This past Sunday we began a sermon series entitled “A Frayed Religion.” It is an expository series based on the book of Job. I have asked for eight volunteers to share how God has carried them through a very difficult time in their life and so far we have seven out of the eight weeks covered. Jenny B. started us off last Sunday and she did a wonderful ‘job.’ What made her testimony so powerful was that she was so transparent and honest, and gave God all the glory.

To be honest preaching this book is going to be very difficult for me. Even at 34, I still feel like I am young and have so much to learn about God. There are people in our congregation that have gone through such deep and debilitating life crises that anything I have been through seems quaint. So I point them to Job and his suffering and to a God who love them, and I get out of the way.

I have finished my sermon for Sunday (chapter two) and there is so much there. It feels like a burden that I have to get off my chest; like a burning in my chest. It is also like throwing a handful of darts in the air knowing that the darts will fall in the crowd and cause pain for those they hit. But there is no way of knowing who the darts will fall on. The study of the book will cause grief for some and prayerfully will be a healing balm for others.

Job is such a beautiful book; I pray that I will do it justice as a preacher.

Here's the order:
March 1st, Job 1
March 8th, Job 2
March 15th, Job 3-14
March 22nd, Job 15-21
March 29th, Job 22-31
April 5th, Job 32-37
April 12th, Easter
April 19th, Job 38:1-42:6
April 26th, Job 42:7-17

Tonight I taught at our Remnant Bible study (the sr, high to 20 somethings). We discussed three inadequate sources of authority (tradition, experience, and intellect). After about thirty minutes of going through various Scriptures we closed with prayer. The church and tradition dominated much of our conversation. As we were standing to go and pray (the boys go the basement of the home where we meet and the girls stay in the living room), Eric suggested that that we mix it up, (i.e. the girls go the basement, and the boys stay in the living room). His idea was met with instant disagreement, “the boys always go downstairs, and the girls always stay upstairs.” I had to chuckle, even the young find security in doing things the same way every week.

It is a constant struggle for church leaders to initiate change for the right reasons at a pace that causes tension but not division. A church leader must always be gently pushing the congregation away from tradition which leads to dead religion, while steering clear of foolish and non-biblical new ways of doing church. It is a dangerous razors edge.

This Saturday Joshua and Caleb’s Cub Scout Tigers den went to the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue. It was an hour of “get down,” “don’t push that button,” and “Caleb please don’t put your leg in the jaws of life” (no kidding). It was a first grade boys Disney. There were sirens, lights, heavy mechanical machines, trucks, apparatus, and on and on it went. The building smelled of gasoline and medical supplies. It was like holding back raw energy. I was really afraid to turn my back in fear that the boys would take off with one of the trucks (you know they keep the keys in the ignition).

The volunteers on duty were great and very patient. It was encouraging to know that we have people like them keeping watch.

Thank you Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue, and all those who keep watch for the rest of us.

Last Saturday the boy’s Sunday School class, and the elem. department at Daybreak served their community by going to a local nursing home. There was an activities director that was leading the residents in the making of a scented door hanger for their rooms. So our guys jumped in there and helped out. We discovered during the craft time that there was a lady there who was over 106 years old.

Once Joshua and Caleb knew how to help, they were very attentive and caring toward the ladies they were helping. They struggled a little because the room was cramped and they had to lean over their wheel chairs that were crammed against each other. All in all, it was a great experience for them to learn who to help and serve other people and I pray it was a blessing to the residents.

Caleb has not lost a single tooth. His teeth are holding tight and not wanting to leave his mouth. If you have eve smelt his breath it would make you wonder why. Kimberly and I have laughed about this and Caleb is completely ticked off that Joshua has lost five and therefore has five dollars cold cash. So as Caleb was complaining the other day about his teeth not coming out he made us look to see if any of the teeth were loose. So when we looked we discovered that there was a tooth that had grown in behind his baby teeth.

Kimberly made an appointment with the dentist and we took him in. I took him there in the morning with the intention that she would pull the baby tooth. But she said it was not uncommon and that it will eventually come out on it’s on and the pressure from the tongue will move the “Jaws” tooth back into it’s proper location.

Couldn’t the dentist have just told us that over the phone? It’s all about the co-pay.

Ok, this is just cool, watch the whole thing, it's worth it.

Last winter I began to get back into camping. With the money I received for Christmas I began to buy the various items one needs to live outdoors. I searched the internet and began to research and purchase what I felt I needed (or had to have) – a tent, a backpack, a sleeping bag (actually 3), a mess kit, etc…. I won’t bore you with a complete list but you get the idea. Some items I bought worked great, others not so great, but at this point I feel like I have good equipment and am fine tuning my camping list. For example, I am currently assembling a survival kit to keep on me in case I am injured or lost in the wilderness. I know this is a random blog entry – but I thought it would be fun. What would you add to your survival kit? Did I miss anything?

Drew Boswell’s Survival Kit and Explanation:
1. Various fire starters: waterproof matches, tender, , military style one hand fire striker, firestarter sticks (magnesium), bic lighter.
• Redundancy – And take extras in case one method doesn’t work. (i.e. magnesium stick and a bic lighter)

2. fish hooks/lead weights
3. safety pins – for repairing clothing, or makeshift fish hook
4. flashlight (with batteries)
5. tea light candle
6. compass
7. whistle
8. pocket poncho – for water collecting, shelter, and high visibility
• Multiplicity – look for items that can be used for multiple tasks.

9. string and cord (fishing, fastening, sewing)
10. a needle with a large eye – sewing, makeshift compass
11. duct tape – for fastening and bandages
12. aluminum foil (heavy grade) – for boiling water and a make shift cup or bowl
13. pen/pencil and waterproof paper – leaving messages if you have to leave an area
14. wire – for traps or fastening
15. pocket Bible
• All of the lists I looked at, none had a Bible in the list. But if you are trying to survive one of the things to do is keep the mind calm and hopeful; what better than a Bible gives one hope?

16. magnifying glass/sheet – for starting fires
17. survival mirror – that can be seen at least ten miles away, checking for ticks in not so visible places
18. an energy bar
19. a knife or multi-tool – I also have a scalpel blade. The multi-tool is too big for the kit, so I have the scalpel as the emergency cutting instrument.
20. A storage bag/container to put it all in

Here are some things/questions that I thought of while putting the kit together:
• How much do you want to spend on something that you may never use? Do you want to skimp on the thing you are depending on to save your life? Do you want to waste your money on something like a Y2K scare that never happens? Where is the balance?

• One needs to familiarize oneself with the contents of the kit and to know how everything works before needing to use it for survival. I plan to practice with the magnesium stick once the weather breaks.

• The larger the kit, the less likely you are to carry it with you everywhere you go outdoors. I have a core kit that fits in a small plastic bag -- see picture above (about the size on an altoid can), and the rest is in a bag that holds everything else.