James & Carolanne

Puppy Love

Wow. Isn't he cute? When Carolanne and I got married, we were told that the best way to prepare for kids is to get a puppy. What we weren't told, was that it's difficult to put diapers on a dog, and that kids don't normally eat dry-wall... but hey, that's all part of the fun, right? We also weren't told that it would take almost exactly a year for Rusty's papers to arrive. But when...

The Original WienerStick

My father-in-law has invented a new tool called "The WienerStick". It's a comb shaped object which sits on one's bbq turning the two dimensional cooking surface into a three dimensional experience. Actually works quite well. It is made of surgical stainless steel, and essentially cooks the food from the inside out, preventing the need for constant turning or burning. Go ahead and check it out. http://www.wienerstick.com You can also enter a draw for a free...

God's Provision

I've been struggling lately with the whole concept of God's provision and how He promises to be faithful and provide for our needs. It seems that often I have the perspective that He only provides for our needs. The "bare minimum" that we need in order to get by. While, I know if I look at the history of how He has worked in our lives, that this is not true, that feeling tends to...

Balancing Life and Finances

One of the dillema's which I encounter as I raise support and work as a missionary living in a North American culture, is the question of how to balance life and finances. I guess the issue really revolves around the question of whether a missionary should get paid the bare minimum they need to survive in the culture in which they live, or whether they should be given enough to actually live. (I would suggest...

Busyness

Wow, the last few weeks feel like they've just flown by. Carolanne and I have been quite busy, what with both working full time, taking care of the dog, being involved in church functions, and going through Ministry Essentials Training at Campus Crusade. It's not been unpleasent though, just really busy. We're certainly looking forward to when we will be able to take some vacation time. Ministry at Crusade too has been very busy lately....