Gardening

Sunni wants a garden.

So, we're trying our hand at gardening. Actually, I like the idea of gardening as well. We've tried small things like a single tomato and a single cucumber plant before (that was a big year for us). Most of the time it's been a tomato plant in a pot. But now we're going big time.

Over the weekend my FIL and I cut down a tree that's gone crazy on the back side of our lot behind the garage. This left a perfect long space of sunshine for a small home garden. We've decided to build raised gardens, so this morning we cleared the plots and I bought cedar (non-chemically treated wood that should withstand the elements, as all gardeners know) and soil - top soil, compost, and peat moss. We should soon have two 4'x6' raised garden areas similar to the picture above. Speaking of the picture above, it seems funny that the raised garden bed plan from which I retrieved this picture instructed me to use cedar or synthetic boards (recycled plastic of course) instead of chemically treated lumber; however, that picture looks like treated 2x6s.

So, while I'm doing this, Sunni's researched garden plans. She's bought nylon string and is planning to grid out the beds and have these great organized sections for vegetables, herbs, marigolds to attract the good bugs like lady bugs and butterflies, and whatever else a garden should need. I guess I shouldn't say "while I'm doing this." She's also been out there helping me rake and level the ground for the beds. Hopefully this evening I'll be able to cut the lumber and build the beds so that the earth can "rest" for a few days before we start planting.

And so the great gardening experiment begins. Let me tell you, I already feel one with the earth! :)

Inauguration - the aftermath

On the day of the Inauguration, I was in Waco working at Baylor University - a moderately conservative baptist school. Maybe it was because we are "moderately" conservative and have staff on both sides of the political lines, but everyone who watched the historic moments in our office were respectful and interested. Don't get me wrong, there was a joke or two but no expressions of bitterness. I was glad to see it and assumed this was normal everywhere. Obama may not have been our guy here in Texas or much of the South but he is now the guy and Tuesday was an historic day.

And then I started seeing the blogosphere and the crazy news pundits. People on Fox news claiming Obama wasn't really president because Chief Justice Roberts mixed up a couple of words on the oath. Keith Oberman on the left and Hannity on the right maintaining their sarcastic and bitter mantras. You'd think Keith would actually express some of the joy and hope that his party is touting these days, but I guess not. Then my friends who live in other parts of the state or country sharing their stories of seeing around them racism, apathy, bitterness, and even wishes of harm on the president or even the nation to prove their points. These friends were appalled at what they saw and rightly so in my mind. Their writings about the day can be found by clicking here and here. They're well written good words, so take a look if you have the time. Even a blog I have been reading by a group of New England Democrats has continued to spew hatred and bitterness towards Bush and the old regime even after he is gone. It's pathetic.

I didn't vote for Obama. There are many things he campaigned on that I disagree with. However, he is now our president and a new beginning can be here if we allow it to be. That doesn't mean follow him blindly wherever he leads. It means look forward. Trust in God. If you're involved in the political world, continue to stand for your beliefs and push forward. But don't start out with bitterness and hatred. Nothing good can come of it. Bitterness is poison.

Ephesians 4:29-32 says this:

Eph 4:29	Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
Eph 4:30	Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Eph 4:31	Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Eph 4:32	Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Hopefully with my small set of readers, I'm just preaching to the choir here.

my personality info

I haven't posted in forever, so I decided to copy 2 of my friends after taking this little test and posting the results. What does that say about my personality? :)



I think my results change every time I take one of these tests. Usually, I end up with a J, but today I was a P for the last letter. I think the other 3 are pretty set.

I was surprised by the "Multiple Intelligence" section. Apparently, I am better suited to be a forest ranger, a conductor, or an athlete than I am a computer programmer. I thought that was funny! I enjoy all of those activities but don't feel particularly talented in any one of them - except for naturalist. I could have lots of fun as a forest ranger stationed at the Grand Tetons chatting with people about God's beauty and watching the bears, bison, and moose!

I love the new Picasa!

Picasa has been my quick photo editor/organizer of choice for quite a while now. Google just recently released Picasa3. Tonight was my first chance to play with the new features. How about thsi neat collage of my boys? This was yesterday evening out on a friends' ranch.

Blessed

We are blessed. No, we are extremely blessed. Don't worry about the transition of power that is taking place in our government. Look past the recessing economy and our shrinking savings accounts. Peer through defaulted mortgages or lost jobs. Even with these things going on, we are far richer than the vast majority of people in this world. Why? you may ask (or at least I do). All I can say is that is only for God to know. And to Him I am most grateful. I need Him to remind me every day how merciful he really has been to me and my family.

This holiday season - from Thanksgiving to Christmas - our family is counting our blessings and is trying to extend mercy to others just as our Father is extending it to us every day. Last Saturday we took our boys to buy toys that they in turn gave to children in need. At ages almost 2 and 3 1/2, this was not a natural task. They wanted to keep and open the toys they bought at first. But the giving happened at the end of a Christmas parade in Austin. When the ropes dropped on the parade route, our boys ran up with the masses of people to load their toys in the backs of trucks and watch them drive away to those in need. When we asked Ethan later that evening what his favorite part of the parade was, he didn't say the big polar bear balloon or the Santa Claus float, or even the horses. He said - without prompting - "giving my present". I hope my actions warm the Father's heart as much as my son's warmed mine at that moment!

Instead of frivolous Christmas presents to several of our friends who are definitely in want of nothing, we are giving livestock. That's right: sheep, goats, chickens. No, we're not giving it to them. We're giving through World Vision in their name to the least of these (Matt 25:40) as Christ tells us to do. I'm not sure how some of our friends will react to this gift, but I hope they will receive the spirit of mercy and blessing to those who for some reason or another are not quite as blessed right now as we are.

I'm not sure what else God will lead us to do this season to distribute his blessings, but I'm excited and I hope I hear his voice he time he directs because I am so blessed (Acts 20:35).

Fluff - the mindless frontier

Ok. I just saw this little trailer and am a bit excited about a summer blockbust for the first time in a while. No, I'm not a true trekkie . . no costumes or English-Klingon dictionaries at my house, but I am fond of the old original series. I also like J.J. Abrams, who's directing and I like "Sylar" from Heroes who looks to be playing a young Mr. Spock!

the first begotten of the dead

I'm starting a personal study of the book of Revelation. And no, it's not that the recent election has me looking for signs of the Apocalypse. I've been thinking about it for a while and am finally starting. I'm really interested in the imagery of Christ in John's revelation.

And so, it begins with Christ - the firstborn of the dead - whose "head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters" Not quite the bearded guy in robe and purple sash.

Don't know how long or deep my study will take me, but I'm looking forward to it.

Disney World

Last week, my family and I returned from a Walt Disney World "Grand Gathering" vacation. There were 10 of us there:
Nathan, Sunni, Ethan, Seth
Nick, Pepper, Aaron, Jude (Sunni's sister and family)
Stephen, Britt (Sunni & Pepper's parents)

It was a good time for all, especially the 4 pirates who committed mutiny and took over the trip!

For many more pictures, check out the album on my family home page here:
http://bearspace.baylor.edu/Nathan_Atkinson/www/Disney%20World%202008/index.html

Or for those of you on facebook, you can find the album there as well.

Government bailout haikus

So the world's coming to an end, the government's gone haywire, and our retirements are down the tubes. What better way to respond to the insanity than writing haikus? Please contribute to the collection. I'll add them to the list.

Corps make bad choices
Pray for fed'ral take over?
What are you thinking?

Economic mess
Government clean up attempt
Socialism grows

Small government gone
Paulson's wool o'er Bush's eyes
Where's the GOP?

One global market
A New World Order coming?
Armageddon near

from M.D. McMullin:

country in a mess
o partisan politics
third party needed

(other haikus which are equally fun but do not apply to topic may be viewed in comments)

Romania Wrap up

Day 7:

Today was our touring day. After a long week, we were ready for it. We enjoyed work we did, but a little break at the end was nice. We spent the day shopping and touring the city of Braila. Braila has about 300,000 people in it. While it's not as modern as Bucharest, it is a nice city. It was very interesting seeing the old communist world as the foundation of this city with little spots of more modern times breaking through all around.

We stopped at an Eastern Orthodox church in the morning. They were having a service at the time. The church was beautiful inside - every inch seemed to be painted with murals and icons. It was quite different from a Roman Catholic church in that it was rectangular shaped (instead of in the shape of a cross) and had several pillars inside which each seemed to represent something specific - perhaps a saint or some "pillar" of the church. I'm not up on my Eastern Orthodox, but it was interesting. The other item I noticed was rather than statues and stained glass, all saints and images were paintings on the wall and ceiling.

During the time we were there, the entire service was being sung in chant by one man in the middle of the room. The priest performed some actions in the front and then walked through the room with his incense which he would swing towards each person who was praying. We tried taking a picture with no flash. It's a bit blurry, but you can make out the room pretty well. Notice also there are no pews or seats. Worshippers found stations around the room and stood or kneeled during the service.

The service (or the priest in particular) weirded Sunni out a bit, but I was very interested in it. The ancient liturgy that in many ways probably resembles the early church more than any other Christian faith present today is fascinating. It's sad, though, to see that the church over the years was not able to embrace the blessed assurance of salvation that Christ gives us. Over and over throughout the week when we talked to people about eternal life the response was always "only God knows. I try to do good things and hope that this is enough." The temptation to rely on our own works is so great. Satan uses our own vanity in so many ways. This creeps into Christian denominations across the board, but it has really taken a stronghold in the Eastern Orthodox church. We heard some about a renewal movement within the church in some areas, especially among the young. I pray that this is true and continues. For all the beauty and history this faith holds, it would be great to see the flaws in its doctrine removed.

After seeing the temple and shopping for souvenirs, it was time for lunch. We ate at an outside patio restaurant. Our table shared 3 "house specials" which were trays of traditional meats along with pickles and potatoes. It was pretty good. Meats included pork and chicken chops as well as a couple of sausage types. Here's a pic of our table followed by one of Sunni, Pepper and Dr. Marietta Walker on the sidewalk outside of the restaurant.

Next we went downtown and saw some of the government buildings. One of them was city hall. This is the building Pastor Peter was stationed in to protect during the Revolution of 1989. He was in the Romanian army at the time and they positioned him and several troops in the hall for 3 nights during the heat of revolution to protect it from vandalism. During his 3rd sleepless night, there was some confusion and weapons were fired. He was spared but 3 of his colleagues were killed as well as some other guards and civilians. This is a picture of the wall across the courtyard from the hall he was stationed in. You can still see the damage from the bullets that night.

The rest of the afternoon was spent walking the city and shopping some more. We toured a traditional market where they sold all types of foods. Some of us sampled some cheeses. We also went and had ice cream, saw some of the beautiful fountains down town, and bought more souvenirs at a local mall.

That evening, we all came together again for a celebration dinner. The restaurant was on a boat in the Danube. Here are a couple of pictures: First Sunni and I, and then the whole team. It was a good day.

Wrap up:

At the end of a mission trip, people often want to know "what are the numbers". Typically, they are talking about salvations. Numbers are important because they are a tangible way to try and measure the success of a trip. I want to wrap things up talking about numbers. Maybe these will help tangibly measure the trip and provide more insight into the ripe mission field of Romania.
(you may see a big space before the table below. I'm not sure why blogspot is doing that)

~500	the number of patients we saw in 4 days of clinic
4	the number of locations where our teams set up clinic: a Gyn clinic in Braila, a clinic in 1 village for the first 2 days, a clinic in 2 neighboring towns (the 2 spots were 4 miles from each other) the last 2 days
~20	the number of people who prayed for salvation with one of our counselors while we were there
1	the woman who testified at church on our first Sunday in Romania. She said that she went to see some Christian doctors in a medical clinic 3 years ago. She did not accept Christ that day, but over the course of the next year He continued to present himself to her. One year later, she turned to him and has been a faithful Christian in that local church for the past 2 years. Thank God for his word that says some of us plant seeds, some water, some reap the harvest but it is God whole gives that harvest.
1	the number of knife threats we received while holding clinic in a village
1	the wife of the local Orthodox priest in that village to whom we were able to demonstrate Christ's love with a gift of vitamins for the children of her town
85	the number of women seen in 2 days of gynecology clinic
209	the total number of abortions reported by these 85 women
1	the child whose mother had attempted to abort but who is now being raised by that same mother and is a healthy ~7 year old boy. What great plans God must have for him!
19	the (small) number of years that Romania has been free of communist rule
1	the precious saint and church founder that we treated whose husband is a martyr for Christ at the hands of those communists
1	the number of state religions of Romania - Eastern Orthodox
3	the Evangelical pastors who we worked with this week and who now are hoping to continue working the soil and reaping the harvest in their Romanian towns
1	The great God we serve who holds the future of Romania and of this whole world in the palm of His hands

Numbers are an attempt we make at measuring the success of our efforts but numbers alone don't always mean much. They definitely don't reveal a complete picture of the lasting effects from our time in Romania. They also don't fully describe the present situation. But many still like to use them.

I listed numbers of all types above to show that just counting salvations does not really say much. I also listed them to leave some lasting impression of the mission field we were in for those that may think in numbers more than in stories. Finally, I listed numbers to reveal that no matter how staggering some of the negative numbers were (209 abortions, only 19 years out of communism, the fact that the country is under 1 state religion), the final number holds supreme: that our 1 God is in control of all.

Our trip to Romania is one I will never forget. I'm thankful to God that he allowed me the privilege of serving Him and his children there for this one small week!