporter of Mike Huckabee, he was able to shed some light on some questions I had about the 2008 presidential elections.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Tim and Angie Levendusky, missionaries Donald worked with in Mongolia three years ago. I had never met them in person before and it was a real blessing to talk with them.

An elegant banquet was served soon after returning from South Campus, complete with live, atmosphere-enhancing harp music. Again, I was in for a blessing as I sat down with a family I had not yet met. As it turned out, they were an ATI family from Australia. Full of stories and testimonies, they were so much fun to talk to, especially when it came to deciphering their deep, British accent.

The climax of the day was the evening session. Tom Harmon gave a fiery message after which the entire group joined together in triumphant singing of Christmas carols. Robert and Clayton Reedstrom then played a masterful piano duet, a remarkable Christmas collage of almost 10 minutes in length.

It has truly been worth while to meet new people and renew old friendships. So far, God has very much blessed the significance of this Conference.

3 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Robert on 12/8/07

The long-anticipated IBLP Christmas Conference has arrived! James and I are here in Indy, enjoying spending time with friends from all over the ministry.

One thing that I especially enjoy about this time of year is the beautiful music that points our thoughts heavenward and causes us to feel in a deeper way the meaning behind the holiday. The Indianapolis Training Center bell choir performed some beautiful Christmas music this evening.

Bill Federer shared a powerful message on the history of Islam. We sat in rapt attention as he wove story after story together to give a startling but accurate assessment of Mohammed’s life and teachings and how it affects us today.

One point that really resonated with me was in regard to the modern movement for “religious tolerance”. These people would readily say that everyone is created equal. In fact, this is fundamental to their worldview. But where do they get that idea? It doesn’t come from the Islamic Koran, which commands the killing of infidels (non-muslims) and the inferiority of women. It definitely doesn’t come from the Hindu cast system or the idea of reincarnation. And it certainly doesn’t come from atheistic communism, where one’s worth depends on how much they contribute to the state.

The idea that everyone is created equal is a Judeo-Christian teaching. Yet it is the foundation for the “religious tolerance” movement that tries to tolerate all religions but Christianity. It will probably take a major crisis before people realize that “religious tolerance” is knocking the very legs out from under the table on which their belief system is based.

2 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Donald on 12/6/07

During a particularly busy season, Jesus encouraged His disciples to come aside and rest a while (Mark 6:31).

Last week was a busy week and after our Monday meeting I could tell that the rest of our time here was going to fly! At this point the Lord was a very present help, reminding me to reprioritize and rest in Him. As I learn this lesson, I find how much more free He is to work in His miraculous ways.

(more…)

4 Comments » | posted in Ministry Reports

posted by James on 12/5/07

With winter fast approaching and the forest quite bear, I can now present a few of the best pictures that I was able to shoot before autumn completely faded away.

Even though these two picture are a little abstract, I really liked the way they show the changing seasons. To the left, I found the glowing green against crimson red to be very interesting, seeing that they are from two trees of the exact same species. On the right, you can easily see the green of summer contracted with the orange of fall and the bareness of winter: the forested hillside in the back is all Oak; the tree with changing colors is Sugar Maple; the branch in front is a Black Walnut. Each kind of tree looses their leaves at different times. This image happens to show them all (without, in fact, the use of any computer software).

I clearly remember taking the picture on the left; after a sunny morning of shooting, this was the last picture I took before a heavy cloud cover totally washed out color and contrast. The tree on the right is actually one of the trees in the previous picture, only from a different perspective and under different lighting conditions.

Sitting atop a nearby hillside, this country cemetery offered some nice compositions. Every time we see the dying leaves of fall, we should be reminded that our life is as a vapor, appearing for a little time and then vanishing away. The leaf on the right was one of the only leaves I found with vibrant color, and that only when held up to the early morning sunlight to shine through it.

I found it difficult to find good, colorful, pictures due to the peculiar weather conditions this year. But in the quest to find better images, I expanded my shooting locations, learned to keep a flexible schedule, and spent more time in the field. Thank you Jonathan and David for your eagerness to accompany me on my various exciting, shooting excursions. And thank you, Lord, for creating such a vast variety of intricate subjects to study, capture, and enjoy.

7 Comments » | posted in Photography

posted by Esther on 12/4/07

The Lord blessed us with a tremendous Thanksgiving together. After being in OK City for 10 weeks I had a new appreciation for time with family. We all enjoyed Grandpa and Grandma Brannon and Uncle Tim and Aunt Melba joining us for the day. Aunt Melba’s pie and thier bounty of other delicacies contributed to quite the feast!

She had recently accompanied Uncle Tim on a business trip to Israel and had many great photos to show us of the historic sites there. How thankful we are for what transpired there to restore man’s relationship with God.

Over the season our family sang and took note of the 2cd verse of the Thanksgiving hymn “Thanks to God!” by August Ludvig Storm:

Thanks for thorns as well as roses,
Thanks for weakness and for health;
Thanks for clouds as well as sunshine,
Thanks for poverty and wealth!
Thanks for pain as well as pleasure -
All Thou sendest day by day;
And Thy Word, our dearest treasure,
Shedding light upon our way.

What an inspiration to continue in the spirit of Thanksgiving not only for what we perceive as good but for the good purposes God has in difficulties. Rom 8:28 states:  ”We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purposes.”

4 Comments » | posted in Family News